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AAS Awards Beacon Health Options with National Crisis Accreditation, necessary to operate 988 answer point, ensure best practices
Beacon rated high for cultural competency
WASHINGTON D.C./BOSTON—December 8—The American Association of Suicidology has accredited Beacon Health Options for crisis programs, which confirms the behavioral health services company is delivering quality services in operating national crisis lines. Crisis accreditation is a requirement to serve as an answer point for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline and 988, the country’s new behavioral health 911 that launches in July, 2022.
“AAS is especially proud to be part of the official 988 accreditation,” said Dr. Adam Walsh, Interim Executive Director of AAS. “The creation of the new three-digit number – the mental health version of 911 – is crucial to achieving parity for mental and physical health. We don’t require someone having a heart attack to have memorized a 10-digit number and we shouldn’t expect the same for someone having a mental health crisis.”
Beacon, responsible for crisis lines in six states, is one of a handful of health insurers to have earned the designation. Beacon earned the accreditation by meeting or exceeding criteria in multiple areas, including 24/7 crisis call response, community education and rescue services.
“I congratulate Beacon Health Options on receiving Crisis Center Certification from the American Association of Suicidology,” said former U.S. Rep. Patrick J. Kennedy, founder of The Kennedy Forum. “With the new three-digit mental health crisis number (988) available on all phones nationwide by next July, it’s more important than ever that providers meet nationally recognized standards.”
The AAS accreditation confirms for people in crisis, as well as local and state governments funding crisis programs, that Beacon’s programs are developed and delivered based on nationally recognized standards for care during crisis.
“We’re dedicated to suicide prevention and believed it was key for AAS, a nonprofit group with the utmost credibility in crisis, to ensure we are operating within best practice standards for the health and safety of our callers,” said Wendy Farmer, national crisis leader for Beacon Health Options. “We know from our own State of the Nation’s Mental Health Report based on 2020 data that there was a big disconnect between the escalated mental health distress from the pandemic and the number of people who were actually getting help. This creates an environment where people are more susceptible to crisis and we want to make sure we’re best prepared to help.”
AAS’ analysis also assesses Beacon programs for telephone response, ethics, records security, confidentiality, advertising and promotional materials. The accreditation allows Beacon to grow its crisis programs by using AAS criteria for systematic, ongoing evaluation until it is time for the organization to re-evaluate Beacon.
“What we especially look for in our review is whether crisis specialists answering calls have the cultural competency training to understand the needs of people from backgrounds other than their own,” said Chris Sandwell, AAS Manager of Crisis Services Accreditation & Certification. “We found that Beacon puts a great deal of effort on cultural competency and does an excellent job at providing appropriate training and seeking input to help its services evolve. This is especially important as the most recent CDC data from 2020 shows that suicide is disproportionately affecting communities of color.”
About 988
In July 2022, 988 will roll out as the new, nationwide, easy-to-remember 3-digit phone number for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, linked to the current phone number of 1-800-273-TALK (8255). 988 will be the mental health version of 911 and support phone and chat services. The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is funded by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration and consists of a network of local crisis centers across the country.
About AAS: The American Association of Suicidology is the world’s largest membership-based suicide prevention organization. Founded in 1968 by Edwin S. Shneidman, PhD, AAS promotes the research of suicide and its prevention, public awareness programs, public education and training for professionals and volunteers. The membership of AAS includes mental health and public health professionals, researchers, suicide prevention and crisis intervention centers, school districts, crisis center professionals, survivors of suicide loss, attempt survivors, and a variety of laypersons who have in interest in suicide prevention. You can learn more about AAS at www.suicidology.org.
About Beacon Health Options
Beacon Health Options is a leading behavioral health services company serving one out of six people across all 50 states. We work with employers, health plans and government agencies to support mental health and emotional wellbeing, crisis and foster care, substance use disorder recovery, and employee health programs that improve the health and wellness of people every day. Our multi-modal, insights driven approach allows us to integrate social, behavioral and physical health solutions to drive improved outcomes for everyone we serve. By collaborating with a network of providers in communities around the country, we help individuals live their lives to the fullest potential. For more information, visit www.beaconhealthoptions.com and connect with us on www.facebook.com/beaconhealthoptions, www.twitter.com/beaconhealthopt and www.linkedin.com/company/beacon-health-options.
Some find advocacy work as a result of an enlightenment they had somewhere along the way. Some instance where something touched them so deeply it created a spark that held them to a need for change. Others fall into advocacy work as a result of a life experience. I am the latter of the two. I did not plan a life of advocacy; my spark wasn’t ignited by an enlightenment. My spark was ignited by a very deep and confusing loss.
Almost four years ago, I lived a life that was not perfect, but it was good. I had what I needed and was what I valued most in my life: a mother. I won’t oversimplify things and say my life was without challenges because I had many along the way. However, all my challenges, all my difficulties would pale in comparison to what I would soon experience. What I didn’t know then was that I would experience unimaginable pain, loss, confusion, and sorrow and all that combined would catalyze me into what I now consider my life’s purpose.
