The 2019 Minnesota Social Service Association Training Conference kicked off in Minneapolis on Wednesday, March 20th. I was fortunate to have the opportunity to attend the first day and listen to the keynote speaker, Kevin Hines. Kevin Hines is a brain/mental health advocate, award-winning global speaker, best selling author and documentary filmmaker who reaches audiences […]
Suicide Facts The most important fact to know: Suicide is preventable. Every 16.2 minutes, one person dies of suicide — which means that every year we have the chance to save approximately 30,000 lives. Key to saving these lives is understanding that it’s often a combination of factors (versus one sole reason) that lead to […]
People who text MN to 741741 will be connected with a counselor who will help defuse the crisis and connect the texter to local resources. Crisis Text Line is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. In Minnesota and across the nation, text suicide response services have been successful in helping people in […]
The full story of Alexandra Valoras’ life is more terrifying than familiar. Just weeks after a family ski vacation, the 17-year-old high school junior, straight-A student, class officer and robotics whiz made her bed, tidied her room and walked to a highway overpass in Grafton, Massachusetts. She jumped off the edge. “I leaned over the […]
Depression is a mental illness that can affect people of any age, gender or socioeconomic status. Depression can cause feelings of persistent sadness and loss of interest. It can affect how a person thinks, feels, and acts, making it difficult to manage the day-to-day activities of life. Depression can follow a period of time or […]
Although there is no single cause of suicide, one of the risks for suicide is social isolation, and there’s scientific evidence for reducing suicide risk by making sure we connect with one another. We can all play a role through the power of connection by having real conversations about mental health with people in everyday moments – […]