Chesapeake Life Center to offer 'Suicide Postvention as Prevention’ Seminar in Bowie

Chesapeake Life Center will present “Suicide Postvention as Prevention: Supporting Suicide-loss Survivors,” from 9 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. Oct. 13, at the Kenhill Center, 2614 Kenhill Drive, Bowie, Maryland. Sponsored by the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, the seminar will address how “postvention” (the response and counseling to loved ones and friends following a suicide) is a crucial component of suicide prevention. Registration opens at 8:30 a.m. and a light breakfast will be provided.

According to the CDC, over 41,000 people die by suicide each year in the United States. In Maryland, one person dies by suicide on average every 14.5 hours. Research indicates that the response to grief, trauma and distress after a suicide-loss impacts the well-being of those left behind and can heighten or lessen vulnerabilities to a myriad of mental health issues.

Mental health providers, clergy, funeral directors and school professionals are a vital part of this response as they interact with families soon after death. At the conclusion of this seminar, care providers will understand the challenges and lessons of suicide-loss grief and best practices to support and guide families.

The seminar will be presented by Chesapeake Life Center grief professionals Susan Coale, LCSW-C and Sarah Montgomery, LCSW-C, co-authors of the book “Supporting Children After a Suicide Loss: A Guide for Parents and Caregivers.”

The keynote speaker will be Amy Marlow, a certified peer facilitator with the National Alliance on Mental Illness who blogs about her journey through mental illness at www.bluelightblue.com. Her writing has been featured in the Washington Post.

Registration is required for all attendees. The seminar is provided at no cost to the general public; however, professionals seeking continue education credits will incur a $30 administration fee at registration.

To register, visit http://www.hospicechesapeake.org/events-calendar/event/249-suicide-postvention-as-prevention-supporting-suicide-loss-survivors or call 888-501-7077.

About the Presenters

Sarah Montgomery, LCSW-C is the Coordinator of Children and Family Programs at Chesapeake Life Center, a program service of the Hospice of the Chesapeake. She has over 20 years of clinical experience providing individual, family, and group counseling in a variety of settings, including school-based, outpatient psychiatry and community-based organizations.

Susan Coale, LCSW-C is the Clinical Manager in Bereavement for Chesapeake Life Center at Hospice of the Chesapeake with 30 years’ experience. She provides individual and group counseling for grieving adults, children and families. She also provides clinical supervision for graduate students from the University of Maryland School of Social Work and Loyola University.

Amy Marlow is a 20-year survivor of suicide loss and lives with depression and generalized anxiety disorder. She writes about her journey through mental illness at www.bluelightblue.com. Amy is a certified peer facilitator with the National Alliance on Mental Illness Northern Virginia and through NAMI shares her story in the Washington metropolitan community.

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Chesapeake Life Center, a program service of Hospice of the Chesapeake, serves hospice family members and the community with bereavement services and activities aimed at enhancing the quality of life for those grieving the loss of a loved one. For more information on programs, call 410-987-2129 or visit www.chesapeakelifecenter.org