On January 7, 2018, I lost my firstborn son to suicide. His loss was the final swan song that came after years of battling mental illness. In one abrupt moment, the years of chaos and confusion were gone. In an instant, my life became divided into two books: before and after.
What is a mother or rather a woman who had known no other life than being a mother first to do when the very foundation she stood on shook uncontrollably? I had been a mother since I was 17 years old. Not only was it the most important thing in my life but it also defined me. By definition, I was still a mother, the mother of two. That number always seemed odd to me because that was not my number, my number was three. The complexity of that alone was difficult to wrap my head around. I remember sitting in that ICU waiting room, not quite understanding what was happening. I didn’t understand where we had gone wrong, but I knew that in the blink of an eye we had become a statistic. I believe our family knew instantly that something needed to be done to prevent similar tragedies and so Tony’s Tribe was born.
Over the last few years, we have worked diligently to advocate and work towards suicide prevention and awareness. Through our work, we realized that were not alone, that many other families were dealing with loved ones who experienced mental health concerns, had suicidal experiences, were practicing self-harm, were openly speaking about suicide and in some cases were attempting suicide as well. So that’s where our work began. We began a grass roots approach to share Tony’s story and ours, in the hope we could connect with others who might be facing similar challenges. We wanted to give others what we ourselves didn’t have: awareness and education. Since that time, we have expanded our work to include resources and tools we feel would have helped us when we were in crisis or after our loss. Our goal always being to save lives, offer help, destigmatize mental illness and bring the complexity and difficulty of this topic to the forefront so that those struggling, and their loved ones, could be reached.
The missions of Tony’s Tribe and AAS align and my role as the Loss Survivor Division Chair is an extension of that work. My hope is that through this platform, I can bring my experiences and strengths to AAS but more so join forces with one of the largest and oldest suicide prevention organizations in existence to work towards our common goal: a world without suicide.
My Story; My Connection
Pamela McKie, LISW-S Chief Operating Officer of The Children’s Home AAS Crisis Services Division Chair
The most difficult thing for me to write about is my story. If I don’t tell it though, who will? It’s particularly important to share now to provide a glimpse into who I am and my connection to the mission of the American Association of Suicidology. I will endeavor to keep it brief, brilliant and for suicide to begone!
A journey not guaranteed
I have had many blessings and opportunities in my life. When I was presented with an opportunity to excel or make a difference, I made the most of it and worked hard. I feel beyond privileged to be in a leadership role of an agency that serves 15,000 of Greater Cincinnati’s most vulnerable each year.
If you were looking at a roadmap of my life’s path, the highway most traveled could have been named Interstate Pivot 101. The terrain was bumpy, rocky, twisted, curvy, and watch out for those potholes!
When my son was only 10 months old, I was operating as a single mother and eventually I was divorced. During that same time, I lost both parents, two close grandparents, and had a career change. I worked two jobs and had help from family and friends to make it through.
Only you get to define “You”
When I first answered what I truly feel is my calling – to be a social worker – I failed. I made the mistake of letting conventional thinking and paradigms define my options. I allowed others to define who I am and to determine how far I could go, and I went along with it. I was limiting my future and professional options by my degree and field of study rather than on my abilities, my talents, and skill set. I let the little square piece of paper hanging on the wall, and the roles that had been most traditionally held by those with “other pieces of paper,” keep me in a box…and actually shrink me.
I learned the thrill of risk taking
During a National Alliance on Mental Illness event where I received an Award of Excellence for Leadership, I met the Assurex Health start-up company. I took a risk and left my role of 15 years to join their pharmacogenomics team. As employee number 53, I was instrumental in helping grow the company into a billion-dollar genetics company with over 600 employees. Their technology and advances in the field are changing the lives of those with mental health and pain conditions. Today they have helped over 2 million patients. By doing this, I learned I can step outside the lines, really do almost anything, and show others they can do anything too. I learned that it is okay to “free myself” and empower others to do the same thing; that we are not limited, in fact we are expansive.
My Connection to the Mission
Almost 13 years ago to the day, as I pour myself into this blog post, is when I lost my dear nephew to suicide. This tragedy nearly shattered me. I hope words can paint the right picture of this loss. Most who know me would regard me as a strong woman – someone who stands up again and again despite the roadblocks, barriers and detours presented. I have been super fortunate to be recognized by my peers and our industry as a leader and honoree for various awards.
But losing my dear nephew to suicide hit me hard. I am a social worker for goodness sakes! And I have spent my career working in crisis services and in treating youth who have a myriad of mental and behavioral health conditions. Every accolade, every accomplishment, every promotion … I’d give it all back to have an opportunity to tell him he is loved, he is strong, his family is behind him and taking his young life is not an answer.
