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AFSP Indiana Chapter Monthly Newsletter
| April,2011 |
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 Greetings!
Happy Spring Hoosiers! Hope you are thawing out quickly from our Indiana winter weather! We have 4 exciting new events happening this spring, please see the Campus Walk section below for details. If you are a Motorcycle Rider- hope you will join us for the ride in June- details below, and We are excited to welcome South Bend and Evansville to our Out of the Darkness Community Walk family for the fall of 2011, making it 8 walks total for the State of Indiana~ AWARENESS is the beginning of the Conversation... Lets keep the conversation going to ...
SILENCE THE STIGMA of depression and suicide! Walkers from BSU Campus Walk 4-2-11
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 2011 Spring Campus Walks are under way!
April 2, 2011, Ball State University hosted the first campus walk in Indiana, and the first for the Indiana Campus Walk season. They raised over $5500 and had more than 170 walkers. Congratulations to Chloe Brattain (Walk Chair & Student at BSU) and the BSU Campus for a wonderful awareness event! Thank you to the BSU Counseling Center and the Alive Campaign for all their help in bringing the Out of the Darkness Campus Walk to BSU as well. To view photos from the event click HERE or visit our facebook page .
The next Campus Walk is scheduled for April 30, 2011 at
BUTLER UNIVERSITY!
We would encourage you to form walk teams and invite other Greek Organizations, Clubs and Athletic Teams to a fundraising challenge.
May Campus Walks are scheduled for:
May 14th - Columbus Indiana
May 15th - McCutcheon High School in Lafayette Indiana
Register online HERE
www.campuswalks.org
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Free Webinar ~ More Than Sad
To Register for this Event click on this link to register:
https://afsp.omnovia.com
To view dates and other information: click here
For more information about AFSP's depression education and suicide prevention efforts, please contact Maggie Mortali, Education Manager, at mmortali@afsp.org
CEU's not available for this webinar
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 2nd Annual Ride to Silence the Stigma Register Online Here
Ride in MEMORY of a loved one lost to suicide, Ride in HOPE for those living with depression, Ride in SUPPORT of survivors of suicide loss and those who struggle daily with depression...
Join us to Silence the Stigma
Registration 9am / Ride starts at 10am
Northside~ Harley Davidson of Indianapolis - 4146 East 96th Street, Indianapolis
Registration $25 per individual/ $40 per couple
Join us for the Ride, Prizes & Food
For additional information, please contact Doug at Dbrattain4afsp@aol.com
or (317)774-1377
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 2011 Indiana Out of the Darkness Community Walks Registration is open for the 2011 Out of the Darkness Community Walks for Indiana~
Please register online, start your team and encourage your family and friends to support your efforts to raise awareness about Depression and Suicide. More than 20.9 million Americans live with a depressive illness annually, and more than 36,000 Americans die by suicide each year. We lose approximately 800 Hoosiers to Suicide each year. Suicide is the 3rd leading cause of death for Hoosiers between the ages of 15-24. In any 2 week period in the state of Indiana approximately 55,000 teens have thought about suicide! Funding research is vital to silence this stigma! We want to do our part to promote research to see improvements in detection and treatment of depressive illnesses. Will you join us? Help us to Silence the Stigma by registering for one of the Out of the Darkness Community Walks in Indiana TODAY! www.outofthedarkness.org |
2011 Advocacy Forum- Washington DC
Hoosiers visit Capitol Hill to meet with the staff of Indiana Representatives to discuss Suicide Prevention
On March 17, 2011, two AFSP-Indiana Board Members met with the staff of Senators Richard Lugar (R-IN) and Dan Coats (R-IN) and House Representatives: Joe Donnelly (D- IN-02), Marlin Stutzman (R-IN-03), Todd Rokita (R-IN-04), Dan Burton (R-IN-05), Mike Pence (R-IN-06), Andre Carson (D-IN-07) and Todd Young (R-IN-09). The staff members graciously shared the steps that their member is taking legislatively to prevent suicide and took AFSP/SPAN suggestions (see policy briefs linked below) for additional activity that they could pursue. Each member was also invited to take part in a Mental Health PSA campaign to be played in their districts and around Indiana. AFSP Indiana representatives were received warmly, and the assistants listened as we shared our personal stories, and often shared stories of their own losses. *Thank you to Mike Pence (R-IN-06) for being the first Indiana Representative to set a date to record the PSA (with his daughter). Following a day of visits on the Hill, volunteers and staff from AFSP honored it's 2011 Allies in Action Award winners at a reception in the United States Capitol, the room secured compliments of our own Representative Dan Burton, Thank You Sir! Award winners included General Peter W. Chiarelli: the Vice Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army, Senator Lisa Murkowski and former Senator and current President of the National Association of Broadcasters, Gordon Smith. The forum wrapped up on Friday with panels on state and local issues, with a keynote address by Major General Mark Graham and wife Carol entitled "Our Story" (see links to the right). 2011 AFSP PUBLIC POLICY PRIORITIES **IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN BECOMING A FIELD ADVOCATE FOR THE STATE OF INDIANA- PLEASE CLICK HERE YOU CAN LEARN MORE ABOUT THE FIELD ADVOCATE PROGRAM AND FILL OUT THE APPLICATION ONLINE, at the above link. TO ENSURE OUR VOICES ARE HEARD!** Indiana has 9 Congressional Districts- our goal is to have 2 Field Advocates in each Indiana District. |
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Survivor Support
Initiatives
*Survivor Outreach Program*
If you are interested in becoming a volunteer for the statewide Survivor Outreach Program, Please contact Lisa at LisaDavis4afsp@hotmail.com or visit the AFSP website linked
here and fill out the volunteer application.
