Spring 2012 External Newsletter

From Breaking Point to Turning Point

2012 BOARD OF DIRECTORS William J. Alcorn JC Penney Retired Chairman Susan Odom Community Philanthropist Immediate Past President Kevin R. Kyser ACS, A Xerox Company Chair, Fund Development Robert Johnson QMobius Chair, Board Stewardship Roger Martin Hunt Consolidated Co-Chair, Programs and Outreach David Monaco Headmaster Parish Episcopal School Co-Chair, Programs and Outreach Debi Pena Dallas Symphony Orchestra Chair, Human Resources Committee Mary Ann Hill Community Philanthropist Secretary Edward W. Rose, III Cardinal Investments Member-At-Large Craig Harris Hiersche, Hayward, Drakely & Urbach, P.C. Tom Hill Retired, EDS Community Philanthropist Rachel Morgan Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP

Tom Evenson, PhD, LMSW University of North Texas Christian Overton, PhD Baylor Health System Todd Patrick Grant Thornton, LLP Michelle Scheef Scheef & Stone, LLP

ADVISORY COMMITEE Ron Anderson, MD PJ Bate Kenneth Cooper, MD Heather Hays Carol Heller Nancy Ann Hunt Joan Lane Mary Ann Reed, Ph. D. Gay F. Solomon Cheri Summerall Gretchen Minyard Williams

This newsletter is published biannually by CONTACT Crisis Line, PO Box 800742 Dallas, TX 75380.

Call 972.233.0866 for additional information.

Learn more about CONTACT at : www.contactcrisisline.org

Welcome to our New Board Members!

Christian Overton, PhD

CONTACT STAFF PRESIDENT Benaye Y. Rogers

Todd Patrick

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Amy Koshy CONTRIBUTERS Deana Albrecht Maria Espinosa Kanisha Hall Thomas Hutter Amy Stewart Missy Wall

Michelle Scheef

Marilynn Y. Williams AT&T

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Tom Evenson, PhD, LMSW

CONTENTS

SECTIONS

Pg.

5

Pg. 5 From the Front Cover: Celebrating 45 years

3

Board Chair Letters

7

CONTACTnews

11

Events

15

Donors

17

President’s Letter

A Mindful Approach A look into the practice of mindfulness and its effects on individuals struggling with depression.

Pg. 9

Just Talk About It Teen CONTACT prepares to launch a new “suicide prevention toolkit” in an effort to confront the increases in teen suicide.

Pg. 13

Pg.

11

Just Talk About It

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OUTGOING CHAIR As we look back on the year 2011, we are very grateful for the support we have received from many of you to keep our crisis line open 24 hours a day in an effort to help those who may have no one to turn to in their difficult times. We continue to be the caring agency for more than 40,000 callers, from breaking point to turning point.

Many of our callers feel suicidal due to complications of the economy, job loss, health problems, or family issues. They turn to CONTACT for a compassionate, listening ear and for resources to help them move forward with their lives. Our trained Crisis Line Specialists in turn give generously to offer comfort and positive re-enforcement to each caller. Our Teen Program strives to offer information and support to teens, counselors and teachers in the Dallas area school systems by inclass education programs and additional resources.

I always say that “It Takes Us All” – the Board of Directors, the administrative staff, the telephone volunteers, the Connection auxiliary, the donors and the callers themselves – to create our agency’s mission and be of help in the community. Whichever category you are in, please know that we need you to help in the continuum of care which is CONTACT in this community!

The CONTACT Board of Directors has been very active during this past year in planning and strategizing for the future, in order to remain a leader in the mental health community and to coordinate with other agencies in this realm. We have added more licensed mental health professionals to our staff and we have gone further in obtaining professional accreditation for our agency. We look ahead eagerly to the creation of our Teen Support Group Program in 2012, funded by the Crystal Charity Ball, which will give teens in the Greater Dallas community another resource to turn to in their difficult times.

As I retire from my position as Chair of the Board of Directors, I want to thank everyone who has made this such a positive and forward-moving year – and there are so many of you! I also want to welcome our incoming Board Chair, William J. (Bill) Alcorn, who will lead our agency in achieving even more fulfilling projects in the days ahead.

Most importantly among these plans is our Spirit of CONTACT luncheon featuring Lee and Bob Woodruff and their uplifting story of survival and success in the form of healing following a life-threatening injury. Please join us for this event, as we celebrate our 45th anniversary on Friday, March 30, 2012, at the Hilton Anatole Hotel.