It’s my hope you will leverage your passion for the mission of AAS and to support our cause of saving lives. Our youth are killing themselves to the degree that suicide is an epidemic inside of a pandemic. We lose somewhere between 17 and 22 veterans a day to suicide. Suicide is the leading cause of death among people ages 10 – 34. And there are 1.4 million suicide attempts each year. I firmly believe the American Association of Suicidology is but one ally in this fight. You are another.
Editor’s note: This blog is part of the Meet Your AAS Board of Directors series. We’ll be continuing to release more blogs and hosting additional Facebook Lives over the course of the coming weeks. You can see our previous Facebook Live interviews with Board Members at facebook.com/aasuicidology.
American Association of Suicidology Announces Glenn Proctor to Lead Lived Experience Writing Competition
Washington, D.C. (October 12, 2021): The American Association of Suicidology (AAS) is pleased to announce its Paul G. Quinnett (PGQ) Lived Experience Writing Competition Committee has selected Glenn Proctor, CPC, CPSS, GSS as Committee Chair. Glenn is a Pulitzer Prize winner, five-time Pulitzer judge, 40-year journalist, Marine and Founder of REDDjobb, a Charlotte team focusing on mental health advocacy, executive and life coaching, business strategy, marketing, women’s leadership and diversity and cultural awareness.
The Paul G. Quinnett Lived Experience Writing Competition was launched in 2014 as a partnership between the American Association of Suicidology (AAS) and Dr. Paul Quinnett, Ph.D., the CEO of the QPR Institute. The purpose of the annual competition is to promote stories of survival, hope, and recovery from suicidal ideation and/or suicide attempt(s).
Glenn served as press secretary for U.S. Rep. Dan Mica of Florida, editor of the Marine base newspaper at Camp Lejeune, taught journalism at Kent State, media management as the Donald Reynolds Distinguished Visiting Professor of Journalism at Washington and Lee and spent several summers teaching leadership and management as executive-in-residence for the Maynard Institute of Journalism Education at Northwestern University.
“I am honored to become a member of the AAS/ASLE family,” said Proctor. “As an advocate for mental health, grief support and suicide prevention, I will pair my peer training with decades experience as an author, journalist, professor and writing coach to expand the depth and breath of the PGQ writing program. Writing is healing and we want to get more individuals involved in telling their stories.”
Glenn coaches from lived experience of being a foster kid, single parent, alcoholic, and prostate cancer survivor. He’s been dry for 37 years. Glenn is a suicide loss survivor of his grandfather, has lost military “brothers” to suicide, and has written and spoken extensively about grief, trauma and suicide.
“The PGQ Committee is composed of ten incredible volunteers with writing, lived experience and/or behavioral health expertise,” said Jenn Carson, MA, AAS Attempt Survivor and Lived Experience (ASLE) Division Chair. “We are honored that Glenn will be taking the project to the next level in the upcoming year as a ASLE Division leader.”
The 2021 PGQ Writing Competition winners will be announced by November 10th. The 2022 competition will be open for submissions between September 1, 2022 to September 30, 2022.
About AAS: The American Association of Suicidology is the world’s largest membership-based suicide prevention organization. Founded in 1968 by Edwin S. Shneidman, PhD, AAS promotes the research of suicide and its prevention, public awareness programs, public education and training for professionals and volunteers. The membership of AAS includes mental health and public health professionals, researchers, suicide prevention and crisis intervention centers, school districts, crisis center professionals, survivors of suicide loss, attempt survivors, and a variety of laypersons who have in interest in suicide prevention. You can learn more about AAS at www.suicidology.org.
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American Association of Suicidology Welcomes Dr. Adam K. Walsh as Interim Executive Director
Washington, D.C. (October 7, 2021): The American Association of Suicidology (AAS) is pleased to announce that Adam K. Walsh, PhD, LCSW has joined the organization as its Interim Executive Director. Dr Walsh is a versatile leader and social scientist, licensed mental health provider with over 20 years of experience spanning the private and federal sectors, academia, community service, and international volunteerism, all focused on social science, preventing suicide and promoting mental health among people of all ages. For the past six years, his professional focus has been mental health promotion and suicide prevention among U.S. military service members. Dr. Walsh brings knowledge and expertise in many relevant areas, including suicide prevention programs and policy, social science and behavioral research, program management, senior-level advising, evidence-based evaluations and metrics.
“AAS has always represented the comprehensive, leading edge of suicide prevention when it comes to pieces like research, academia, crisis services accreditation, training, and including people with lived experience or those who have survived suicide losses,” said Dr. Walsh. “It’s a privilege to serve in this role to help enhance these components of AAS’s services as well as to strategically guide the organization into the future.”
Dr. Walsh received his Ph.D. in Social Work from the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill and completed a post-doctoral fellowship at George Mason University (Clinical Psychology Dept.) focused on suicide prevention program development. He is also currently an Adjunct Professor at the Uniformed Service University in the Department of Medical and Clinical Psychology.
“AAS is dedicated to providing leadership in the field of suicidology that effectively reflects and communicates the needs and goals of its membership. Not only does Dr. Walsh come to AAS at an important time for opportunity and transition, but also at the dawn of a momentous era of suicide prevention,” according to the AAS Board of Directors.
