“Hope is here:” A suicide prevention program

Hope is Here, a suicide awareness and prevention panel, will be held on March 5 at 7 p.m. in Beasley Coliseum. The panel will feature three international speakers Kevin Berthia, Kevin Briggs and Judge Ginger Lerner-Wren. All three speakers are considered experts in the prevention and mental health field. The panelists will touch on the subjects of mental health, suicide prevention, finding hope and connecting to resources for help. This panel brings together organic stories and experiences to help us all. A Q&A session will also be held at the end. There is no charge for this program to our community.

Kevin Berthia and Sgt. Kevin Briggs crossed paths in 2005, when Sgt. Briggs talked Kevin Berthia down from the edge of the Golden Gate Bridge. Kevin Briggs has stopped hundreds from jumping from the Golden Gate Bridge. Both Kevin Berthia and Kevin Briggs illustrate the importance and impact of listening. Judge Ginger Lerner-Wren is the innovator of America’s first Mental Health Court. She has outsourced over 20,000 defendants into programs instead of incarceration. Her goal is to humanize justice and address the stigma surrounding mental illness.

Kevin Berthia and Kevin Briggs both have given TED talks. Kevin Berthia has a TED talk titled, “The Impact of Listening.” Kevin Briggs’ TED talk is titled, “The Bridge between Suicide and Life” and is the author of, “Guardian of the Golden Gate: Protecting the Line Between Hope and Despair.” Judge Ginger Lerner-wren is the author of, “A court of Refuge: Stories from the Bench of America’s First Mental Health Court,” which releases March 6.

Attendees will be able to send in questions prior to the event. Text WSUHOPE to 30644.  Counselors from WSU CAPS will be on site to provide resources and offer support if needed.  Contact the ASWSU Director of Health and Safety Regan Donaldson at aswsu.health@wsu.edu with any questions.

By Communications staff, Washington State University

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