We don’t know what else 2012 will bring, but we know that CONTACT will remain a constant help and support to those who seek us out for relief in their struggle to live each day. Thank you again for all you do to help spread the word about our services and maintain our crisis phone lines. We appreciate your help and we sincerely thank you for everything you do all year long.

Susan Odom Susan Odom 2010-2011 Board Chair 3

INCOMING CHAIR CONTACT serves as such an important asset to our community and has done so for the past 45 years. I first came across the organization several years ago when my niece was struggling with a major eating disorder. She had managed to hide this from those around her to the point of inflicting pain on herself. Two years passed before she asked for help. In an effort to help her begin to deal with her illness, I began searching for an organization that could serve as a vital resource for my niece. It was then that I came across CONTACT. The agency gives people like her someone to turn to when they need help the most.

Since then, I have joined the Board of Directors and have been associated with the agency for the past nine years. It is an honor for me to be a part of an organization that provides help and support to so many people in need. Our volunteers, who ensure that the phones stay open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year, are so well trained and are always ready to bring a caller from breaking point to turning point. This team is among the most important group of people in the Dallas community because of what they do to help the over 40,000 calls we receive each year.

2012 rings in our 45th anniversary celebration. We are all very proud of this accomplishment and will be recognizing the work done by CONTACT throughout the years. Your help, whether through financial support or volunteering, drives our continued success. We appreciate those of you who have helped throughout these years and look forward to providing the same outstanding service to our the Greater Dallas community as we move forward.

All the best,

Bill Alcorn Bill Alcorn 2012 Board Chair

Core 2012 Strategic Initiatives/Goals •

Reach 150 crisis line volunteers actively serving on the Crisis Lines

•

Complete development and distribution of Teen Curriculum, Just Talk About It, made possible by the Dallas Mavericks Foundation

•

Secure funding to develop the Hispanic line efforts to 24 hours a day

•

Relocate the CONTACT offices to new spaces for better access to volunteers and donors

•

Increase awareness to increase call volume and services to those in need by 5%

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[45]

Years of Turning Points 1,000,000 People Served

1963: Reverend John Brand began to create a similar program in Dallas, TX called CONTACT.

1963: Life Line was established in Sydney, Australia by Rev. Alan Walker

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March 27, 1967: CONTACT Dallas, TX became the first crisis center in the United States

1964: A class of 150 started a six month training as crisis line volunteers.

.

1968: CONTACT Teleministries was incorporated in Tennessee to promote the development of CONTACT nationwide. 18 centers were in existence.

1983: CONTACT’s Emergency Aid Service (CONTACTPlus) was established to provide free transportation and prescription costs to those in dangerous or life threatening situations.

1984: The national organization changed its name to CONTACT USA inc. Today it’s grown to over 60 centers in 21 states, with 10,000 volunteers responding annually to 1.2 million callers per year.

2012 marks 45 years of helping those in the community from breaking point to turning point. What began as a small ministry in the basement of Munger Place United Methodist Church has now grown into a nationwide program with over 60 centers spanning across the United States.

In 1963, the Reverend Dr. Alan Walker of Sydney, Australia, founded the Life Line Program. Life Line was designed to train volunteers to be available by telephone to callers 24 hours a day. On the heels of this program, a similar concept was created at Munger Place United Methodist Church in Dallas under the name CONTACT. In the Fall of 1966, a class of 150 people began their extensive training as telephone help line volunteers. On March 27, 1967, CONTACT Dallas became the first center in the United States and the model agency for a nationwide network of crisis intervention lines known as CONTACT USA. In 1983, the Emergency Aid Program was put into place. It is currently the only Dallas area provider of free emergency transportation to those individuals in dangerous or life-threatening situations to the safety of local teen runaway, domestic violence and homeless shelters or hospitals.

Three years later, in 1986, Teen CONTACT was established. Since then this program has been a vital part of the organization, helping approximately 8,000 young people annually through the use of two dedicated crisis lines as well as presentations in classrooms and youth centers across the metroplex.

Through the generosity of the Meadows Foundation, in January 2009, CONTACT launched its newest outreach program for the Spanish speaking community designed to meet the needs of the ever-growing Hispanic population. CONTACT began recruitment of bilingual volunteers in May 2008 to staff two new lines in our call center. CONTACT is now one of only 10 agencies in the nation to provide bilingual crisis line support.