In the next several months, the field of suicide prevention will be analyzing the impacts of COVID-19 on mental health, suicide, and suicide attempts; the launch of 988 (the nation’s first unique 3-digit crisis and mental health helpline) in July of 2022 will change the landscape for crisis services federally and across states; the field is beginning to appropriately allocate resources to better understand BIPOC mental health struggles and experiences with suicide; and technology and social media continue to affect the way people experience mental health issues, access crisis support, and gain empowerment to build resilience and help others. AAS is honored and thrilled to be under the leadership of someone who comes with a robust foundation of knowledge and experience to assist AAS membership in navigating these critical changes.
About AAS: The American Association of Suicidology is the world’s largest membership-based suicide prevention organization. Founded in 1968 by Edwin S. Shneidman, PhD, AAS promotes the research of suicide and its prevention, public awareness programs, public education and training for professionals and volunteers. The membership of AAS includes mental health and public health professionals, researchers, suicide prevention and crisis intervention centers, school districts, crisis center professionals, survivors of suicide loss, attempt survivors, and a variety of laypersons who have in interest in suicide prevention. You can learn more about AAS at www.suicidology.org.
AAS Welcomes Executive Transition Team and New Board Members
Dear AAS Members,
We know you’ve been eager for more information on interim replacements, along with the ongoing bylaw-mandated board appointment process, and we now have updates on both to share here.
First, the American Association of Suicidology (AAS) is pleased to announce that the AAS Board of Directors will be working with an executive transition team to ensure AAS’s mission stays on track until a permanent AAS Executive Director is appointed. We’re pleased to announce the selection of Keita Franklin, LCSW, PhD, and Wendy Lakso, CPH, as its Executive Transition Team. More specifically, they will assist with administering operations, coordinating communications and will ensure we move forward with our goals to include preparing for our upcoming 2022 Conference.
They are both accomplished leaders who have led large teams through periods of transition in both private and public sectors. Their biographies can be found here.
“Suicide prevention is critical – now more than ever, and we could not be more excited to partner with the professionals at AAS to help posture this organization to meet the challenges ahead of our Nation,” said Dr. Franklin and Ms. Lakso.
“We’re incredibly lucky to have someone with Dr. Franklin’s acumen join the organization and provide strong, forward-thinking leadership,” said Amy Kulp, COO. “Keita has been such a force in this field for so many years and we have no doubt that she will bring a powerful presence to AAS’s operations.”
“We’ve heard the many thoughts and suggestions shared over the course of our recent transitional period,” said Ms. Kulp. “One that stood out was a desire for more communication and organizational transparency across the board, and we are happy to say that an early Executive Transition Team objective will specifically be to reinforce avenues for open communications and transparent sharing of information between AAS, its members, its partners, and the public at large. We are lucky to have so many passionate, engaged people in our community, and we want to make sure you feel empowered in your interactions with AAS.”
Secondly, we are continuing the process of filling vacant board seats. We are excited to welcome several new members.
Jacque Christmas will join us as Board Secretary. Jacque has a long history working with the Missouri Department of Mental Health, as well as directly with AAS through the Impacted Family and Friends Division and several convention presentations. Jacque is a certified Question, Persuade and Refer Suicide Prevention Gatekeeper Instructor and a certified Mental Health Recovery and Wellness Recovery Action Planning Facilitator. Additionally, she facilitates a Re-Energize and Re-Connect wellness workshop series for suicide loss and suicide attempt survivors further along the healing path and the Joplin Out of the Darkness Walk in Joplin, MO, a rural community impacted by disaster in 2011. Jacque brings this experience, along with hands-on work organizing large initiatives and events, time on the boards of other groups in our space such as Johnny’s Ambassadors, a Masters in Public Administration, and a B.S. in Social Work, to the table for AAS.
Filling one of our at-Large director spots will be Dr. Molly Klote, Director, Office of Research Protections, Policy, and Education, Office of Research and Development, Veterans Health Administration (VHA). Dr. Klote joined VHA 2.5 years ago and is responsible for VHA human subjects research policy, education, and support to the Veterans Administration (VA) central institutional review board (CIRB). She is also leading the infrastructure efforts for the research enterprise transformation and is serving as the research champion for the electronic health record modernization transition. Prior to this, as an active duty Army Colonel with 30 years of service, she oversaw all human research policy and education for the United States Army through the office of the Army Surgeon General. For the past 12 years her responsibilities over research and human subjects protection policy have expanded to the national stage. During the COVID pandemic Dr Klote led the first in government use of public health authority to set policy to bring together data from VA, Center for Disease Control, and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, on the computing platforms of the Department of Energy computers. Recognizing the need for a ready supply of volunteers for the vaccination trials she spearheaded the creation of the VA COVID Volunteer list allowing more than 57,000 Veteran volunteers to be vaccinated. She designed the Advisory subcommittee on diversity and inclusion in research to support the VA National Research Advisory Council to ensure robust participation of minority and underserved populations in VA research. Dr Klote also served on the policy task force of the American Telemedicine Association where she helps to spearhead efforts to ensure the efficient and effective implementation of decentralized clinical trials. She is a leader in effective, efficient, and compliant policy and education in human subjects research and brings those talents to bear on any problem presented.
