Sally Spencer-Thomas, Psy.D. As a clinical psychologist,

mental health advocate, faculty member, and survivor of her brother’s

suicide, Dr. Sally Spencer-Thomas sees issues of suicide prevention

and mental health promotion from many perspectives. She is the past

Director for the Suicide Loss Division for American Association for

Suicidology, the current Workplace Task Force Co-Lead for the

National Alliance for Suicide Prevention and Workplace Special

Interest Group for the International Association for Suicide Prevention.

Dr. Spencer-Thomas is a professional speaker and trainer, presenting

nationally and internationally on the topic of suicide prevention and

suicide grief support, as published four books on mental health, and

was a recent invited speaker at the White House. She lives in Conifer,

Colorado, with her partner and three sons.

Comfort Room

There will be a Comfort Room available

for anyone needing to speak with a

licensed mental health professional.

For directions to the Comfort Room,

please visit the registration area.

Call for Exhibitors

Is your organization one you want others

to know about? An exhibit at the 2018

Suicide Prevention Conference will

introduce your organization to

professionals from Oklahoma and

surrounding states. To discuss

becoming an exhibitor, call Allison

Woodard at ODMHSAS Human

Resources Development Division at 405-

248-9191 or email her at

Allison.Woodard@odmhsas.org.

Registration and Fees

Early-Bird rate is $97.50 good through

February 2, 2018; after January 31,

2018, the regular rate is $150.00 which

includes parking. Purchase orders

should be made payable to ODMHSAS,

FEI #73-6017987.

To register for the conference use the

following link:

http://registration.xenegrade.com/

odmhsastraininginstitute/coursedisplay.cfm?

schID=1629

DeQuincy A. Lezine, Ph.D. CEO, Prevention Communities is a suicide attempt survivor who has been

active in suicide prevention since 1996, including roles in the

development of national and state suicide prevention plans. He

received his Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from UCLA and

completed a suicide prevention postdoctoral fellowship at the

University of Rochester. Dr. Lezine is the Chair of the Attempt

Survivor and Lived Experience Division of AAS and Co-Chair

of the Consumer Survivor Committee for the National Suicide

Prevention Lifeline. He is CEO of Prevention Communities

and Director of the new Lived Experience Academy.

Featured Speakers

CONFERENCE OVERVIEW This conference will provide participants with a showcase of emerging research and programs in the suicide prevention field. In addressing the complexity of suicide in our communities, emphasis will also be placed on connecting resources for professionals and families. Participants will hear from local and national experts in the field of suicide prevention.

WHO SHOULD ATTEND This conference will be of interest to Educators, Mental Health and Substance Abuse Professionals, Physicians, Nurses, Social Workers, Public Health/School Administrators, Employers, Researchers, Crisis Center Staff, Faith Leaders, Consumers, First Responders, Military Personnel, Survivors, and all persons with an interest in suicide prevention.

DATE AND LOCATION The conference will be held February 21, 2018, at the Sheraton Downtown Oklahoma City, OK Hotel.

8:00am-8:45am Registration and light continental breakfast

8:45-9:00am Opening

9:00am-10:15am Opening Plenary

Phoenix Rising: The Art and Science of Sharing Your Story for Cultural Change Sally Spencer-Thomas, Psy.D., MNM

To tell one’s story of coming through the ashes of despair and grief on toward a horizon of healing and hope is what “making meaning” is all about. Story telling is good for the storyteller; and when done safely and effectively, it is good for the listener and can shift culture like no other source of information. This presentation provides an intro-duction on how to tell one’s story of suicide despair and/or suicide grief. We will cover a brief overview of the “art and science” of the process including why storytelling is important to the storyteller as well as the audience, safe and effective messaging, and the craft of creating a compelling and inspiring narrative.

10:15am-10:30am Morning Break

10:30am-11:45 am AM CONCURRENT SESSIONS AM 1— Workplace Suicide Prevention Sally Spencer-Thomas, Psy.D.