In 2010, CONTACT was selected as one of eighteen organizations nation-wide to receive the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Association (SAMSHA) Follow-Up grant. In addition to this, CONTACT was also a recipient of a grant from the Hoblitzelle Foundation. Both of these grants allowed the agency to implement follow-up services for “at-risk” callers. This program is an additional component to the CONTACTPlus Program.

This past year, CONTACT was named a recipient of the Crystal Charity Ball grant. This grant will allow CONTACT to set up support groups for teens struggling with depression and suicide ideation. These groups are set to begin in late 2012.

In the past 45 years, the organization has strived to be the first resource people turn to when they face a crisis. CONTACT offers those in need tools to help them take back control of their lives and it is our goal to continue to offer these empowering services for years to come.

1986: A dedicated crisis line to serve adolescents in crisis - Teen CONTACT - was established in response to escalating issues and problems confronting area youth.

2002: CONTACT became a certified member of the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline network.

1986: CONTACT Connection, an auxiliary of community philanthropists, was established.

2010: CONTACT receives three-year SAMSHA grant as well as a grant from the Hoblitzelle Foundation allowing for a follow-up program to be established to help those considered “at risk” .

2009: A dedicated crisis line to serve Spanish speakers is established thanks to a grant from the Meadows Foundation.

2011: CONTACT receives Crystal Charity Ball Grant for $205,146.

Funds will be used to begin Teen Support Groups for adolescents struggling with depression.

2012: CONTACT receives American Association of Suicidology Accreditation.

2012: Toolkit for Teen Curriculum enters pilot phase.

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C O N TA C Tn e w s Using Student Interns at CONTACT In preparation for life as a professional, many high school and university students are required to complete a field internship.

CONTACT is pleased to work with local university students as they study for a degree in social work, Starria McLaughlin

counseling, rehabilitation, or other related fields. In

their capacity as intern, students most frequently assume the role of volunteer crisis line specialist, responding to calls from individuals who are experiencing a crisis. The crisis line program offers quite a bit of flexibility given the nature of its 24 hours/day, 365 days/year service.

Starria McLaughlin completed her student practicum as a crisis line specialist in December.

Starria was a student at the University of North Texas in the College of Public Affairs and Community Service with a major in Social Work.

“The exposure to working with clients was an amazing experience, not a lot of students can say that they helped someone work through a crisis today, let alone many. Not only was I a part of the crisis line center but I was able to delve into a variety of other programs, such as volunteer services and the teen program. The clinical exposure that I received has helped me determine what direction I want to go in. “ Interns who are involved in a field of study

CONTACT currently has over 100 volunteers who help to answer the phones 24/7/365.

Volunteer Role Grows at CONTACT

By Thomas Hutter

As CONTACT continues to offer vital crisis prevention and intervention services to our community, we know that it can only be done through volunteers who willingly give to help individuals from breaking point to turning point. Since 1967, it has been volunteers who have made our crisis line program possible, faithfully serving so that the phone lines can stay open 365 days a year. Now, as we approach our 45th year of service to the community, we seek out the support and power of volunteer talent in even greater ways to expand what we can offer to the community. Our goals are to expand our Spanish Line hours, provide more shift support, maximize opportunities for outreach and speaking engagements, and deepen our teen program coverage.

In past years, our volunteer opportunities have been limited to the crisis line and various outreach events. As of recently, we have added on a plethora of new opportunities designed to fit almost any interest you may have. These include offering support in the following areas: marketing, public relations, administrative, teen outreach, volunteer recruitment, and presentations. For more information please contact Thomas Hutter at thutter@contactcrisisline.org.

Crisis Invention Training Spring (February/March) 2012

outside of human services are also welcome to

Saturdays 9 am - 5 pm

serve as volunteers in different roles.

2/4, 2/11, 2/18, 2/25, 3/3 (until 12:30 on 3/3 only)

For more information about internships with CONTACT, e-mail or call Thomas Hutter, Director of Volunteer Services. thutter@contactcrisisline.org or 972-233-0866

Summer (May/June) 2012 Tuesday and Thursday Evenings 6:30 - 9:30 pm AND Saturdays 9 am – 5 pm

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5/31, 6/2, 6/5, 6/7, 6/9, 6/12, 6/14

C O N TA C Tn e w s

Fom left to right: Lexi Moorehead, Mimi Nguyen, Shane Macedonio

Top from left to right: Patrick Crisp, Lexi Moorehead, Mimi Nguyen Bottom from left to right: Missy Wall, Tracy Harvey, Shekeitha Stanley

Moving Forward

By Missy Wall

2011 was a year filled with exciting new opportunities, changes within our staffing and recordsetting presentation numbers and volunteer hours.

