Suicide and Suicide Prevention- a conversation with Dale Camhi from The American Foundation For Suicide Prevention
Today's podcast is about suicide and suicide prevention. I know it is a topic that is not light and entertaining, but very serious and necessary. Let me fill you in on where the idea for this podcast came from.
I have a friend who lost her son to suicide many years ago. As a psychologist, and one who knew the youngster who committed suicide, his act was sudden and unpredictable. In response to the loss, my friend and her husband decided to devote much of energy to make sure this did not happen to others. They became involved in volunteering for the American Foundation For Suicide Prevention(AFSP). In support of my friends, and in an effort to get the message out to the public about suicide and suicide prevention, I have annually participated in the Out of the Darkness community walks. By the way, these walks happen all over the country. You can find out more about them by going to http://www.outofthedarkness.org or http://www.afsp.org.
As I was at the most recent walk and I heard Dale Camhi, who is also a friend and former colleague, speaking to the crowd of over 1400 people about trying to help to get the message out. It dawned on me that I had the perfect vehicle to help- my podcast. So, invited Dale Camhi to be a guest.
Let me give you Dale's background. I met Dale many years ago when we worked together in a local school district. At that time, Dale was a special education teacher and served as an educational evaluator for 12 years. In 1999, Dale changed career paths following the loss of her best friend’s son to suicide, Dale began working in a volunteer capacity for AFSP. After five years, she joined the national field staff. Dale currently serves as the Metro-NY Regional Director for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP). Today, Dale juggles fund raising events, educational programs, AFSP’s Survivor Outreach Program, and advocacy for suicide prevention.