Virginia State Capitol Day
Tuesday, February 6, 2024 Registration Deadline: February 4th
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There has never been a better time to advocate for suicide prevention to our elected officials! Changes are happening, and our policymakers are listening. We need to speak up now to make sure that our voices are heard, and that our laws in Virginia reflect what our community needs to prevent suicide and improve access to mental healthcare.
At this event, volunteer participants from the Virginia Chapter and National Capital Area Chapter will connect with AFSP leadership to learn about advocating for suicide prevention and our legislative priorities in Virginia (see below). Then, participants will meet with elected officials to share their own stories and advocate for AFSP's public policy priorities in support of our mission to save lives and bring hope to those affected by suicide.
Workforce Expansion HB 37 [Clark] would establish the Mental Health Professional Loan Repayment Program under the administration of the Board of Health for mental health professionals that have worked in Virginia for at least five years.
K-12 Student Education
HB 224 [Henson] would:
- Require public school health education programs, for grade levels the Board of Education deems appropriate, to include age-appropriate suicide prevention and awareness instruction on the importance of safe and healthy choices in relation to mental health wellness; healthy coping strategies; and strategies and resources for seeking help when a student is or knows someone who is experiencing thoughts or ideations of suicide or self-harm, and;
- Amend current law requiring all teachers and other relevant personnel to complete mental health awareness training by specifying that the training must address the needs of youth populations that are at a high risk of experiencing mental health challenges and disorders, including youth who are bereaved by suicide; have mental or physical disabilities or chronic health conditions, including substance use disorders; are experiencing homelessness or housing instability; are in foster care or other situations that may result in instability in a youth's custodial or living situation; or identify as LGBTQ+.
Firearm Suicide Prevention Education & Training HB 498 [Cohen]/SB 225 [Pekarsky] would: Require schools to annually notify parents of (1) their legal responsibility to safely store any firearm present in the household, (2) the importance of properly securing all firearms stored in residences and vehicles and modeling responsible behavior, (3) how to discuss the presence of unsecured firearms in the residences of others, (4) information on relevant state laws and regulations, and (5) firearm-related accidents, injuries, and deaths, including information on the role of firearms in suicide, including youth suicides, tips and resources for seeking help for a child that may be a risk to himself or others, and current CDC statistics on youth firearm fatality rates; the parental notification must also be available in multiple languages on the school website.
We hope you will join us for this unique opportunity to encourage our elected officials to prioritize mental health and pass laws that will prevent suicide!
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Volunteer Spotlight
Ann Vaughan
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Volunteer Spotlight ANN VAUGHAN: Richmond Bead Colors: Blue, Purple
Ann serves on AFSP Virginia's Public Policy Committee. When asked why she volunteers with us, she shared, "After struggling and failing to find the 'right' words to say to one of my best friends when her husband died from suicide in February 2020, I decided to use my voice at the State Capitol. I now speak in support of policies that will increase access to treatment for depression. I also use this opportunity to remind my elected officials that depression impacts people from all walks of life and that there should be no stigma attached to seeking treatment for it."
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In addition to the fact that she's an AFSP Virginia Advocacy Ambassador, Ann loves to travel and recently completed her own "50 Before 50 Challenge"--visiting all 50 states before turning 50!
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At Work In Our Community
2024 Virginia Chapter Walk Chair Conference
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On January 6th, AFSP Virginia hosted our 6th Annual Virginia Walk Chairs Conference at Great Wolf Lodge in Williamsburg. Our conference theme this year was "Sea the Possibilities!" We were excited to have American Foundation for Suicide Prevention Chief Operating Officer, Mike Lamma, join us as we prepared for our 2024 walk season. The conference was full of fun, training, fellowship, and synergy - it went just swimmingly! Our campus and community walk committees across the state are ready to ride the wave of success this year, and we hope you'll be a part of helping us turn the tide on the stigma surrounding mental health and suicide prevention.
For more information on becoming involved with your local walk committee, please contact Emily Bacalis, Special Events Manager, at ebacalis@afsp.org or (202) 839-2174..
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2024 Virginia Chapter Campus Walks
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Christopher Newport University - Details coming soon!