Last year, we served 12,974 teenagers and adults through our presentations and community booths within the Dallas Metroplex area. We also received calls on the Teen CONTACT Help Line through our Crisis Line Program. Finally, our student-led Teen Board, which is made up of 18 high school students, volunteered 642.5 hours in on behalf of our agency.

This past February, we became one of eight organizations to receive the Crystal Charity Ball grant.

Totaling in $205,146, this money will be used to begin teen support groups focused on helping adolescents struggling with depression. We are currently in the process of interviewing for a Teen Support Group Manager position as we begin the process of implementing the support group program and outreach to the community.

We hosted our 4th Annual Teen CONTACT Conference this past September, in partnership with UT Dallas, Dallas Maverick Foundation and

Bottom from left to right: Oscar Salinas, Missy Wall

Verizon Wireless. This conference brought in over 200 counselors, teachers and parents. These individuals were treated to a day of fun, informational sessions from speakers across the community whose presentations revolved around current topics related to teens. The conference was a huge success, leaving many attendees excited for next year’s conference.

As we move forward into 2012 we are excited to start planning and implementing our new Teen Peer Support Group. In addition to this, we will also begin launching our ToolKit for Suicide Prevention to the Greater Dallas community this spring. With the new Texas State Bill mandating suicide prevention education in schools, we are committed to providing both educators and counselors with a ToolKit filled with research, training and resources to support our local schools and community with lifesaving educational information.

We are ready to begin a new year as the organization celebrates its 45 years of service. We thank you for your continued support and hope you will get involved within the Teen Program and CONTACT in 2012.

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IN THE NEWS

A Mindful Approach

By Amy Stewart, LMSW

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T

he concept of mindfulness is central to the practices of yoga, meditation and various religions. In being mindful, an individual is focused on the present and is aware of their thoughts and emotions. This awareness, however, does not lead to an analysis of the meaning behind them.

For the past five years, the practice of mindfulness has become successful as a treatment tool in the therapeutic environment, especially in treating those who suffer from chronic or recurrent depression. MindfulnessBased Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) is an approach developed by Zindel Segal, Mark Williams and John Teasdale, based on Jon Kabat-Zinn’s Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction program (MBSR). The traditional MBSR program involves eight weekly two-hour group sessions, as well as a full day silent retreat. During the training participants learn formal exercises and are expected to set aside time for practice, 45 minutes a day, six days a week. The exercises are designed to help participants boost their awareness of moment-to-moment experience, including sensations, feelings and thoughts.

Eventually patients master skills that teach them how to spot changes in their mood and negative thinking so that they are able to change the course of action. The assumption is that if we are fully aware our behavior is more likely to achieve the results we want-and if we feel with full awareness we are more likely to be happy and content.

Recent research conducted in Canada and the United Kingdom supports the use of MBCT as an effective treatment for prevention of relapse. Research has shown that people who have been clinically depressed 3 or more times (sometimes for twenty years or more) find that engaging in the program and learning MBCT skills help to reduce the risk of recurrent depression. The evidence from two randomized

clinical trials of MBCT indicates that it reduces rates of relapse by fifty percent among patients who suffer from recurrent depression.

Not everyone exposed to MBCT will benefit from its principles. Some people who have participated in MBCT have reported difficulty applying those skills in their day-to-day lives.

As PhD candidate Alisa Singer discovered, individuals who experienced difficulty in relating to the practice of mindfulness tended to ruminate in their thoughts and feelings without reaching any satisfying results. She concluded that perhaps these individuals would benefit from additional skills training and practice.

In light of the New Year, the practice of mindfulness presents an opportunity for renewal. Mindfulness, while clearly benefiting those who suffer with depression, is a concept anyone can adopt to promote general wellness.

“Empty your mind of all thoughts.

Let your heart be at peace.…return to the common source. Returning to the source is serenity.”

