Rhonda returned to college after working in the corporate world as a consultant writing campaigns for organizations and non-profits like Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta and witnessing the growing mental health struggles impacting youth and their families in her sphere of influence. She earned her Bachelor of Social Work from Dalton State College and her Master of Social Work from Fordham University Graduate School of Social Service. She focused on the social determinants of mental and behavioral health and how they impact individuals, families, groups, organizations, and community decision-making processes. Listening with non-judgment is vital to catalyzing positive change, and empathizing with the people you are talking with, no matter what culture, life stage, or circumstance, is critical to knowing the tools that will empower them to work towards their goals and thrive. Her experience facilitating social-emotional learning groups for K-8th graders, mentoring young adults, and helping older adults has deepened her understanding of the social determinants of mental and behavioral health throughout the lifespan. As an LMSW, she intends to work under supervision to help clients build solid foundations to create the life they want.

WHY IS SUICIDE PREVENTION TRAINING IMPORTANT?

• Suicide is the second leading cause of death among 10-24-year-olds, and between 2007 and 2018, there was a 57% increase in youth suicide rates among this age group.

• About half (48%) of bisexual young people seriously considered attempting suicide in the past year, and 27% attempted suicide.

• LGBTQ+ young people are more than 4x as likely to attempt suicide than their peers.

• In Georgia, suicide by firearms makes up 63% of suicides, and 79% of suicide deaths are males compared to 21% of females.

  In September, “Congressman Jamie Raskin (MD-08) and Congressman Don Bacon (NE-02) introduced new bipartisan legislation, the Stabilization to Prevent (STOP) Suicide Act, to expand access to evidence-based stabilization care for individuals with serious thoughts of suicide.” 

Sources:

Curtin, 2020; Johns et al., 2019; The Trevor Project, 2023; Georgia DBHDD, 2022, p.1; Raskin, 2024

If you or someone you are worried about needs crisis support, you can reach a trained crisis counselor no matter where you live in the United States:

Call or text 988 or visit 988lifeline.org

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