Speakers
KEYNOTE SPEAKER
Dr Margaret Nakhid-Chatoor
Understanding Youth Suicide
Dr Margaret Nakhid-Chatoor ED.D. MBPsS. is a Psychologist and an Assistant Professor at the University of Trinidad and Tobago (UTT) in the Department of Social Sciences, Center for Education.
KEYNOTE SPEAKER
Dr Karen Scavacini
Yellow September: Challenges, Best Practices, and a Vision for the Future
Psychologist, PhD in School and Human Development Psychology from USP, Master in Public Health from the Karolinska Institutet (Sweden) in the field of mental health promotion and suicide prevention, founder of the Vita Alere Institute for Suicide Prevention and Postvention (@vitaalere).
KEYNOTE SPEAKER
Shelby Rowe
The Long Walk Home
Shelby Rowe is executive director of the Suicide Prevention Resource Center (SPRC) at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, the only federally supported resource center devoted to advancing the implementation of the National Strategy for Suicide Prevention.
KEYNOTE SPEAKER
Edurne Balmori Palacios
Edurne Balmori Palacios (she/her) is the first Executive Director of The Trevor Project’s operations in Mexico, the leading organization in suicide prevention and crisis intervention for LGBTQ+ young people. A well-known CEO across Mexico, Edurne is a highly sought-after leader on LGBTQ and broader DEI initiatives throughout Latin America, and a fierce advocate for equal opportunities in the workplace.
KEYNOTE SPEAKER
Elizabeth Seaward
Lessons Learned from the Refugee Population that Contribute to Suicide Prevention
Elizabeth Seaward is a clínical psychologist working in private practice. She has been an external consultant for a variety of projects related to the Costa Rican Ministry of Health.
PLENARY SPEAKER
Brandon J Johnson
Introducing the 2024 US National Strategy for Suicide Prevention and Federal Action Plan
Brandon J. Johnson, M.H.S., MCHES, is a tireless advocate for positive mental health and suicide prevention services for youth and adults across the country. Currently, he serves as a public health advisor at the Substance Abuse Mental Health Services Administration in the Suicide Prevention Branch at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
PLENARY SPEAKER
Dr Deborah Stone
Introducing the 2024 US National Strategy for Suicide Prevention and Federal Action Plan
Dr Deb Stone is a behavioural scientist and nationally recognised suicide prevention expert in the United States with nearly 25 years of experience. For the past 13 years, Dr Stone has worked at the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
PLENARY SPEAKER
Professor Gerard Hutchinson
Changing Patterns of Suicide in Trinidad and Tobago
Professor Gerard Hutchinson is a graduate of the University of the West Indies and the Institute of Psychiatry, Kings College, University of London and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.
PLENARY SPEAKER
Dr Christine Yu Moutier
Why I Remain Hopeful: A Decade of Progress in Suicide Prevention
Dr Christine Yu Moutier serves as the chief medical officer for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention and knows the impact of suicide firsthand. After her own lived experience and losing colleagues to suicide, she dedicated herself to fighting this leading cause of death.
PLENARY SPEAKER
Professor Brian Mishara
The Nature of Suicide and How National Strategies May Effectively Contribute to Suicide Prevention
Professor Brian Mishara is Director of the Centre for Research and Intervention on Suicide, Ethical Issues and End-of-Life Practices (CRISE) and Professor of Psychology at the Université du Québec à Montréal, in Montreal, Canada.
PLENARY SPEAKER
Marsha Oss
Dark Solutions – Exploring Core Beliefs
Marsha Oss has 38 years of lived experience in recovery from IV drug use and suicide attempts. She started volunteering in Idaho’s Prisons after one year of sobriety. She has worked inside and outside correctional institutions, hospitals, and treatment agencies as a correctional officer and an SUD Counselor.
PLENARY SPEAKER
Camila Altavini
Suicide Prevention in Brazil: Current Efforts and the Road Ahead
Psychologist, PhD in Psychiatry from USP – with an emphasis in epidemiology. Currently working as clinical psychologist and internship supervisor at the Universidade de Brasília, collaborating researcher at the Psychiatry Institute (USP), director of the Brazilian Association for Suicide Studies and Prevention.
SPECIAL LECTURER
Associate Professor Marie-Claude Geoffroy
Psychosocial Determinants of Youth Suicide: Insights from the Quebec Longitudinal Study of Child Development
Marie-Claude Geoffroy is a clinical psychologist and an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at McGill University and the Douglas Mental Health University Institute.
SPECIAL LECTURER
Dr Carol Vidal
The risks and potential for positive messaging on suicide
Dr Carol Vidal is double-board in general and child and adolescent psychiatry and Assistant Professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the Johns Hopkins (JH) University School of Medicine, and with an adjunct appointment at the Department of Mental Health at the JH Bloomberg School of Public Health.
SPECIAL LECTURER
Professor Gustavo Turecki
Understanding the role of genes and biology on suicide risk: myths and facts
Gustavo Turecki MD PhD FRSC is a clinician scientist whose work focuses on understanding brain molecular changes that occur in a major depressive disorder and suicide, as well as molecular processes that explain antidepressant treatment response.
SPECIAL LECTURER
Dr Rachel Mitchell
Protecting Youth from Suicide-Related Content on Social Media: From Bottom to Top
Dr Mitchell’s research focuses on sex- and gender- differences in suicide and mood disorders in adolescents. Two main areas of focus are self-harm and suicide-related behavior, and the relationship between social media, (most recently TikTok), mental health and suicide-risk among adolescents.
SPECIAL LECTURER
Professor Marcus Zanetti
Chronic Inflammation and Suicidal Behaviors: The Importance of Lifestyle Habits for Prevention
Since 2017 Dr Marcus Zanetti has been professor at Faculdade Sírio-Libanês, where he has established new research lines on the study of both decision-making processes in complex medical situations, and the impact of nutrition and the gut-brain axis on mental health.
