September 2015


Crisis Center Helps Local Congregation Address Depression and Suicide          
   
Members at Hyde Park United Methodist Church were shocked and saddened when, over the course of three months, two members of their congregation took their own lives.  Both women had been active members of the church and were known for their vibrant, dynamic personalities.  

Church leadership knew they wanted to address the topic of depression and suicide within the congregation. They held a church meeting to get feedback from church members. At the meeting, people expressed an interest in participating in a small group that addressed the topic of depression.

Coincidentally, a member of the church, Kathy Freeman, was invited to take a tour of the Crisis Center of Tampa Bay by Jamie Klingman, a Crisis Center Board member. After the tour Kathy shared what took place at the church and was introduced to Tom Mueller, an Education & Prevention Manager at the Crisis Center of Tampa Bay.

Tom spent time with Kathy that afternoon and listened to what the congregation wanted to achieve. He was able to share his expertise in suicide prevention education and referred Kathy to a number of organizations and resources that could be helpful to the church.

The church utilized Tom's information and did some additional research.  Within a few weeks, they had identified a curriculum suited to their needs and had identified someone who could facilitate a series of 10 weekly meetings. Tom was invited to be a guest speaker at one of the meetings where he demonstrated a number of coping and relaxation techniques including drawing, creative writing, and muscle relaxation.

Anyone in the community who is interested in learning more about how to talk with someone about suicide can do so by attending one of the Crisis Center's QPR classes. QPR stands for Question, Persuade, and Refer. People trained in QPR learn how to recognize the warning signs of a suicide crisis and how to refer someone for help. The next QPR class will be Thursday, October 22nd and additional classes are listed through the year on the Crisis Center's events page.