Hope Lives initiates conversations on children and suicide
NEW PHILADELPHIA – The Kent State Tuscarawas Campus will be the site of a community conversation about children and suicide on Wednesday evening.
The program is called Hope Lives and is presented by SpringVale Health Centers at the KSU Tusc Founders Hall.
SpringVale Executive Director J.J. Boroski says a panel of behavioral health professionals will lead conversations on suicide prevention, medications, crisis services, and grief and trauma responses.
“It’s different than anything that’s been done in this county,” he said. “Traditionally we bring in speakers, but we want to give the community an opportunity to ask the questions that are important to them; to talk with local professionals who know our community, know our people, know our resources. That’s the opportunity that the community is going to have on Wednesday evening.”
Boroski says one of the goals is to normalize discussion about mental health.
“We can’t be afraid to talk about behavioral health or suicide,” he said. “There’s this mentality that if we talk about it … it’s going to lead to somebody to think about that. If a person is in that position, odds are they’re already thinking about it. So how do we support them? How do we begin that conversation?”
Hope Lives begins with a free Chick-fil-A meal on Wednesday at 5 p.m., then the program runs from 6 to 7:30.