As our next new at-large Director, we present Dr. Pata Suyemoto. Dr. Pata Suyemoto is a feminist scholar, writer, educator, diversity trainer, mental health activist, jewelry designer, and avid bicyclist. She earned her PhD. from the University of Pennsylvania and did her research on anti-racist education and issues of race and racism. She is the co-chair for the Greater Boston Regional Suicide Prevention Coalition and the chair of the Massachusetts Coalition for Suicide Prevention (MCSP) Alliance for Equity’s People of Color Caucus. Pata is one of the authors of Widening the Lens: Exploring the Role of Social Justice in Suicide Prevention – A Racial Equity Toolkit. She has spoken and written about being a suicide attempt survivor, her struggles with depression and is a co-founder of The Breaking Silences Project (www.thebreakingsilencesproject.com), which is an artistic endeavor that educates about the high rates of depression and suicide among Asian American young women. She is also a long-time volunteer for Asian Women for Health and is a trainer and wellness coach for the Achieving Whole Health program. Pata is also member of a number of boards and committees including the MCSP’s Executive Committee, the planning committee for the annual Asian American Mental Health Forum, and the Department of Public Health’s Suicide Prevention Community Advisory Board. She is active in the American Association of Suicidology’s Impacted Family and Friends (IFF) Division, the Attempt Survivors/Lived Experience (AS/LE) Division, and the Racial Equity and Inclusion Committee. Her claim to fame is that she rode her bicycle across the country in the summer of 2012.
Our third new at-large Director is Dr. Kathleen carterMartinez D.A.A.E.T.S., CRT, CSA. Dr. carterMartinez is a trauma specialist, clinical psychotherapist and Mindful Trauma recovery specialist with 25+ years of experience in hospitals, healthcare settings and multiple disciplines. As a specialist in trauma she advocates for mindful compassionate recovery from personal traumatic events. Dr. Kathleen carterMartinez is a specialist and content expert in trauma, personal traumatic events, compassionate suicide awareness and traumatic losses. She is a ‘self-described’ professional ‘multidisciplinary ball of wax’ driven by a passion to work with mindful compassionate trauma recovery and healing. Dr.carterMartinez is a Diplomate with the American Academy of Experts in Traumatic Stress and a member of ICISF – The International Critical Incident Stress Foundation where they have published several of her articles on trauma, the forgotten collaborator and first responder in residence as well as her article: ‘A Mother’s Grief: I Will Not Leave You’. Dr. carterMartinez holds a Doctoral Degree (E.D.) from Nova Southeastern University in Healthcare/Higher Education, a Master’s Degree from Fairleigh Dickinson University in Clinical Psychology, and a Bachelor’s Degree from John Jay College of Criminal Justice in Forensic Psychology and Addictions in addition to An Associate Degree in Law Enforcement where upon graduation she was the ‘first female officer’ on a private industrial police department. She is a graduate of Mountainside Hospital School of Radiology with 15+ years in the field.
We’ve also been remiss in not yet announcing two additions from earlier in the year, starting with Jenn Carson’s election as Attempt Survivor/Lived Experience Chair in April. Jenn Carson runs the Inland SoCal United Way’s Crisis Helpline, founded in 1968. Jenn holds a B.A. from Baylor University and an M.A. in Counseling from George Washington University. Jenn is a Living Works ASIST (Suicide First Aid) Trainer. Jenn also has lived experience in suicidality as a childhood suicide attempt survivor with Complex Post Trauma (C-PTSD). On CNN, “The Today Show”, NPR and the BBC, and in Marie Claire Magazine and Huffington Post, Jenn Carson has shared her journey from suicidal child to mental health advocate. Before running a crisis line, Jenn was a K-12 educator for 15 years. Jenn is passionate about amplifying voices of survivors to promote collective action—to make life worth living. Jenn was awarded the 2019 California National Organization of Women Gender Equity Award.
