Weekly Spark - 3/5/2010

In this week’s Spark, March 5th, 2010 SPRC/AFSP adds “Towards Good Practice: Standards and Guidelines for Suicide bereavement Support groups to”, the Best Practice registry. These Standards come from Lifeline Australia’s. From what I have read so far MASP would wholly concur. Especially when it recognizes the need for professional co-facilitators, MASP has long promoted this position. Survivors of suicide (those left behind after a suicide) are often at risk of another suicide occurring within their circle of contacts. The trauma of suicide is unlike other deaths, not only because of the stigma, but also because of all the other issues it raises. These standards if practiced can only lead to better support for family and friends of loved ones lost to suicide. We will need to support these standards but also see they are decimated to support groups all over the state quickly.


SPRC will be making presentations at AAS 43rd annual conference this year, April 21-24 in Orlando, Florida. SPRC has been growing in the suicide prevention community since its merger with SPANUSA offering a much larger array of programs, rather than its primary focus on research. This is consistent with than Surgeon General, Dr. David Satcher’s quote, “Now is the time to bridge the gap between what we know about suicide and what we are doing about suicide.”

SAMHSA announced a new Ad campaign in Mental Health for the African American community; these PSA’s were developed with the Ad Council and the stay strong foundation, this was done in February, Black History Month to help raise awareness among young adults in the Black colleges and Universities.

There are several more articles of interest to all including a research summary on Thoughts of death and suicide in early adolescence. Please visit this week’s Spark at SPRC for more detail and additional information.

Before I close this post I wanted to thank all of those that attended MASP’s silver anniversary. Along with Dr.’s Cheryl King and Alton Kirk, and Judi Rosen-Davis for their comments and presentations, the executive board of MASP for assisting with the handouts and Don and Judi Davis for allowing us into their beautiful home. Last but not least a mention to Marty’s Cookies and Bagel Bakery for their catering.

This event was another milestone to send MASP well on the way to its next 25 years of service to Michigan’s survivor community and the public-at-large.

Stay safe, stay connected Larry Lewis,