-excerpt from the Tao Te Ching, Chapter 16

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2012 EVENTS January: 31st: Bingo Bash: Hearts and Hats Diva Style

March: 30th: Spirit of CONTACT Luncheon

J JAaNn Uu aArRy Y S M T W T F S S M 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 1 2 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 8 9 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 15 16 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 22 23 29 30 31 29 30 S

M

5 6 12 13 19 20 26 27

September: Teen Conference (Date/Time TBA)

To Me Connecting With Teens in Crisis

November: The Great Culinary Escape (Date/Time TBA)

December:

1st: Embrace to Erase: Erasing the Silence of Depression Pasta Dinner 2nd: Embrace to Erase: Erasing the Silence of Depression Marathon

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M

M M Aa yY S M T W 1 2 6 7 8 9 13 14 15 16 20 21 22 23 27 28 29 30

M

S SEePpTt Ee m M bBeEr R T W T F

S 1 3 4 5 6 7 8 10 11 12 13 14 15 17 18 19 20 21 22 24 25 26 27 28 29 M 1 8 15 22 29

T F S S M 3 4 5 10 11 12 4 5 17 18 19 11 12 24 25 26 18 19 31 25 26

JJ Uu nNeE W T

F S 3 4 10 11 17 18 24 25 31

o bBeEr R OOCcTt O T W T F S 2 3 4 5 6 9 10 11 12 13 16 17 18 19 20 23 24 25 26 27 30 31 NNOoVv Ee m MB b eErR T W T 1 6 7 8 13 14 15 20 21 22 27 28 29

November F S 2 3 9 10 16 17 23 24 30

DDEeCc Ee m Mb B eErR F S S M T W T F S 1 2 1 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 S

For more information on these events please contact Maria Espinosa at 972.233.0866 or mespinosa@contactcrisisline.org

F eBbRr uUaAr Ry Y u sStT FE AAUuGg U T W T F S S M T W T 1 2 3 4 1 2 7 8 9 10 11 5 6 7 8 9 14 15 16 17 18 12 13 14 15 16 21 22 23 24 25 19 20 21 22 23 28 29 26 27 28 29 30

MMAaRr cChH T W T F S S 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 2 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 9 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 16 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 23 30 AAPpRr iIlL S M T W T F S S 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 7 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 14 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 21 29 30 28 S

JJUu Ll yY T W T F S 3 4 5 6 7 10 11 12 13 14 17 18 19 20 21 24 25 26 27 28 31

M

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EVENTS 16th Annual Spirit of CONTACT Luncheon From Breaking Point to Turning Point: Celebrating Hope

Friday, March 30, 2012

11:30 a.m. Hilton Anatole Hotel, Khmer Ballroom 2012 Spirit of CONTACT Award Recipients Jan and Fred Hegi & Texas Health Resources Keynote

Lee and Bob Woodruff As CONTACT approaches its 45th Anniversary; Celebrating Hope, we celebrate the lives impacted and forever changed through our services.

We celebrate hope given to the more than 1 million crisis calls received since our founding. We celebrate lives saved by the over 25,000 suicide calls answered. We celebrate second chances for a new life through over 500,000 referrals made to local agencies. It is likely we have helped you, or someone you know from breaking point to turning point.

Keynote

druff ee Woo b and L

rs: Bo

Speake

We invite you to join our 45th Anniversary celebration by supporting our Spirit of CONTACT luncheon Friday, March 30, 2012 at the Hilton Anatole as we honor our 2012 Spirit of CONTACT award recipients Fred and Jan Hegi and Texas Health Resources for their outstanding work and support in the area of health and human services. Our luncheon theme will be From Breaking Point to Turning Point: Celebrating Hope with keynote speakers Bob and Lee Woodruff.

Bob, a nationally known news correspondent for ABC, experienced his own crisis in January 2006 when he suffered a Traumatic Brain Injury resulting from a roadside bomb that struck his vehicle near Taji, Iraq.

To Iraq and Back chronicled his injury, his painstaking recovery, and the plight of thousands of wounded service members returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. He and his wife Lee co-authored a best-selling memoir, In an Instant: A Family’s Journey of Love and Healing, detailing how their family persevered through a time of intense trauma and uncertainty.

Join us as we celebrate 45 years of uninterrupted service!

