Whitney Fishburn
Unsung Heroes: Honoring Mental Health ...

November is National Family Caregivers Month, a time to highlight the vital yet often unacknowledged role of caregivers. For those who support loved ones experiencing mental health challenges, this month is an opportunity to honor their dedication, recognize their struggles, and empower them with resources.

Unsung Heroes: Honoring Mental Health Caregivers During National Family Caregivers Month
Mens Mental Health, mental health, suicide prevention
Whitney Fishburn
Veterans in the Spotlight: Under-Addressed ...

Veterans’ Mental Health: Where We Need to Focus

Veterans face unique mental health challenges that too often go under-addressed, from military sexual trauma and transitional stress to the long-term impact of PTSD. These experiences don’t just affect mental well-being—they can shape every aspect of a Veteran’s life, from personal relationships to reintegration into civilian roles. Yet there is reason to be hopeful: today, more than ever, there’s a focus on empowering Veterans as community and workplace mental health leaders. With evolving peer support programs and resources designed to remove cultural and financial barriers, we’re seeing real progress in providing accessible, culturally competent mental health care. By positioning Veterans at the forefront of these initiatives, we can harness their resilience and leadership, creating stronger communities and workplaces while ensuring they receive the support they deserve.

Veterans in the Spotlight: Under-Addressed Mental Health Challenges and Effective Resources
Whitney Fishburn
The Papageno Effect: Harnessing Positive ...

Earlier this year,  I attended the European Symposium on Suicide and Suicidal Behavior (ESSSB) in Rome. One of the plenary presentations by Prof Thomas Niederkrotenthaler, of the Medical University of Vienna,  illuminated the powerful impact of the “Papageno Effect” on suicide prevention. 

The Papageno Effect: Harnessing Positive Storytelling for Hope and Recovery in Suicide Prevention
Whitney Fishburn
Want to combat mental health stigma? Don't say ...

It seems that any time we hear the words “suicide” or “mental health”, the word stigma follows right after.  The word “stigma”, according to the Oxford Dictionary, means a “mark of disgrace”.

Instead of talking about stigma incessantly, let’s stop to consider how by focusing on it, we ensure it stays in place, forever associated with mental health challenges. The net result is that people who are struggling are all too often reluctant to seek help, since they are constantly reminded that having a mental health issue is a mark of disgrace. 

What if we reframe stigma as a form of bias, rather than something to be ashamed of? Doing so would help normalize help-seeking for mental health concerns, creating the expectation that getting help is reasonable and even preferable.  

Want to combat mental health stigma? Don't say ‘stigma’!
suicide prevention, workplace mental health
Sally Spencer-Thomas
I Didn't Get the Jock Genes—Why I Still Find ...

Growing up in a family of natural athletes, I always felt like the odd one out, struggling to find my place in the world of sports. But when I discovered running, everything changed. This blog explores how running became more than just exercise for me—it became a powerful tool for self-care, resilience, and finding peace.

I Didn't Get the Jock Genes—Why I Still Find Running an Important Part of My Self-Care Strategy

suicide prevention

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Veterans in the Spotlight: Under-Addressed Mental Health Challenges and Effective Resources

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Veterans in the Spotlight: Under-Addressed Mental Health Challenges and Effective Resources

Veterans’ Mental Health: Where We Need to Focus

Veterans face unique mental health challenges that too often go under-addressed, from military sexual trauma and transitional stress to the long-term impact of PTSD. These experiences don’t just affect mental well-being—they can shape every aspect of a Veteran’s life, from personal relationships to reintegration into civilian roles. Yet there is reason to be hopeful: today, more than ever, there’s a focus on empowering Veterans as community and workplace mental health leaders. With evolving peer support programs and resources designed to remove cultural and financial barriers, we’re seeing real progress in providing accessible, culturally competent mental health care. By positioning Veterans at the forefront of these initiatives, we can harness their resilience and leadership, creating stronger communities and workplaces while ensuring they receive the support they deserve.

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Leveraging Lived Experience for Impactful Suicide Prevention and Recovery: Research Findings from the European Symposium on Suicide and Suicidal Behavior in Rome

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Leveraging Lived Experience for Impactful Suicide Prevention and Recovery: Research Findings from the European Symposium on Suicide and Suicidal Behavior in Rome

Last week, I found myself deeply inspired by the symposium at the European Symposium on Suicide and Suicidal Behavior (#ESSSB20) in Rome, where profound discussions unfolded about the critical importance of integrating the wisdom of those with lived and living experiences into every aspect of suicide prevention and recovery. 

