/Q&A WITH A PROFESSIONAL - Julie Smith, The SAM Foundation

Q & A with a Professional

Julie Smith Assistant Director, Founder The SAM Foundation

The mission of the SAM Foundation is to prevent suicide through public awareness and education by equipping communities with the skills to intervene in a suicidal crisis. The hope is to change the way our communities view mental health and serve as a resource to those who have been affected by suicide and therefore making our communities more suicide safe.

The SAM Foundation believes all members of communities play a vital role in suicide prevention. Through evidence-based trainings, the SAM Foundation reaches a variety of community members, corporate groups, educators, first responders, and mental health professionals The problem of suicide is considered a nationwide problem and these trainings provide the tools and resources to combat this problem.

Q - YOU HAVE DEDICATED YOUR LIFE'S MISSION TO EDUCATING OTHERS ABOUT SUICIDE AWARENESS AND PREVENTION. CAN YOU SHARE SOME OF YOUR STORY ABOUT HOW YOU GOT INVOLVED IN THIS WORK?

A - Our family experienced a great tragedy losing my brother Sam to suicide on December 17, 2002, at only 24 years old. My mother was also diagnosed with bipolar disorder when I was young being hospitalized and struggling throughout my childhood being an attempt survivor herself. So I’ve had to watch family members struggle with mental health my entire life It has truly shaped who I am and my hopes for a major shift in how our society and culture view and treat mental health Sharing our own struggles starting with my own family will begin that shift and let others know treatment and support are available. My ultimate desire is to see a psychiatric research treatment hospital anyone in the country can go to at no cost like St. Jude

Q - WHAT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING THAT SOMEONE SHOULD KNOW ABOUT SUICIDE, WHETHER THEY ARE THINKING ABOUT IT THEMSELVES OR THEY KNOW SOMEONE WHO IS THINKING ABOUT IT?

A - That there is hope. The pain you are experiencing is real, but you are not alone. Reach out to someone they trust about their thoughts of suicide, or call/text 988. Talking about suicide, and the things going on in your life will help relieve some of the pressure that has built up inside of you Finding treatment that works for you is vital Suicide is a permanent solution to a temporary problem

Q - ARE THERE SPECIFIC ENVIRONMENTS OR POPULATIONS THAT CAN LEAD TO AN INCREASED RISK OF SUICIDE?

A - Due to inconsistent reporting of suicide, it is always so difficult to accurately state where the most vulnerable exist However, we do know 22 veterans die by suicide everyday, we know men die by suicide more often but women attempt suicide 3 times more than men, we know in 2022 youth exceeded the middle age in deaths by suicide, and the LGBTQ community are generally at greater risk.

Q - HOW DOES SUICIDE IMPACT THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY?

A - Suicide can have a severe impact on a community even having long-term effects on many Out of 135 people who are exposed to suicide, 53 have a short-term life disruption, 25 have a major life disruption, and 11 have devastating effects on their lives. The impact is much greater on a small-knit community. Therefore, suicide is everyone’s business and responsibility to help make our communities more suicide safe. This is one of the greatest missions of the SAM Foundation.

Q - WHAT ARE SOME THINGS THAT FAMILY AND FRIENDS AFFECTED BY SUICIDE CAN DO FOR THEMSELVES TO FIND HEALING?

A - Support is the best way to begin the healing process. Finding a local SOS, or survivors of suicide, support group is essential and can be found on the AFSP website I believe treatment should be integrative and personal as everyone is different and may require multiple forms of treatment. I love being a source of support for survivors as well. Just a simple text or phone call every now and then truly gets you through those hard moments. Knowing others have walked the same path is a great source of strength. Making sure you are practicing selfcare every day is so incredibly important.

Q - WHAT ARE THINGS THAT WE CAN DO TO PREVENT AND REDUCE THE RISK OF SUICIDE?

A - I believe recognizing any trauma you or loved ones may have gone through, whether it feels big or small, and then begin the process of healing that trauma, is the best way to prevent suicide If we begin to talk about this at a much earlier age, what is trauma? What is healing? What is the process of healing? What are feelings and where do they live in my body and why am I having this feeling? If we do this, I believe we can begin to shift the narrative around mental health and begin to avoid a mental health crisis that leads to suicide.

Q - WHAT IS QPR?

A - QPR stands for Question, Persuade, Refer, and is a life-saving skill meant to sound like CPR. Before CPR was created, thousands of people died. This is the same concept except for mental health. It is called gatekeeper training, meaning a participant will learn how to open up the gate between a suicidal individual and a mental health professional In QPR training, you will learn how to question a suicidal individual, how to persuade them to get the help they need, and then how to refer them to treatment. I love QPR as it is a basic training I can deliver in an hour in a pinch but love to have an hour and a half, yet full with an enormous amount of great information.

Q - HOW CAN SOMEONE ACCESS QPR TRAINING?

A - The SAM Foundation provides a free virtual QPR the second Tuesday of every month at 7:00 PM EST. We are also available to provide them for any organization virtually or in person at no cost to the organization.