Honoree

s: Fred a

nd Jan H

egi

Sponsorship opportunities available starting at $1,750 | Individual Tickets $175 For more event information please contact Maria Espinosa at 972.233.0866 or mespinosa@contactcrisisline.org 12

Just Talk About It:

Teen CONTACT Prepares to Launch New Suicide Prevention Toolkit

Missy Wall, Teen CONTACT Program Director, speaks to a group of teens at a re-sync event.

In response to the increases in teen suicide and bullying in the surrounding community, TeenCONTACT has worked to design the Just Talk About It: Suicide Prevention Toolkit. This kit is geared toward professionals who work specifically with youth and provides them with skills to help prevent teen suicides by empowering and educating adults and adolescents.

Suicide is the third leading cause of death among adolescents ages 10-24 and the rate continues to increase as the youth progresses through adolescence (“Suicide Trends,” 2007). This means that more teenagers and young adults die from suicide than from cancer, heart disease, AIDS, birth defects, stroke, pneumonia, influenza, and chronic lung disease combined (“Teenage Suicide,” 1996). With the occurrence of suicide happening among students, many school districts have implemented suicide prevention programs that train faculty on how to identify a student who is considered high risk for suicide, how to approach the student and talk to them about it, and then how to refer the student to treatment. Once the faculty within the school is trained on the warning signs that could lead a teenager to commit suicide, it is also

13

important to educate students within the school on how to identify the warning signs and what actions they could take when they have recognized a classmate to be high-risk for committing suicide.

With the increase in public concern over youth suicide and the prevention of associated discrimination, harassment, bullying and cyberbullying, Texas passed House Bill 2343 also known as “Asher’s Law” on March 10, 2011 (Taffet, 2011). This law was enacted in honor of 13-year old Asher Brown who died by suicide on September 23, 2010 after being repeatedly taunted by his peers. It mandates that junior, middle, and high schools implement a comprehensive suicide prevention program.

The Just Talk About It toolkit identifies with the general suicide education programs in that it teaches students about suicide through the utilization of presentations, educational material, and activities.

Through the usage of this toolkit, professionals working with youth will be able to identify warning signs in a person who is at-risk for suicide and equip them with resources to confidently intervene to get the identified individual help.

Just Talk About It

The Value

of Follow Up

A three-year pilot project of the federal government being headed by Columbia University is currently in it’s second phase. The project revolves around three cohorts made up of six crisis centers each.

CONTACT is a part of the second cohort. The project has consisted of agencies making follow up calls, with the callers consent, to people who phone in to the crisis line and are considered to be at moderate to high risk of suicide.

Follow up calls are designed to ensure that those at greatest risk feel safe and connected. According to Columbia researchers, “ The majority of callers consider follow-up to have saved their lives and kept them sane.”

A total of 600 people who agreed to be contacted six to twelve weeks after follow up calls ended were interviewed by Columbia. Ninety-two percent said that the follow-up calls were helpful, with 60 percent saying that the calls “did a lot” to keep them safe and 30 percent saying that the calls did “ a little” to enhance their safety.

More significantly, 53 percent said that the calls did “a lot” to keep them from killing themselves and 27 percent said that the calls did “a little” to stop them from suicide.

Several individuals commented: “When you’re suicidal, you really feel like no one cares about you. So when somebody follows through like that, it makes an impression.”

“I felt really, really alone in the world, and it just felt that someone was other there for me...it felt like they cared.”

“The follow-up calls were the catalyst--they put me in action. If it weren’t for those calls, I’d still be on the couch doing nothing. The follow-up counselors calls made me face what I needed to face.”

“It made me feel a little more positive knowing that somebody was going to be calling me...I wanted to be there to answer since they were paying so much attention to me.”

“Just the question [what do you have to live for] clarified everything for me...It evoked the thought of my daughter...helped me gain perspective.”

Since the project started in October 2009, CONTACT has reached out to 134 individuals, making 199 contacts.

More than half of the individuals contacted were linked to mental health or other services.

Adapted from Contra Costa Crisis Center Quarterly Newsletter, Summer 2011

“When you’re suicidal, you don’t really feel like anyone cares about you. So when somebody follows through like that, it makes an impression.”