*LifeKeeper Quilt Program*
If you have a quilt packet that you received at the 2010 walks or have had one mailed to you, please make every effort to return them to us so that we can start preparing the 2011 Quilt for display during the Fall Out of the Darkness Community Walks. If you would like a quilt packet, please contact Lisa at LisaDavis4afsp@hotmail.com
*Support Groups in Indiana*
If you are interested in starting a support group in your area please visit the Support Group section of the AFSP website for
facilitator training opportunities
or to find a support group in your area. If you are involved in a support group that you do not find listed on our website, please submit the information to ensure we have the most up to date information listed for Indiana Survivors of Suicide Loss.
Survivor eNetwork
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Interested in serving on the Board of Directors for
AFSP Indiana?
All board positions are volunteer positions.
Requirements of serving as a board member for AFSP Indiana include: 1)attending 4 meetings per year (once per quarter), 2) attending 25% of AFSP Indiana events and activities to ensure we have appropriate board representation at our statewide events. 3) Making an annual monetary commitment to AFSP , amount determined by the board. 4) commitment to serve on at least one service committee within the AFSP Indiana structure, to ensure we have appropriate board guidance within all of our committees, and ensuring adherence to the AFSP mission and chapter guidlines Positions open: Treasurer - requires a background in finance. Must be able to fulfill all monthly chapter reporting requirements and expense reports, as well as prepare reports of our accounts for the board of directors. Responsible for reporting to the National office for audit purposes. PR & Marketing Specialist- requires a background in PR & Marketing. This individual will be responsible for press releases, event promotion, and negotiating media needs for the statewide chapter. Please submit resume and cover letter for consideration via email to Lisa Brattain at Lbrattain4afsp@aol.com or via mail to AFSP Indiana P.O. Box 1793 Noblesville, Indiana 46061 . |
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Major General Mark Graham
Major General Mark Graham and his wife Carol share their story around the country! Mental Health has become a passion of their hearts and they share their story willingly to educate and encourage those in need. Facebook StoryOregon News StoryCNN Story
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Survivor Spotlight
Ashley Jones ~ Fort Wayne
Fort Wayne Out of the Darkness Walk Coordinator
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Ashley Jones (Right) and Friend at the 2009 Overnight
I woke up on February 11, 2006 in a hospital room with a stranger sitting next to my bed side. I asked why she was there and she told me that I was under supervision at all times. I had no friends sitting in the hospital with me, I had no missed calls, I had no text messages asking if I was okay. I sat in the bed very tired and groggy, and not understanding why I was laying in the bed. I looked in my phone and found a text message from the night before, and suddenly everything came back to me.
It was a Friday night and I had gotten off work early that night. I hated getting off early at night because that meant I had nothing to do when I left work. My roommate Karen was gone for the weekend with her boyfriend. My other friends were out and hadn't invited me to go with them. This was the usual case for me on the weekends. I was having a really hard time adjusting to college and everything that came along with it. This was my third semester in college, and I had only passed three classes. I was failing my current classes and didn't even bother trying anymore.
