Community Corner
Community Conversation Focuses on Suicide Aftermath
The Sept. 18 event will include a panel of experts who will address issues faced by families after a suicide attempt.
How can survivors and their families move forward after a suicide attempt?
That question will be the topic of a Sept. 18 Community Conversation hosted by Farmington SAFE (Suicide Awareness for Everyone), the Farmington Area Suicide Prevention Task Force, from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Farmington Hills City Hall.
“Coping with the Aftermath of a Suicide Attempt" focuses on how suicide attempt survivors and their families can heal and progress toward a hopeful future. The event is open to all members of the community.
A panel of experts will address the medical, legal and psychotherapeutic processes set in motion by a suicide attempt; what changes to expect from a loved one who has attempted suicide; how parents can continue to care for themselves while helping their suicidal child; and how to access resources (therapists, support groups, and hotlines) following a suicide attempt.
Featured speakers and participants at the Community Conversation will include:
- Sue Serlin-Resnick – Author, Speaker, and Certified Hypnotherapist
- Lynn Levin – Psychotherapist and School Social Worker at Harrison High School
- Amy Stern – Social Worker and Mental Health First Aid Facilitator
- Gigi Colombini – Psychotherapist and Youth Suicide Prevention Coordinator
- Lily LaBelle – High School Student and Suicide Prevention Task Force Member
With a theme of “Let’s Talk About It,” the Farmington Area Suicide Prevention Task Force brings community leaders together to reach out to troubled individuals and counteract alarming trends in suicide and suicide attempts. Previous conversations have addressed social media, domestic violence and depression, among other topics.
Farmington Hills city council member Dr. Ken Massey, who lost his son Graham E. Smith to suicide, has spearheaded efforts to remove the stigma and bring the topics of depression and suicide out into the open. The meeting is sponsored by the Farmington SAFE and the Graham E. Smith Memorial Fund.
For more information, call the City Manager’s Office at 248-871-2500.
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