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DONORS

INDIVIDUALS

Abram, Carol and Howard Albrecht, Deana and Paul Alcazar, Sayra Alcorn, Patti and William J. Ayles, Eric Bate, PJ and Don Benken, Jeff Bergstrom, Darron Beunier, Rene Bivins, Katie Blasnik, Linda and Steven Blumberg, Donna and Leonard Bogen, Molly Brandao, Atala Britten, Casey Brooks, Isabel and Francis Buehrig, Jeff Burley, Tena Calvery, Linda Camp, Meredith Carter, Bitsy and Harold Dee Carter, Christie Cates, Martha Ann Cavazos, David Cepeda, Jorge Chahar, Hazel and Bharat Chen, Pao-Ling Cheney, John O. Childs, Konata Clark, Linda Clarkson, Mary Claire Clarkson, Stephen Cole, Serena and Michael Coley, Zene Copeland, Maggie Crawford, Kristy Crittenden, Sunita DeCuir, Charles Del Olmo, Juan Carlos Denny, Traci Dewar, Adam Dike, Ije Dildy, Lynne DiMarzo, Audrey Dockery, Melissa Estes, W.C. Evenson, Tom Farr, Mary S. and Philip D. Ferrigno, Elizabeth Ford, Julia Gant, Frances Garg, Prerna Gargurevich, Millie

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Gossett, Sarah Grant, Sharon Greene, Gail Grisz, Mike Guerrero, Patricia Guiterrez, Tiffany Gunnels, Gena and Benjamin Duncan Gupta, Arun Haag, Marcy Hall, Kevin and Sharon Halliburton, Amy Hammack, Gloria S. and John A. Hansen, Elane Witts Harvey, Edwina Harvey, Lisa Hay, Kelly Haynes, Becca Heller, Jeff & Carol Hendrix, Natalie Hensley, Melissa Hersh, Julie Hight, Lucy Hill, Al G., Jr. Hill, Mary Ann and Thomas L. Holder, Judith Holloway, Linda Holman, Kristi Homen, Halley Honza, Julie Hughes, Justin Hunt, Nancy Ann and Ray Jean, Donna C. Johnson, Kathryn Johnson, Melinda and James Johnson, Robert V. Kaut, Georgeanne Keenan, Brian Keenan, Pam Kidd, Jane and Barron Kiesewetter, Kimberly Kleinert, Chris & Ashlee Krueger, Sandy Kulthol, May Kuo, Veronica Kyser, Richie and Kevin LaFlamme, Stephen LaFleur, Sandy and William Landua, Joni Lane, Marvin & Joan Langford, Gabriela Laughlin, Holly and Robert Lay, Kimberly Lewis, Jr., Carl Linn, Christy C.

Livermore, Kareem Longfellow, Kelly Losinger, Sarah M. MacMullin, Maria Marshall, Rosemarie Martin, Roger E. Martinez, Steven J. Massman, Barbara and Richard Matera, Frances McGee, Elizabeth McGowen, Karie McNamara, Anne Meadows, Mary Blake Beeler and Charles M. Mecom, John Meester, Travis Mersky, Inez Milliken, Barrett Monaco, Mollie and David Moore, Christina Moore, Pamela Morgan, Rachel Moseson, Cheryl Mott, David & Tracy Moultrie, Errika Flood and Greg Mulford, Nancy P. Nash, Marianne Noble, Leslie Norris, Christina Nowygrod, Ashley O’Connor, Rick O’Pallick, Ryan Odhiambo, Yvonne Odom-Groh, Larry and Melanie Odom, Susan Ooi, Cristal Ortiz, Herberto Padecio, Dhenmark Padgett, Shari Pearson, Christine Pena, Debi Petri, Matthew Pollock, Pam Pollock, Robert G. Potter, Carrie Raykowski, Marcy Reahard, Amanda Reeves, Katherine Perot Reinschmidt, George H. Riddick, Carol Rief, Carrie Ringo, Michael Roberts, Matthew Rodriguez, Maria-Claudia

DONORS

Roper, Veronica Rose III, Edward W. Rose, Sue Gill Rudden, Jay Schlossberg, Kim Self, M. Samuel & Diana P. Sheldon, Rita Shuford, Laura Simpson, Danny Sirakos, Debra Sirakos, Kaitlin Sirkos, Katie Smith, Judith Snoddy, Tee Carol Snow, Jordaqn C. Snyder, Kristin Sohns, Michelle Solomon, Gay and William Spence, Emily E. Statman, Caryn D. Stevenson, Austin Strand, James Strong, John Sweat, Kristen Sykes, Scott Symecko, Sarah Tadewald, Gena Reed Thorne, Harold Tilley, Carolyn Tines, Judy Toney, Deborah Trimble, Natalie Truner, CeCe Veerjee, Khairunnisa Wall, M. Missy Walton, Diane and Don Watkins, Jessi Watson, Julie Weber, Andrea and John Webster, Elizabeth and Mark Welch, Barbara M. Wenglar, Catherine Whitfield, Tamara Williams, Britany Williams, Eric Williams, Glenda Williams, Marilynn Wilson-Day, Kelly Jo Woodruff, Tish Zorrilla, Andres

CORPORATIONS

Ambit Energy Barnes & Noble Booksellers

Educational Services, Inc IBM JP Morgan Chase & Co. Safeway, Inc. Staples Verizon Wireless, Inc.