Suicide is a leading cause of death in the U.S.; communities are learning more about what can be done to prevent suicide and how to compassionately respond in the wake of such a tragedy. As part of a comprehensive approach to suicide prevention, workplace communities are learning more about what can be done to prevent suicide and how to compassionately respond in the wake of such a tragedy. Employers now realize they must move beyond superficial awareness campaigns and develop sustained, proactive and comprehensive strategies to shift culture and save lives. In this presentation, participants will learn about how the suicide continuum impacts communities, systems and individuals. Dr. Spencer-Thomas identifies best practices within a public health approach and gives participants “upstream, midstream and downstream” action steps.

AGENDA AT A GLANCE 8:00 – 8:45 am Registration (Registration desk will be open from 8:00 am to 4:30 pm.)

8:45 – 9:00 am Opening

9:00 – 10:15 am Opening Plenary

10:15 – 10:30 am Morning Break

10:30 – 11:45 am Concurrent Sessions

12:00 – 1:00 pm Lunch

Oklahoma Suicide Prevention Council Meeting (Everyone is welcome to

attend.)

1:15 – 2:30 pm Concurrent Sessions

2:30 – 2:45pm Afternoon Break

2:45 – 3:00 pm Closing Remarks

3:00 – 4:15 pm Closing Plenary

“Knowing Suicide Prevention

Best Practices can save lives.”

The Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (ODMHSAS), Institute for Mental Health and Substance Abuse Education and Training has requested approval of 6.50 credit hours through the Oklahoma State Board of Licensed Social Workers, the Oklahoma Board of Examiners of Psychologists, the Oklahoma Board of Licensed Alcohol and Drug Counselors, the Licensed Professional Counselors Committee, the Licensed Marital and Family Therapist Committee, and the Council on Law Enforcement Education and Training. Continuing education hours are also approved for Certified Behavioral Health Case Managers and credentialed Peer Recovery Support Specialists. Please check in at the registration desk upon your arrival to verify your attendance. Continuing education credit is not provided without verification. At the completion of the conference, all participants will log into their account within 30 days of the completion of the conference, take the evaluation, and receive a certificate of attendance from the ODMHSAS Institute for Mental Health and Substance Abuse Education and Training. For more information, call Human Resources Development at (405) 248- 9191.

Continuing Education:

10:30-11:45 am AM 2—Impactful Tribal Suicide Prevention Programs Thomasine Fife, MHR, LADC, Shiela Williams, MA, LPC, & Daisy Spicer The CDC and SAMHSA recently recognized culture as an effective tool in preventing suicide, and many of Oklahoma’s Tribal Nations are leading the way with the implementation of innovative initiatives that integrate tribal culture and evidence-based suicide prevention prac-tices. Representing just a few of the more than a dozen federally-funded tribal initiatives, our panelists will share the strengths and suc-cesses of their prevention programs and discuss state and intertribal partnerships for reducing suicide among Oklahoma’s Native youth.

AM 3— Reconnecting with your Unconquerable Spirit Shelby Rowe, MBA Suicide can affect anyone, even a suicide prevention professional. In this session, the speaker intertwines evidence-based suicide prevention best practices with her own experience as a suicide attempt survivor to discuss risk factors, address some of the barri-ers to help-seeking behavior, and challenge common stereotypes of who can be at risk for suicide. She walks us through her jour-ney to recovery, shares the post traumatic growth that’s taken place, and shares her 6 steps to cultivating resiliency.

AM 4— Prevention in Practice: Addressing Suicidality and Behavioral Health in Health Care Systems Lacey Vaughan, LCSW & Megan Wurzer

The Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services has teamed up with health care providers to increase integrat-ed care in the state of Oklahoma. Through the Prevention in Practice model, we are increasing awareness of behavioral health issues in health care systems. This project focuses on educating health care professionals on the importance of addressing substance use, depres-sion, and suicidality in their health care practices.

