In a study done by Dr. Julie Cerel of the University of Kentucky for the Military Suicide Research Consortium, it was found that one death by suicide affects 135 people.

In Tarrant County, we lose around 300 people to suicide annually, which means that about 40,500 people are impacted by this tragic loss.

I recently sat down with Brad Nowlin, a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist with Fort Worth Counseling who is on the Board of Directors of the Jordan Elizabeth Harris Foundation (JEHF).

The JEHF is dedicated to preventing suicide, eliminating the stigma surrounding mental health and suicide, and providing hope to people struggling with depression. It was founded in 2014 by Tom and Ellen Harris to honor the memory of their daughter Jordan, who died by suicide on March 27, 2012.

Over Dutch Babies and coffee at Ol’ South Pancake House, Nowlin and I discussed what people like you and I can do to change the narrative surrounding mental health and suicide.

First and most importantly, if you or someone you know is experiencing thoughts of suicide, please call 988 (the Suicide and Crisis Hotline) or text HELLO to 741741 (the Crisis Text Line).

Nowlin said that according to the Interpersonal Psychological Theory of Suicide (IPTS; Joiner 2005), there are three things that can contribute to a person attempting suicide. “The first is ‘thwarted belonging.’ Loss of a job, a divorce or breakup… when someone is kicked out of their community, they are vulnerable. Then there is ‘perceived burdensomeness.’ A person who is contemplating suicide often mistakenly feels that their loved ones will be better off without them. And finally, there is the capacity to act. If a person has access to a means of suicide [guns, pills, etc.], they are more likely to make that attempt.”

However, there is evidence that most people who are prevented from completing suicide never attempt again, i.e. they are single attempters.

Jordan Elizabeth Harris
Photo courtesy of the Jordan Elizabeth Harris Foundation

Education is key to prevention. And that means educating us: the loved ones, the friends and family. A person who is contemplating suicide is not thinking rationally. Depression is a liar – it tells people that they are unloved and unlovable. That they are no good. Worthless. Less than. It steals a person’s self-worth.

By educating ourselves on the signs of suicidal behavior, we can hopefully help prevent the loss of our loved ones. We can reduce access to the means of suicide. We can enlist the help of community and mental health professionals.

By educating ourselves on mental illnesses, we can remove the stigma and the resulting shame surrounding a diagnosis of a mental illness. We no longer whisper that someone has “the Big C.” Why should we treat mental illnesses any differently than cancer or arthritis or heart disease?

The JEHF works hard in our community to educate people. The Foundation provides QPR training (Question, Persuade, Refer) for individuals and organizations. They were essential in bringing Hope Squad, a school-based peer support program that empowers students to take action to prevent suicide, to schools across North Texas.

Nowlin wants to spread the word about the JEHF and their work in North Texas because he has been directly affected, both personally and his professionally, by suicide. He has vowed to keep talking to reduce the stigma, thereby making it so those 135 people will not know the pain of losing someone to suicide.

If you want to learn more about the JEHF and its lifesaving work, make plans to attend the 9^th Annual Bring the Conversation the Light Luncheon, either in person or virtually.

Bring the Conversation to Light Luncheon
Thursday, November 10, 2022 (Brad Nowlin’s birthday!)
Noon to 1 pm
Will Rogers Round Up Inn
3401 W Lancaster Ave, Fort Worth, TX 76107

To register, please click here.

Lee Virden Geurkink (seen here with her sister, Rachel, who died by suicide in 2009) wants to change the narrative surrounding suicide and mental health by erasing the stigma attached to them. She misses her sister every day.

The post Changing the Narrative by Bringing the Conversation to Light first appeared on Tanglewood Moms.

Hope Squad is a peer-to-peer suicide prevention program in which students are nominated by their peers and trained to watch for at-risk students, provide friendship, identify warning signs, and seek help from adults. Hope Squad members strive to: create a safe school environment, promote connectedness, support anti-bullying, encourage mental wellness, reduce mental health stigma, and prevent substance misuse.

“Suicide is now the 2^nd leading cause of death for children ages 10-24 in Texas. We know that kids talk to other kids before they will talk to adults, and Hope Squad provides a safe and supportive space for students to connect their peers with trusted adults,” said Matt Vereecke, CEO of The Jordan Elizabeth Harris Foundation.

Currently, there are about 180 Hope Squads in North Texas with another 40 to 50 squads forming this fall. However, Hope Squad members have little opportunity to connect with members from other schools around the state. This conference gives the opportunity to build a network of support while learning and collaborating with one another.

The Arlington ISD Center for the Visual and Performing Arts played host to over 1,000 conference goers from 58 campuses representing 21 districts and private schools across North Texas. Attendees are in store for a day full of inspirational speakers, food, fun and connection!

Photo courtesy of Hope Squad

Speakers included Dr. Greg Hudnall, founder of Hope Squad and Mallory Fuller, Miss Texas 2021, dropped by to remind us TOGETHER, THERE IS HOPE! Breakfast bites and recipe demonstrations were provided by Tarrant Area Food Bank’s RED Bus representing TAFB/JEHF’s Hunger & Hope partnership. Attendees were also treated to a live concert by Jocelyn who was a recent contestant on NBC’s American Song Contest and has toured with Darius Rucker, among others.

“I am so proud of these kids who are out there saving lives everyday just by being a friend. This conference is a way to give back to them and fill their cup,” says Danielle Fitch, Hope Squad Advisor and Counselor at Carter Junior High School in Arlington ISD.

The post Texas Sized Hope first appeared on Tanglewood Moms.