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7 Key Reasons Why Lived Experience Matters in Suicide Prevention, Intervention and Postvention

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7 Key Reasons Why Lived Experience Matters in Suicide Prevention, Intervention and Postvention

Lived experience is the heartbeat of suicide prevention, breathing life into data and transforming theoretical strategies into real-world impact. By centering the voices of those who have navigated suicidal thoughts, behaviors, or grief, we gain insights that go beyond statistics—insights that are rooted in the emotional, social, and personal realities of the human experience. Incorporating lived experience ensures that suicide prevention efforts not only address the complexities of mental health but do so in a way that is empathetic, adaptable, and truly person-centered. These voices bring richness to our understanding, fostering innovative, humane approaches that lead to genuine healing and change.

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From Awareness to Action: Changing Culture to Prevent Physician Suicide

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From Awareness to Action: Changing Culture to Prevent Physician Suicide

Every day, physicians help improve and save lives. But when it comes to their own mental health struggles, they often don’t address the symptoms of trouble until they are in full-blown crisis. Sometimes, their mental health crisis turns deadly. Physicians have one of the highest suicide rates of any profession in the US. Federal data show an estimated 400 physicians die by suicide per year. More than half of physicians know a physician who has either considered, attempted or died by suicide in their career, according to Vital Signs, a nonprofit aimed at ending physician suicide. They also report an estimated one million persons in the U.S. lose their physician to suicide each year.

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How MINES & Associates Turned Their Commitment to Mental Health into a National Movement with the H.O.P.E. Certification

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How MINES & Associates Turned Their Commitment to Mental Health into a National Movement with the H.O.P.E. Certification

When the behavioral health crisis assessment and referral team at Banner Health’s Northern Colorado campus in Greeley heard about H.O.P.E. Certification, a program that is helping build resilience and wellbeing in industries facing acute suicide and other mental health crises, they were intrigued. The team knew that workers at their hospital were exhausted and traumatized, and needed a variety of mental health supports.

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I Didn't Get the Jock Genes—Why I Still Find Running an Important Part of My Self-Care Strategy

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I Didn't Get the Jock Genes—Why I Still Find Running an Important Part of My Self-Care Strategy

Growing up in a family of natural athletes, I always felt like the odd one out, struggling to find my place in the world of sports. But when I discovered running, everything changed. This blog explores how running became more than just exercise for me—it became a powerful tool for self-care, resilience, and finding peace.

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Are you looking for personalized mental health support apps?

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Are you looking for personalized mental health support apps?

Discover the top cloud-based mental health apps of 2024, categorized into resilience, early intervention, and intensive support. Explore SaaS solutions like Calm, Talkspace, BetterHelp, and more, offering personalized care for individuals and employers to enhance mental well-being anytime, anywhere.

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Spreading H.O.P.E.: A Case Study from Banner Health in Northern Colorado

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Spreading H.O.P.E.: A Case Study from Banner Health in Northern Colorado

When the behavioral health crisis assessment and referral team at Banner Health’s Northern Colorado campus in Greeley heard about H.O.P.E. Certification, a program that is helping build resilience and wellbeing in industries facing acute suicide and other mental health crises, they were intrigued. The team knew that workers at their hospital were exhausted and traumatized, and needed a variety of mental health supports.

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Recovery-Supportive Workplaces: A New and Important Trend in Workplace Wellbeing

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Recovery-Supportive Workplaces: A New and Important Trend in Workplace Wellbeing

Creating a recovery-supportive work environment helps enhance your organization’s overall health and safety, while moving the solutions to mental health concerns in your workforce from the individual level to the environmental one, which is easier for an organization to control for optimal outcomes. Doing so promotes psychological safety, team cohesion, and a wellness-oriented climate. For more information or to register for the workshop, contact Chase Plank: chase@sallyspencerthomas.com 

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Suicide on the frontline: how one nurse turned his pain into purpose Providing H.O.P.E. to the healthcare workforce within the Zero Suicide framework

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Suicide on the frontline: how one nurse turned his pain into purpose Providing H.O.P.E. to the healthcare workforce within the Zero Suicide framework

Following the death of his friend and colleague, a critical care nurse becomes inspired to end the stigma against mental health help-seeking in healthcare workers, becoming a leader in suicide prevention efforts in the healthcare workforce. 

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“Everyone knows I’m struggling”: The Death of Emergency Room Physician, the Mental Health Crisis of the Healthcare Industry and a Call to Action for Systemic Change – The Story of Lorna Breen, MD

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“Everyone knows I’m struggling”: The Death of Emergency Room Physician, the Mental Health Crisis of the Healthcare Industry and a Call to Action for Systemic Change – The Story of Lorna Breen, MD

Due to a combined lack of crisis preparation by a hospital administration, a “suck it up” culture among hospital medical staff, when a time of relentless exposure to trauma provoked a mental health crisis for an emergency physician, her fear of being stigmatized ended in suicide. Since then, a movement has evolved to remove systemic and discriminating barriers to mental health help-seeking among healthcare workers and to create healthcare workplace environments that promote a holistic approach to well-being.