Finally, Jim Byrne joined us as an at-large Director several months back. The Honorable James M. Byrne formerly served as the Deputy Secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs, retiring in February 2020. As Deputy Secretary, he led modernization initiatives and worked closely with the Secretary as the chief operating officer leading operations of the federal government’s second-largest Cabinet department, with some 385,000 employees in VA medical centers, clinics, benefits offices, national cemeteries, and other facilities throughout the country. Previously, Mr. Byrne served as VA’s General Counsel, leading VA’s nationwide team of nearly 800 attorneys, paralegals, and staff. Before arriving at VA, Mr. Byrne served as Associate General Counsel and Chief Privacy Officer at Lockheed Martin Corporation and spent several years on the board of directors for Pacific Architects and Engineers. Prior to joining Lockheed Martin, Mr. Byrne served in the career Federal Senior Executive Service as Deputy Special Counsel with the Office of the United States Special Counsel, and as both the General Counsel and Assistant Inspector General for Investigations with the Office of the Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction. Soon after the invasion of Iraq in 2003, Mr. Byrne was recalled to active duty for 18 months with the U.S. Marine Corps, where he was assigned as the Officer-in- charge of the Marine Liaison Office at the then-National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland, leading teams of Marines responsible for supporting injured and deceased Marines, Sailors, and their families. Mr. Byrne’s professional honors include several DOJ awards and The Drug Enforcement Administration Administrator’s Award for Exceptional Service. He is also a recipient of the Secretary of Defense Medal for the Global War on Terrorism and several military decorations, including the Meritorious Service Medal. For ten years, Mr. Byrne volunteered on the Executive Board of Give an Hour, a non- profit organization that has developed national networks of volunteer professionals capable of providing complimentary and confidential mental health services in response to both acute and chronic conditions that arise within our society, beginning with the mental health needs of post-9/11 veterans, service members and their families. Mr. Byrne is a Distinguished Graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, where he received an engineering degree and held the top leadership position of Brigade Commander. Mr. Byrne later earned his J.D. from Stetson University College of Law in St. Petersburg, Florida, and started his legal career as a judicial law clerk to the Honorable Malcolm J. Howard, U.S. District Court, Eastern District of North Carolina.
One of our key next steps is a special election in which AAS members will choose a Board President and Board President-Elect. Look for more information about that soon, and in the meantime please reach out with any questions to leadership@suicidology.org.
Sincerely,
The AAS Board of Directors
American Association of Suicidology Welcomes New Board Members
Washington, D.C. (August 30, 2021): The American Association of Suicidology (AAS) is pleased to announce that plans to fill vacant board seats at AAS are moving forward quickly, with four new division chairs appointed today.
If you’re interested in more information about the board process and what’s next make sure you haven’t missed our message here, discussing specifics and how you can get involved.
Our first addition is Qwynn Galloway-Salazar, coming in as Student Chair. Qwynn is an Army Veteran, and most recently served as the Co-Director for SAMHSA’s Service Members, Veterans, and their Families Technical Assistance (SMVF TA) Center. She also played a significant role in designing and coordinating the Governor’s and Mayor’s Challenge to Prevent Suicide Among Service Members, Veterans, and their Families Policy and Implementation Academy’s. Qwynn holds a B.S. in Criminal Justice, an M.A. in Professional Counseling, and is currently pursuing her Ph.D. in Industrial/Organizational Psychology while serving as an End-of-Life Doula for veterans and their caregivers.
We also welcome Judy Albelo as our new Loss Survivor Chair. Judy comes to us with more than five years of experience as Vice President and Treasurer of Tony’s Tribe, a non-profit geared towards breaking the stereotypes and stigmas of challenges many children and adults face today, working to support those struggling with the goal of embracing differences, breaking stigmas, working towards suicide prevention, suicide awareness, education, destigmatizing mental illness, and improving self-care and resiliency. Judy brings a wealth of non-profit 501(c)(3) familiarity to the board, having worked with a number of other groups in that space including Easter Seals and Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Greater Miami.
For our new Crisis Services Chair we have Pamela S. McKie, COO of The Children’s Home of Cincinnati, an organization providing education and therapeutic treatment for children and families facing social, behavioral, and learning challenges through more than 30 campus and community-based programs and services. Pamela has over 25 years of experience in executive leadership, including developing new programs, developing high-performance teams, and surpassing financial targets, both in the profit and non-profit sectors. She brings serious operational skills to the table, including a focus on valuable optimization and efficiency improvements, and has earned both a Masters in Social Work from the University of Cincinnati and a B.S. in Social Welfare from Ohio State University.
Joining us as Prevention/Public Health Chair is Tony Coder, Executive Director of the Ohio Suicide Prevention Foundation (OSPF). As ED, Tony leads the charge to support community-based efforts in Ohio to reduce the stigma of suicide, promote education and awareness about suicide prevention, provide training and development, and increase resources and programs that reduce the risk of lives lost to suicide. Prior to joining the OSPF, Tony served as the Director of Programs and Services for the Ohio Association of County Behavioral Health Authorities, where he managed Recovery-Oriented Systems of Care, the Statewide Advocacy Network and the Committee to Address Suicide for the organization. He has also served as the Director of State and Local Affairs for Smart Approaches to Marijuana and as legislative director for the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services. Tony holds a bachelor’s degree in communications from the University of Toledo.
AAS is dedicated to providing representation that effectively communicates the needs and goals of its membership. By continuing to include a diverse roster of individuals who can address these components, AAS, its divisions and committees, and its Board of Directors work strategically to create programs focused on ending suicide in this country and throughout the world.
For the Media: Responsible reporting on suicide, including stories of hope and resilience, can prevent more suicides. Please visit the Suicide Reporting Recommendations for more information. For additional information, please visit SuicideReportingToolkit.com.