SPECIAL LECTURER
Dr Christine Walrath
National Evaluation of 988 and the Behavioral Health Crisis Services Continuum
Dr Christine Walrath, a senior vice president and chief science officer in public health at ICF, brings over 25 years of expertise in behavioral health research and program evaluation.
SPECIAL LECTURER
Maria O'Brien
Eye of the Survivor: Lessons Learned from United Suicide Survivors International and the Power of Storytelling in Suicide Prevention and Suicide Grief Support
Maria O’Brien is a DEI, mental health and suicide prevention activist. She is a Google Women Techmakers Ambassador for Trinidad and Tobago, Google Developer Groups Country Organizer, and a United Nations Civil Society Partner focused on the global goals 2030.
SPECIAL LECTURER
Dr Dan Reidenberg
Challenges and opportunities in creating safe suicide prevention messages
Dan is the Managing Director of the National Council for Suicide Prevention. He serves as Co-Chair of the IASP Media and Suicide Task Force, Chair of the American Psychotherapy Association Advisory Board and Chair of the Certified Relationship Specialists Board.
SPECIAL LECTURER
Associate Professor Mark Sinyor
Changing the Narrative: Is it the most important first step to lowering suicide rates?
Dr Mark Sinyor is an Associate Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Toronto. He is a psychiatrist at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre and an Associate Scientist at the Sunnybrook Research Institute.
SPECIAL LECTURER
Professor Allison Crawford
Elevating Equity on 9-8-8: Suicide Crisis Helpline in Canada
Dr Allison Crawford (MD, PhD) is a psychiatrist at CAMH and the Chief Medical Officer of 9-8-8: Suicide Crisis Helpline, Canada’s new 3-digit suicide prevention service (www.9-8-8.ca). She is also Medical Director of Psychiatry Outreach and Virtual Care at CAMH, and Professor in the Departments of Psychiatry, and Dalla Lana School of Public Health, at the University of Toronto.
SPECIAL LECTURER
Professor Richard McKeon
The evolution of the US National Suicide Hotline Network, evaluations, impact and current critical issues
Richard McKeon Ph.D., MPH received his Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from the University of Arizona, and a Master of Public Health in Health Administration from Columbia University. He is currently Senior Advisor in the SAMHSA 988 and Crisis Office.
SPECIAL LECTURER
Bronwen Edwards
From solitude to solidarity – how purposefully building the road upon which we walk has led to a vibrant, powerful force for innovation and a catalyst for change – the lived experience of suicide movement.
Bronwen is the founding CEO of Roses in the Ocean, Australia’s national lived experience of suicide organisation providing innovative, collaborative leadership within the suicide prevention sector, for people with lived experience of suicide, communities, sector organisations & government.
In Conversation
This ‘In Conversation with’ session is a unique opportunity to hear from Patrick J. Kennedy and Stephen Fried being interviewed by Dr Daniel Reidenberg. The conversation will focus on their recently published book ‘Profiles in Mental Health Courage’ which highlights inspiring stories of individuals who have bravely faced mental health challenges.
Profiles in Mental Health Courage portrays the dramatic journeys of a diverse group of Americans who have struggled with their mental health. This book offers deeply compelling stories about the bravery and resilience of those living with a variety of mental illnesses and addictions.
This session offers a profound chance to gain insights to help change the way people think and talk about mental illness, substance use disorders and suicide, and to understand the importance of breaking the stigma surrounding mental health through personal stories of courage and resilience.
During his time in Congress, Patrick J. Kennedy co-authored the landmark Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (Federal Parity Law), which requires insurers to cover treatment for mental health and substance use disorders no more restrictively than treatment for illnesses of the body, such as diabetes and cancer. In 2013, he founded The Kennedy Forum, a nonprofit that unites advocates, business leaders, and government agencies to advance evidence-based practices, policies, and programming in mental health and addiction. In 2015, Kennedy co-authored the New York Times Bestseller, “A Common Struggle: A Personal Journey Through the Past and Future of Mental Illness and Addiction,” which details a bold plan for the future of mental health care in America. In 2023, The Kennedy Forum launched the Alignment for Progress, a movement to align leaders from across industry and across the aisle to achieve 90/90/90 by 2033: 90% of all individuals will be screened for mental health and substance use disorders; 90% of those screened will be able to receive evidence-based treatment; 90% of those receiving treatment will be able to manage their symptoms in recovery. Kennedy’s second co-authored book “Profiles in Mental Health Courage” available April 2024 will delve into the compelling stories of a diverse group of Americans who have struggled with their mental health – many of whom are sharing their stories for the first time.
Kennedy is also the founder of DontDenyMe.org, an educational campaign that empowers consumers and providers to understand parity rights and connects them to essential appeals guidance and resources; co-founder of One Mind, an organization that pushes for greater global investment in brain research; co-founder of Psych Hub, the most comprehensive online learning platform on mental health, substance use, and suicide prevention topics in the world; co-chair of the National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention’s Mental Health & Suicide Prevention National Response to COVID-19 (National Response); and co-chair of the Bipartisan Policy Center’s Behavioral Health Integration Task Force.
Stephen Fried is an award-winning journalist and bestselling author who teaches at Columbia University and the University of Pennsylvania. He is the author of Rush, Appetite for America, Thing of Beauty, Bitter Pills, and The New Rabbi and coauthor, with Congressman Patrick Kennedy, of A Common Struggle. A two-time winner of the National Magazine Award, Fried has written frequently for Vanity Fair, GQ, The Washington Post Magazine, Glamour, and Philadelphia Magazine. He lives in Philadelphia with his wife, author Diane Ayres. www.stephenfried.com