INKIND

FOUNDATIONS

CIVIC/RELIGIOUS

FEDERAL

Cooper Aerobics Center Hunt Cares Employee Campaign Joy Promotions, Inc.

Addison Midday Rotary Foundation Communities Foundation Gaston Episcopal Hospital Foundation Halsell Foundation, Martin W. & Bettie J. ITW Foundation Hersh Foundation, The Louise W. Kahn Endowment Fund Mary Kay Foundation McDermott, Eugene Foundation Minyard Founders Foundation NAH Foundation Perot Foundation Pratt Foundation, The Aileen and Jack Prothro Foundation, Vin & Caren The Rees-Jones Foundation Sharp Foundation, Ruth C. & Charles S. Southwestern Medical Foundation Sturgis Trust, Roy and Christine Union Bank Foundation Weaver Foundation, The Gil & Dody Zale Foundation, M.B. and Edna

CONTACT Connection Junior League of Dallas, Inc. Northwood Woman’s Club

American Giving Combined Federal Campaign SAMHSA

Donations Received From June 30 - December 31, 2011

Thank you to all who continue to support our efforts!

Please contact Amy Koshy at akoshy@contactcrisisline.org regarding any errors in this listing.

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PRESIDENT’S LETTER

Since 1967, CONTACT has played a significant role in the greater Dallas community. This year we celebrate our 45th anniversary. While programs and personnel have grown and changed throughout the years, we continue to be the organization those in need can turn to in times of crisis.

We can never plan for a crisis. It tends to hit us hard and knock the wind out of us. Some of us may have family members or friends who we can turn to in these moments. Yet for many, the struggles they face may be difficult to share with those around them. They fear embarrassment, shame, and isolation.

CONTACT serves as a vital resource for these individuals. Day or night, they have the ability to pick up the phone and be connected to one of our volunteers who will not judge them, but instead offer a listening ear.

We are very excited about what this year will bring. In addition to our core events we will be hosting “mini-events” throughout the year as part of our 45th celebration. We will have more information on these in the coming months so be sure to stay connected!

We look forward to the future and thank each and every one of our supporters for all you continue to do to enhance the programs and services CONTACT has to offer.

Benaye Y. Rogers President

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Interested in Volunteering?

We have many needs for your time and expertise as we seek to expand our passion for crisis prevention and intervention! Training support is provided for all our volunteer roles. If you have thought about getting involved in an important cause, today is the time to act!

• • • • • • • • • • •

Crisis Line Specialist Continuing Education Coordinators Mental Health Resource Coordinators Outreach and Special Event Support Speakers Bureau/Presentations Office Administrative Support Volunteer Recruitment Teen CONTACT Board Members Teen CONTACT Program Support Public Relations Intern Marketing and Outreach Support

Please call or email us and we can visit about where you will fit in the CONTACT mission.

Thomas Hutter 972.233.0866 (ext. 311) thutter@contactcrisisline.org

From Breaking Point to Turning Point CONTACT is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization dedicated to helping people from teens to seniors facing daily life-challenges. CONTACT was founded in 1967 and became the first 24/7 crisis center in the United States. Since it’s founding, the agency has worked to educate the community about what causes a crisis, how to cope in a crisis and, most importantly, how to provide hope for those in a crisis.

Office: 972.233.0866 Crisis Help Line: 972.233.2233 Teen Help Line: 972.233.8336 En Espanol: 972.233.2428 www.contactcrisisline.org 18

NONPROFIT U.S. POSTAGE

From Breaking Point to Turning Point P.O. Box 800742 • Dallas, TX • 75380 Office: 972.233.0866 Fax: 972.233.2427 www.contactcrisisline.org

PAID DALLAS, TX PERMIT NO. 1012