A Community Conversation on Suicide Prevention

The public is invited to join a conversation about suicide prevention and local resources available to families on April 28 at the Chappaqua Library.

This conversation, intended for lay and professional alike, takes place in the context of a nationwide epidemic of suicide. In 2013, 41,149 people died by suicide in the United States alone. Suicide is the result of a complex interplay of many factors and has a profound impact upon those who are touched directly and indirectly. A network of close friends and family members are left to grieve after losing a loved one to suicide.

Panelists will share their own experiences with loss to suicide, what has and hasn’t helped and ways each has learned to get through the day. The moderator is Sean Mayer, the planning editor of The Journal News/ lohud.com, who lost his brother to suicide last year.

The panelists include Janine Crowley Haynes, a Chappaqua resident and author of My Kind of Crazy: Living in a Bipolar World and a survivor of a suicide attempt; Richard Klein, who lost his son Jeff to suicide nearly 4 1/2 years ago and who shares his thoughts and feelings about his family’s tragedy on a blog, kleinsaucer.wordpress.com and through a Facebook page, Friends of Jeff Klein; Rebecca Walkley MS, NCC, LMHC, a Licensed Mental Health Counselor and Certified Group Psychotherapist who facilitates a support group for individuals who have lost a loved one to suicide and Barbara Bernstein, PhD of MHA Westchester.

The focus will be on assisting not only individuals at risk, but also their families; exploring the resources that can help us grieve, understand, heal, and care for people suffering in ways that are not always visible.

The event is free. Space is limited. Please sign up at www.mhawestchester.org

The event is presented by The Mental Health Association of Westchester and the Journal News Media Group and sponsored by the Chappaqua Library.