About AAS: The American Association of Suicidology is the world’s largest membership-based suicide prevention organization. Founded in 1968 by Edwin S. Shneidman, PhD, AAS promotes the research of suicide and its prevention, public awareness programs, public education and training for professionals and volunteers. The membership of AAS includes mental health and public health professionals, researchers, suicide prevention and crisis intervention centers, school districts, crisis center professionals, survivors of suicide loss, attempt survivors, and a variety of laypersons who have in interest in suicide prevention. You can learn more about AAS at www.suicidology.org.
Update for Our Members
Dear AAS Members,
We want to express our gratitude for your exceptional patience during this transition period, and would like to share more progress with you here. We’ve heard your concerns, suggestions, and support, and we recognize that your engagement in this process reflects your deep reverence and respect for both the association and its guiding mission. During this time, many of you have stated that AAS is your professional home, the place where you’ve advanced your careers, met personal friends, and most importantly, taken steps to better understand and prevent suicide. This means more to us than we can express and we want to reaffirm our mission has not changed. AAS continues to support an improved understanding of suicide, along with suicide prevention and postvention, and will continue to hold space for every person affected by suicide, those researching its impact, those who help folks living with suicidal experiences, and anyone else who might benefit from the connection and expertise held by our membership.
One of the outcomes of recent changes has been a greatly renewed interest by our members in how the association carries out its work at the leadership level. Increased member input on governance has demonstrated that AAS members care intensely about procedures previously thought mundane, and in the pursuit of increased transparency we’d like to explain more about what we’re currently doing to diversify and strengthen organizational leadership.
Our bylaws, which we are legally and duty-bound to follow, outline how we should move forward. We have also consulted with several experts for advice on the most sound, legally correct, bylaw-compatible best practices to apply to the mandated next steps. These steps include filling vacant board seats, voting to select an interim Executive Director, and initiating the process for a special election for President-Elect. After repopulation of the board, we will return to standard board business, including governance, financial oversight, supporting year-round suicide prevention iniatives, and organizing our dynamic annual conference.
We have been advised that our best way forward is to fill vacancies in division chairs and the Secretary position for the remainder of terms. The current board members have nominated and selected qualified board members to fill and complete the terms of Secretary, Loss Survivor Division, Student Division, Public Health and Prevention Division, and Crisis Services Division chairs. We are proud to have highly qualified association members step forward to serve our community and we greatly appreciate the enthusiastic response we’ve received from the folks offering to serve in these roles. The full board will then review the recommendation of the Interim Selection Committee to engage an interim Executive Director (ED). The interim ED will start work as quickly as possible to support ongoing organizational operations. We expect their work will expand to membership trust and reconciliation in short order. This person will also fill a role of aligning the Board of Directors with our Central Office, while further opening communications with you, our members.
Once an interim Executive Director is selected, the board will start the process to create a special election for members to choose a President-Elect. This process, when done in an ethical and legally compliant manner, will take some time. The Chair, full board, and ED, along with Central Office, will work as quickly as possible to ensure appropriate procedures and policies are followed. Expect a Call for Nominations in the coming weeks that will outline the entire special election process.
Concurrently with the special election, the Conference Committee will continue planning for the 2022 American Association of Suicidology Conference (AAS22) which will be held at the Hyatt Regency O’Hare in Chicago from April 22-2022.
Finally, we’ll be kicking off the process for regular board elections. The Student and Crisis Division Chairs are on schedule as well as the regular AAS Presidential election. This process will operate as it has the last two election cycles, in an open, ethical, and secure format in coordination with a qualified and certified third-party vendor providing electronic ballots.
We are aware that some of our members would prefer a process that differs from the bylaws and will look to revise the bylaws to be more compatible with today’s AAS soon; the reality is that we cannot legally do that until the items mentioned above are completed.
Expect no interruptions in regular programming as the Central Office staff continues to operate smoothly and efficiently, including several planned events for Suicide Prevention Month. Also, because we’ve heard your calls for increased transparency, you’ll see more regular updates as we progress. Please reach out with any questions to leadership@suicidology.org and your message will be forwarded to the appropriate person. Our all-volunteer Board of Directors comprises professionals from many different roles and positions and they will return requests as soon as they’re able to. Thank you again for your feedback and patience. You will be hearing more from us soon.
Sincerely, AAS Board of Directors
Clarification and Moving Forward Together
As a board we have to take the high road, both out of a respect for ethics and our responsibility to protect AAS from legal or financial risk, given the misleading contents of a recent letter circulated by a group of former board presidents we feel we have a duty to respond.
We are deeply saddened by the diversion of important suicide prevention resources to spread misinformation, incite attacks, and otherwise disrupt the literally life-saving mission of educating about and preventing suicide, particularly as we’ve become aware that a principal source of this misinformation is an individual who lacks any formal relationship with AAS and is therefore sharing inaccuracies based on speculation alone.