I'm not sure what lead to my decision, but I started piles of Tylenol PM's on my desk. I just wanted to sleep; I wanted to sleep and forget everything that was going on. The next I remember is calling my friend Kayla and telling her she needed to come down to my room right away. I had to crawl to my door to let her in. I don't recall much after that, other than being wheeled on a stretcher out of the dorm rooms and rushed to the emergency room. I remember the paramedics asking me if it was a new pill bottle, which it was. I remember them telling my resident advisor that I had taken over 100 pills. The only thing I remember for the rest of the night was a police officer standing outside of my room while I was in the emergency room.
For the next two weeks, I was forced to stay in the psychiatric wing of a hospital. It was the longest two weeks of my life as well as the hardest two weeks. While I was in the hospital, the University called me to tell me that I was kicked out of the dorms room and forced to go on medical leave. In my head, I had lost everything that I knew, everything that was of comfort to me.
When I got out of the hospital, I had to figure out what I was going to do. I was told that I wasn't allowed to come home; luckily my friend allowed me to live in her condo until I figured out what I was going to do. I had also lost my job because I was gone for two weeks and it was also an on campus job. Part of me had hoped that everything would change after I got out of the hospital, but it was the complete opposite. I had to start all over again and learn how to deal.
It took me a long time to learn how to deal. Every time I thought I was making a step forward, something would happen and move ten steps back. I continued to deal with my addiction to cutting [something I had been doing since the eighth grade] and keeping it from my friends.
I wish I could say that one day I just woke up and everything changed, but that would be a lie. It was a long road of recovery. A road full of heartache, loses, death and so much more. I moved many times afterwards, thinking if I left, I could start all over again. I learned that no matter where you go, it follows. It wasn't until three years after my attempt that I started to see positive in my life, until I started to let go of what happened.
My attempt will always be a part of who I am; I will always have scars on my body from the cutting. However it's a reminder. It's a reminder of where I was before and where I am now. I use to regret my attempt and wish it never happened, but now I am grateful for it. I am grateful for a second chance at life. It might have happened a few years afterwards, but I was able to wake up from my nightmare and start living the life that I always wanted. I decided to go back to school and do everything I could to help those that needed help. A few close friends sacrificed so much throughout the years after my attempt and I wanted to give that to others that needed it.
June of 2009 I participated in the Out of the Darkness Overnight Walk in Chicago. It was an eighteen mile walk that I surely thought I was not going to be able to finish. I walked that night with four individuals that pulled me through. I listened to many stories that night. I made friendships that I will forever have. I finished the last four miles in flip-flops, blisters and tons of pain. However, the minute I crossed the finish line and hugged my group, I was free. I was free of the pain that I had been carrying for all those years. I was free of the cutting. I was able to start all over again. That night I told myself that I was going to do everything I could to help save lives. I battled to save my own life, which I did, and now it's a battle to save others.
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Be More Award Celebration In Bloomington- AFSP Indiana is an award recipient!
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Congratulations to our AFSP Indiana Board Member and Bloomington Out of the Darkness Community Walk Chair~ Dee Burt ~ for working so hard to bring AFSP resources to Monroe County! Well Done Dee! Be More...Inspired! During a celebration of the extraordinary accomplishments of volunteers throughout our community. Read more about all of the 86 nominees online at bloomington.in.gov/bemore. Volunteers representing the following organizations will be honored: American Foundation for Suicide Prevention Indiana Chapter ~ Dee Burt click the link above to read the list of nominees.... The 2011 Be More Awards are presented in partnership by: *Theater rental sponsored in part by the City of Bloomington and BEAD's Buskirk-Chumley Theater Grant Program.
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Thank You
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It is a pleasure to serve our Hoosier communities as we strive to raise awareness & educate, provide programs and help those in need find resources, encourage and inspire those living with a depressive illness, those that have attempted suicide, and survivors of suicide loss!. We are a community, We can learn from each other, We can educate others and We can make a difference. Together we will be heard~ We will stand together! *To Learn more about AFSP funded research* Click Here*To Learn More about the ISP program for Colleges "Save our Students"* Click Here*To Learn More about AFSP's LGBT Initiative* Click Here*To Learn More about the More Than Sad Program "Save our Students"* Click HerePeace & Blessings, Lisa Brattain - Chapter Chair & the AFSP Indiana Board of Directors American Foundation for Suicide Prevention Indiana Chapter ~ 2010 Chapter of the Year for a Mid-Size Market 317.774.1377 P.O. Box 1793 Noblesville, Indiana 46061 Join our efforts to Silence the Stigma of Suicide and Depression! In the US, a person dies by suicide every 15 minutes. Every 16 minutes, someone is left to make sense of this tragic loss.
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