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. Rhonda returned to college after working for 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 graduated Phi Kappa Phi with a Master of Social Work from Fordham University Graduate School of Social Service. She focused her studies on evidence-based practices like cognitive behavior therapy (CBT), the social determinants of mental and behavioral health, and how they impact individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities on a micro and macro level. Facilitating social-emotional learning groups for K-8th graders, mentoring young adults in a college setting, and helping older adults deepened her understanding of the social determinants of mental and behavioral health throughout the lifespan. Rhonda brings life experience, social work education, additional post-graduate training in trauma-informed cognitive behavior and somatic therapies, and over 34 hours of training to assist children, adolescents, and adults challenged by neural atypical issues such as attention deficit hyperactive disorder to her clinical practice. As a Licensed Master of Social work, she works under supervision, collaborating with clients to gain the awareness and skills they need to help them 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

https://go.nih.gov/hoMF6tt   #shareNIMH