There are still things we can’t say, even at the cost of our personal reputations being attacked, because we are committed to this organization and its mission. However, some of what you’re being told simply isn’t true.
Much of this discussion revolves around the resignation of our former Executive Director/CEO and whether it was done appropriately or for good reason. As you are likely aware, employment law prevents us from sharing specifics of employment decisions in public. However, we have already shared that all bylaws were followed during this process, and we can now tell you that we have amicably resolved and entered into a signed separation agreement with the former Director.
While the Board’s Executive Committee, and specifically the Board Chair, have been subjected to strict scrutiny for not involving the full Board in that decisional process, you should first appreciate that we received a written document from the former Executive Director making clear they would accept a separation notice only reflecting a vote of the Executive Committee, NOT the full Board.
This leads us to what seems to be confusion about the Board as a whole, and specifically the role the Board Chair plays. Yes, there have been Board resignations, some due to disagreement and some due to the attacks and allegations leveled against Board members in social media and elsewhere following the removal of the former Executive Director. Having a partial board is obviously not ideal, but much of the delay in refilling those spots is connected to our bylaws and seeking expert opinion. Our bylaws only allow for what are expensive and cumbersome special elections under very specific circumstances and the bylaws specify clearly how board members who’ve resigned should be replaced. In other words, we’re working to bring new people in but we have to do it the right way. We are actively pursuing the advice of legal counsel and other experts in the field to help us ensure our Board remains a valuable asset to AAS, and will share more on that process soon.
For those who aren’t aware of how our Board Chair position functions, you may be surprised to know that their vote automatically counts as a yes on all AAS matters over which they preside and they are directed to preside over all board and Executive Council meetings. They do cast a vote in the event of a tie, though current Chair Tony Wood has actually never been called to cast that tiebreaker vote. Their powers are further limited to overseeing the functions of the AAS board and its agents based on the bylaws, resolutions and policies adopted by the board. And although the Board Chair is the sole agent for signatures on agreements over and above our board established procurement limits, they can not decide to sign on their own, but instead must be directed by central office and allowed by a board policy or a resolution passed by the board directing them to sign.
We are here to support the mission of suicide prevention and education, and that’s not changing. Yes, there have been challenges, but it’s hardly the first time in our 53-year history, and we continue to look towards the future with confidence. We are fully operational, we are staffed with talented people, and we expect no interruption to ongoing projects or the trainings, accreditations, membership engagement efforts, communications work, and other services our community has come to expect. The search for a qualified interim Executive Director is ongoing, and we look forward to sharing more about that with all of you soon, too.
There are many passionate people in this field, and we see that coming out in discussions, especially on social media. Criticism is fair and we welcome it as an opportunity to improve, but keeping these conversations both civil and productive is the least we can all do if we truly want to move things forward.
As always, if you want to get in touch we’re here to talk. You can reach our leadership team directly any time by emailing leadership@suicidology.com.
Respectfully,
The AAS Board of Directors
We have read and listened over the past week as many of you shared criticisms related to the handling of our former CEO’s separation from AAS. We know more explanation is overdue, and we want to do better by you today.
The first thing we’d like to address is our initial communications effort and the related issues that have been rightfully called out. This separation was never meant to be a public spectacle, quite the opposite in fact. We believed we had an agreement in place that would maintain privacy, allowing for a graceful, no-fault exit. At all times, we acted as discreetly as was possible to afford the affected person every opportunity to separate without anyone sacrificing dignity. When things reached a point where we felt we had to make a public announcement we rushed it, and in the process created more confusion, concern, and stress. For that we apologize.
While the reality is that we cannot disclose the specifics of employment decisions or why someone was let go, we can tell you that we have verified all bylaws were followed during this process in consultation with our legal team, that the executive committee confirmed a consensus to move forward with separation, after further review of the facts at hand voted a second time at a second meeting, with five in favor, and one opposed. At two further meetings, the Executive committee was unanimous in its vote of the severance package.
A decision to part ways with an executive is never made lightly, but we are confident it is the right move for AAS.
We know there are also questions about the immediate future of our organization and how we will drive ahead in our mission to save lives. While this is a time of change, we’re still here, and we’re working hard every day to support a cause we know is worthwhile. We have full faith in our strong, experienced central office team and expect no interruption to ongoing projects, or the trainings, accreditations, membership engagement efforts, communications work, and other services you’ve come to expect from AAS.
We’re far from perfect, and we know it. We are striving to do right by our members, our partners, and our community, and the willingness of many to have tough conversations and ask hard questions while still supporting AAS, and more importantly supporting suicide prevention and education, has been inspiring. We are lucky to have so many amazing people who care about our organization and its mission, and appreciate your patience, understanding, and acceptance as we work to improve.
We realize there will be individuals who want more information, or perhaps items we’ve missed that need addressing directly, and we’re here to talk. The best route to get in touch directly is to reach out to Amy Kulp at leadership@suicidology.org where we will respond as quickly as possible.