College of William & Mary - afsp.org/wm 4/20/24, William & Mary Campus
James Madison University - afsp.org/jmu 4/7/24 Festival Lawn & 5K Route
Liberty University - afsp.org/liberty 4/20/24 Liberty University Campus
Murphy Deming College of Health Sciences - afsp.org/murphydeming 3/11/24, Murphy Deming Campus
Old Dominion University - afsp.org/odu 3/16/24, Old Dominion University Campus
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Radford University - afsp.org/radfordu 4/13/24, Radford University Campus
Shenandoah University - afsp.org/su 4/20/24, Shenandoah University Campus
University of Virginia - afsp.org/uva 4/14/24, University of Virginia Campus
Virginia Commonwealth University- afsp.org/vcu Details coming soon!
Virginia Tech - afsp.org/vt 4/14/24, The Drillfield
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2024 Virginia Chapter Community Walks
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Fall 2024 - websites will be opening for registration soon!
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Upcoming Events & Opportunities
We hope you'll join us!
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LivingWorks ASIST (In person, Winchester)
January 22nd-23rd 8:30AM - 4:30PM Must attend both days in their entirety. This session is full.
LivingWorks ASIST is a two-day, two-trainer, workshop designed for members of all caregiving groups. Family, friends, and other community members may be the first to talk with a person at risk, but have little or no training. ASIST can also provide those in formal helping roles with professional development to ensure that they are prepared to provide suicide first aid help as part of the care they provide.
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Talk Saves Lives for Seniors (Online)
Sat., Jan. 27th 10:00AM - 11:00AM Register Here
Talk Saves Lives: An Introduction to Suicide Prevention for Seniors is a community-based presentation that covers what we know about this leading cause of death, the most up-to-date research on prevention, and what we can all do to fight suicide. Participants will learn the common risk factors for suicide in older adults, how to spot the warning signs in others, and how to keep ourselves, our loved ones and those in our community safe.
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Virginia State Capitol Day (In Person)
Tuesday, February 6th 9:00AM - 3:00PM Register Here
At this event, volunteer participants from the Virginia Chapter and National Capital Area Chapter will connect with AFSP leadership to learn about advocating for suicide prevention and our legislative priorities in Virginia (see below). Then, participants will meet with elected officials to share their own stories and advocate for AFSP's public policy priorities in support of our mission to save lives and bring hope to those affected by suicide.
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The Public Policy Office and the chapter’s Public Policy Committee have identified the priorities briefly highlighted below for this year’s State Capitol Day:
*Workforce Expansion – HB87 – will establish a Mental Health Professional Loan Repayment Program for professionals working in VA for at least 5 years.
*K-12 Education (HB224) – will require public schools programs to include age-appropriate suicide prevention and awareness instruction.
*Firearm Suicide Prevention Education & Training (HB498/SB225) – will require schools to annually notify parents of legal responsibility to safely secure and store any firearm present in the home.
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Talk Saves Lives (Online)
Tuesday, February 6th 12:00PM - 1:00PM Register Here
Talk Saves Lives: An Introduction to Suicide Prevention is a community-based presentation that covers the general scope of suicide, the research on prevention, and what people can do to fight suicide. Participants will learn common risk factors and warning signs associated with suicide, and how to keep themselves and others safe.
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Table Talk (Online)
Monday, February 12th 7:00PM - 8:00PM Register here
Table Talk: An Introduction to Outreach Events is an opportunity to learn how to staff outreach and tabling events for the Virginia Chapter of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. We will review common materials, share tips and best practices, and review our tabling guidelines.
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AFSP Virginia Chapter PO Box 333 Midlothian, VA 23113
AFSP Virginia Chapter Board
Chair: Winter Brooks (Stephens City) Vice Chair: Matthew Austin (Moseley) President: Dr. Cassie Glenn (Virginia Beach) Treasurer: Sean Higdon (Winchester) Secretary: Shannon Sullivan (Ruther Glen)
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Briddge (Virginia Beach) Joe Cusimano, PharmD, BCPP (Winchester) Lorrie Eanes (Danville) Kevin Long (Bridgewater) Katherine Martinez (Virginia)
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Robert Noriega (Richmond) Ronald North, Jr. (Waynesboro) Shirley Ramsey (Glen Allen)
Stephanie Schlesinger (Richmond) Scott Stevens (Christiansburg) Carl Trost (Staunton)
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AFSP Virginia Programs Manager
Markita Madden mmadden@afsp.org
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AFSP Virginia Special Events Manager
Emily Bacalis ebacalis@afsp.org
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AFSP Virginia Executive Director
Kathe Goller, CVA kgoller@afsp.org
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American Foundation for Suicide Prevention
199 Water Street, 11th Floor, New York, NY 10038
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