AM 5— Opioid Overdose Prevention: Recognition, Response, and Naloxone

Andrea Hamor Edmondson, MA, CDSVRP The nationwide opioid crisis is impacting communities and states across the nation. This presentation will discuss the opioid problem in Oklahoma, projects and programs across the state to reduce opioid misuse, risk factors for opioid overdose, and naloxone, a lifesaving drug that can reverse opioid overdose.

11:45-1:00pm Lunch Provided - Oklahoma Suicide Prevention Council Meeting (Everyone is welcome to attend.)

Resilience Through Social Wellness Kaci Toole, MHR, LPC Candidate, C-PRSS Poor social support has actually been determined to be more harmful to an individual than smoking cigarettes; so if we look at it in the positive, social support is one of the most important factors for determining a healthier and longer life. Individuals with strong social net-works tend to be more engaged, which prevents isolation and circumstances that can often lead to emotional harm and distress. Stress management also becomes easier the more connected an individual feels to those around him/her, and a social community can provide grounding and purpose.

1:15-2:30pm PM CONCURRENT SESSIONS

PM 1— Countering Myths and Advancing Suicide Prevention DeQuincy A. Lezine, Ph.D. Workshop Description: The Surgeon General responsible for the first Healthy People initiative (Dr. Richmond) once wrote that three com-ponents were necessary for effective prevention – a knowledge base, a social strategy, and political will. That understanding was echoed in the National Strategy for Suicide Prevention. While the field has seen advances in suicide research and recent revisions to national and state strategies, the suicide rate has continued to climb. This session will explore the idea that "political will" has been largely insufficient in suicide prevention. In addition to describing the concept as it relates to other components of suicide prevention (e.g., public health strategy, research, clinical practice), the workshop will address myths about advocacy and engage the audience in identifying opportuni-ties and barriers to increased awareness and advocacy.

PM 2—Building Suicide Aware Systems: The Chickasaw Nation's Progress Dr. Shannon Dial, LMFT This presentation includes some ideas of creating quality and lasting systemic change in support of best practices in screening, interven-tion, and follow up of suicidal patients. Ideas for universal screening implementation, utilization of integrated care, and development of one-to-one observations for those at risk will be discussed. The Chickasaw Nation's work in these efforts will be utilized as an example of a progressing system.

PM 3— Suicide Prevention for Our Veterans Juanita M. Celie, LCSW,

Presentation will cover suicide data for our veteran population, current suicide prevention strategies, VA mental health resources and how to access VA care.

PM 4— Harvesting Hope: Community, Culture, and Resilience Johnna James, MSNAL This presentation will discuss harvesting hope by the promotion of mental health among Native American People through Community, Culture, and Resilience. A delicate balance, healing can be found by honoring the circle and reestablishing generational connections. Utiliz-ing tribal best practices and practicing cultural competence, these emphases lead to transcending historical trauma and the minimization of historical trauma responses.

PM 5— Keeping Schools Safe through Policy Julie Geddes, Kristin Atchley, LMFT, Sharon Heatly, Kim Landers As suicide is the second leading cause of death among Oklahoma youth ages 10-19, it is critically important that school districts have poli-cies and procedures in place to prevent, assess the risk of, intervene in, and respond to youth suicidal behavior. Panelists will discuss the various policies and procedures that have been successfully implemented at their individual school sites and/or districts.

2:30-2:45pm Afternoon Break

2:45-3:00pm Closing Remarks

3:00-4:15pm Closing Plenary

Hannah’s Legacy – Answers to The 13 Reasons Why DeQuincy A. Lezine, Ph.D. CEO, Prevention Communities Plenary Description: The show 13 Reasons Why is one of the most successful series that has aired on Netflix and it has generated substan-tial attention to the topics of teen mental health and suicide. As the show enters its second season, the challenges around the potential impact of a drama centered around a high school student suicide are likely to resurface. This talk will provide an overview of the series, the mental health topics that are depicted, and guidance around discussing the show with parents and youth.

4:15pm Dismissal