2024 Afternoon of HOpe
On September 10th, 2024, World Suicide Prevention Day, over 500 people from across the globe came together both in-person and virtually to hear from 9 renowned experts and inspiring lived experience speakers joining live across 7 different cities: San Diego, Denver, San Antonio, Fort Worth, Minneapolis, Baltimore, & New York.
Free to attend. Register today!
REFLECTIONS FROM 2024
“A great presentation that talks about mental health & company culture and provides resources.”
“Very powerful content in the context of compelling personal experience to demonstrate the relevance. Personal connection is life saving.”
“An excellent, informative session with the opportunity to learn key pieces of vitally important information. All the speakers were excellent and the inclusion of personal experiences was very powerful.”
“It was an informative few hours with some good personal insights from the speakers regarding their own experiences with suicide or attempts.”
“The stories shared, integrated with research and best practices, was informative and inspiring.”
“A wonderfully informative and uplifting conversation about how to prevent suicide both in our workplace but also in our community, family, and friends.”
2024 SPEAKERS
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John Ebron
During his 20+year career in the military, John has had the privilege of serving all over the world in various leadership positions as a Senior Enlisted Advisor, Religious Affairs Specialist, and Master Resilience Trainer.
Click the button below to hear John’s share his story.
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Dr. Jeff Gardere, PhD
Dr. Jeff is one of the most widely sought-after experts in the field of mental health. In addition to having a private practice in Manhattan, he is an Associate Professor and Course Director of Behavioral Medicine at Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine in New York City.
Click the button below to learn how to support loved ones in crisis.
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Dr. Sally Spencer-Thomas, PsyD
Dr. Sally Spencer-Thomas has earned an international reputation as an entrepreneur and innovator in social change. She sees issues of suicide prevention and mental health promotion from a host of perspectives: Clinical psychologist. Mental health advocate. Faculty member. Researcher. And suicide loss survivor.
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Dr. Judy Davidson, DNP, RN
Dr. Judy Davidson serves as a nurse scientist for University of California San Diego. Her research focuses on workplace wellness, and specifically mental health issues, suicide prevention and suicide amongst healthcare professionals.
Click to learn about architectural solutions to prevent harm.
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Dr. Jodi J. Frey, PhD
Dr. Frey is the Founder and Faculty Executive Director of the Behavioral Health and Well-Being Lab (BHWell Lab). She also co-chairs the Workplace Suicide Prevention and Postvention Committee where she is working to disseminate the National Guidelines for Workplace Suicide Prevention.
Click the button below for information on current trends in mental health in the workplace.
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Dr. Jay Sandys, PhD, LCSW
Jay Sandys, Vice President, Organizational Development & Learning at CCA, Inc., coaches and counsels all levels of employees to identify strengths and areas that may need further development. He also designs enterprise-wide training and development programs related to human dynamics, mental health and substance abuse, DE&I, organizational development and wellness.
Click the button below to hear ways to embed mental health into your workplace DNA.
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Elisha Engelen, LMFT, MA
Elisha’s background stretches clinical practice in community- based care, school-based counseling, and outpatient services. Now, as a VP on Aon's Health Transformation Team, she partners globally with Aon colleagues and client leaders to understand their business imperatives, people strategy, culture, and partnerships to inform needed changes or enhancements.
Click the button below to understand how to navigate your mental health benefits for suicide prevention.
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Dr. Charles Williams, MD
Dr. Williams serves as a Steering Committee Member on the National Safety Council’s Corporate Health Director’s Network and is a participating member of the International Corporate Health Leadership Council.
Click the button below to learn strategies for effective suicide prevention in tough-to-reach employee groups.
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David Otey, MA, MBA
David is a sought-after speaker on suicide prevention, relating his lived experience with depression and suicidal ideation. He is a member of the Workplace Suicide Prevention and Postvention Committee, and he recently helped Dr. Sally Spencer-Thomas lead five organizations to successfully complete Colorado’s pilot H.O.P.E. Certification program.
Click the button below to watch David and Barbara share their story of hope.
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Barbara Otey
Barbara Otey draws on her lived experience with depression, anxiety, undiagnosed ADHD, and a suicide attempt to inspire others with messages of determination, resilience, and self-acceptance.
Click the button below to watch David and Barbara share their story of hope.
Watch the full 3 hour event here
“What a heartfelt, dynamic, and empowering event!”
“This was an incredible presentation with helpful information for the field and interesting stories to bring the message home about suicide prevention.”
“An impactful and super important conversation about mental health and how we, as businesses, managers, family, friends, and community members can show up for those experiencing crises.”