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Zero Suicide Global Summit Highlights and Insights on the Healthcare System and Suicide Prevention

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Zero Suicide Global Summit Highlights and Insights on the Healthcare System and Suicide Prevention

Last month I attended the Zero Suicide Global Summit in Liverpool, England with 110 global attendees from 22 countries and all continents (except Antarctica). The event is part of an international movement to transform healthcare systems and to aspire to “zero suicides.”

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The 988 Launch – How are We Considering the Needs of Historically Marginalized Communities?

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The 988 Launch – How are We Considering the Needs of Historically Marginalized Communities?

About 12 million adults seriously consider suicide each year. For those ages 10 to 34, suicide is the second most common cause of death. Substance use challenges, addictive behaviors, trauma and complicated grief often lead to tremendous despair and disruption for individuals, families and communities.

Recognizing these and other statistics, Congress passed the National Suicide Hotline Designation Act in 2020. The bill established means for a new, federally and state-funded network of suicide prevention centers that Americans could call with a 3-digit code: 988.

Now—after years of careful planning—the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline launches nationwide on July 16, 2022.

Guest panelists from several areas of mental health advocacy joined Dr. Sally Spencer-Thomas on June 23, 2022 for an #ElevateTheConvo Twitter chat about the initiative.

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Denver-based Business, Nonprofit and Musicians Partner to put Mental Health in the Spotlight

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Denver-based Business, Nonprofit and Musicians Partner to put Mental Health in the Spotlight

There is perhaps no better way to build a community around difficult challenges and loss than to bring people together to let them know that they are not alone, at least that is the hope that Dazzle owner Donald Rossa and United Survivor’s Board President, Dr. Sally Spencer-Thomas are operating under for Monday night's special fundraiser.

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11 Tips to Get Ready for National Suicide Prevention Week/World Suicide Prevention Day

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11 Tips to Get Ready for National Suicide Prevention Week/World Suicide Prevention Day

This year, for World Suicide Prevention Day, the theme is “Creating Hope through Action.” For too long we’ve been stuck in “awareness raising” — a necessary but not sufficient condition for change.

It’s time to take action. Here are 10 tips for an impactful National Suicide Prevention Week (September 5-11)/World Suicide Prevention Day (September 10th) - action steps you can take with you to impact your community all year long.

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The Long Haul -- COVID-19, Prolonged Toxic Stress & Mental Health at Work: The Bad News, the Good News & 10 Action Steps Employers Can Take that Make a Difference

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The Long Haul -- COVID-19, Prolonged Toxic Stress & Mental Health at Work: The Bad News, the Good News & 10 Action Steps Employers Can Take that Make a Difference

As we approach 2021, we are still adjusting to the many new ways the COVID-19 pandemic is disrupting just about every aspect of our lives. Many are asking -- How has COVID-19 impacted workplace wellbeing? Are we facing a “perfect storm” of risk factors for suicide or are there aspects of this crisis that give us hope in our resilient human spirit? Finally, what can workplaces do during this time to support workers and their families?

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National Guidelines for Workplace Suicide Prevention: Take the Pledge

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National Guidelines for Workplace Suicide Prevention: Take the Pledge

We hope you take the pledge to make suicide prevention a health and safety priority at work.

Findings from a national survey involving over 2,000 U.S. adults (conducted by The Harris Poll) released this week found the overwhelming majority (81%) believe, as a result of COVID-19, suicide prevention needs to be a national priority.

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Part 3: Standing in Solidarity for Suicide Prevention -- Acting in Solidarity as a Way Forward

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Part 3: Standing in Solidarity for Suicide Prevention -- Acting in Solidarity as a Way Forward

Cross-cutting and intersecting identities add richness to our suicide prevention movement; however, in order to accomplish solidarity, we need to be willing to create safe spaces for listening and empathy. As part of this process we must acknowledge that identity fluidity is also expected as people move through various life experiences. Across both lived experiences and academic ways of understanding suicide, we have an opportunity to learn by removing judgment and blame, and seeking compassion — especially when we have been on the opposite sides of fear.

Five Steps in Building Solidarity in the Suicide Prevention Movement…

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Part 2: Standing in Solidarity for Suicide Prevention -- Healing from Communal Wounding

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Part 2: Standing in Solidarity for Suicide Prevention -- Healing from Communal Wounding

As the suicide prevention movement has evolved, some of our groups have experienced communal wounding. Communal wounding occurs when generations of the complex systemic oppression and culture level prejudice have been ignored in favor of surface-level activities (van der Watt, 2019). Because we were not sufficiently providing opportunities for all members of the movement to acknowledge these wounds and because many of us did not look into the mirror of our own lived experience, we continued to inflict new sources of harm.