Community News

By July Battista This Volunteer Spotlight story originally appeared in AFSP’s 2023 Annual Report. To read other inspiring Volunteer Spotlight stories, and to learn more about our exciting work, visit our website.  In 2008, at the age of 20, Judy Battista’s son Daniel died by suicide. Judy and her family decided to be open to others that Danny’s death was by suicide, and to learn more about this leading cause of death. Met with love and support from her community, she was invited to an Out of the Darkness Walk. Later that year, she attended her first International Survivors of Suicide Loss Day (also known as Survivor Day) event and began volunteering for AFSP. In addition to coordinating the Healing Conversations program for her chapter and hosting numerous Survivor Day events over the years, Judy was also a panelist for Día de Esperanza (Day of Hope), a national virtual panel discussion taking place a day before Survivor Day, offering support specifically for Hispanic and Latinx communities that have been affected by suicide loss. “We all grieve differently. As I began to find my path after losing Danny, I realized that giving to others in Danny’s memory was a gift of healing to myself, too. The Loss & Healing programs are the heart of AFSP. Being able to speak to loss survivors, equipped with the confidence of science-based research, is a gift of compassion, empathy, and love we share. I organized my first Survivor Day event in 2009. Fast-forward, and it’s 14 years later! Each chapter is unique in how they present their International Survivors of Suicide Loss Day program, and therein lies the beauty of it. It is a healing event made up of moments: a day that people look around and see they are not alone. The sense of unity is powerful, and that is where the healing magic happens. Some people attend once and move forward. Others return year after year. I feel like a proud mother, seeing how they have grown in their own healing experience. As a Latina, I was glad to participate this year in the Día de Esperanza (Day of Hope) event. I grew up in a dual language household, and we only spoke about mental health in passing. There are over 21 different Spanish-speaking countries, and each has its own cultural values passed down through generations. The Día de Esperanza conversation was held in Spanish. For those of us who are bilingual, it feels like living in two worlds. I had processed suicide loss grief more in English. Having these conversations in Spanish is like flipping an empanada to cook it on the other side! It is a profound, internal shift that is both validating and empowering. It helps me grieve and heal in both languages. As a Healing Conversations volunteer, you sometimes see your own journey in people whose loss is more recent. The training for the program is incredible, and one learns to listen, cry, laugh or just sit in silence with them. It really is a sacred space. Healing Conversations volunteers must have empathy, compassion, and the ability to identify, listen and offer hope. I may not know a person’s exact pain, but I may have felt something parallel with them. It’s like looking in a mirror, to a past reflection of myself. As one loss survivor said to me after a visit, ‘Thank you for giving me hope — at least I know I can survive as long as you have!’ We don’t stop grieving. We don’t stop loving. As much as we change because of our loss, we remain our authentic selves. Through my involvement with AFSP, I have learned to be the voice of the voiceless, to have more compassion, and that I am a good mother. I have learned that helping others is helping yourself, too. That love never dies. This is Danny’s gift to me.” Are you in a crisis? Call or text 988 or text TALK to 741741 ¿Estás en una crisis?Llama o envía un mensaje de texto al 988 o envía un mensaje de texto con AYUDA al 741741 Read More From This Writer All Post Art Books & Poems Business Column Community Community News Education Entertainment español Food & Culture Health Interviews Media Military & Veterans Music Peace People Politics Sports Technology BRINGING HOPE TO OTHER LOSS SURVIVORS HAS HELPED ME HEAL July 19, 2024/No Comments Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo. Read More… Read More The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention Shines Light on Reducing Mental Health and Suicide Stigma in Latinx and Hispanic Communities July 19, 2024/No Comments The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP), a leading suicide prevention organization in the U.S., is continuing to advance health… Read More El Festival del Libro July 11, 2024/1 Comment El Festival del Libro, a program of La Fortaleza Project, aims to market and promote Puerto Rican/Latino poets, writers, and… Read More Load More End of Content.

The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP), a leading suicide prevention organization in the U.S., is continuing to advance health equity by increasing access to suicide prevention resources for Hispanic and Latinx communities. In recognition of National Hispanic Heritage Month, the organization is highlighting important ways to act within the Latinx community to deepen awareness and conversations about mental health and suicide prevention, and support those who may be struggling to find the help they need.   As suicide trends move upward in Hispanic communities with an increase of nearly 7% in suicide rates nationally from 2018-2021, it’s important to encourage an understanding that mental health conditions that contribute to suicide are treatable and to normalize conversations to encourage seeking help when needed.  “We know that religious beliefs and cultural stigma may be contributing factors that make talking about mental health and suicide prevention more difficult or taboo in Latino communities,” says Denisse Centeno Lamas, a licensed therapist, AFSP national board member and AFSP Central Florida Chapter member.” As a result, a suicide death, attempt, or ideation, can elicit shame in families to disclose or talk openly about it. The notion that having a mental health condition can attract a label of “loco/a” (crazy) deepens the aversion to sharing struggles and seeking help.” AFSP is dedicated to raising community awareness of mental health and suicide prevention through community-led events and increasing access to bilingual-bicultural prevention and mental health education and training opportunities. Suicide can be prevented and with knowledge and action, lives can be saved. That’s why AFSP encourages the following three actions to help prevent suicide this Hispanic Heritage Month:  Sign up. Register yourself, your family, or your group (e.g., church, community center, colleagues, etc.) for a Talk Saves Lives Latinx presentation. Check out our program calendar to find any upcoming Talk Saves Lives™ events in your area or contact your local AFSP chapter to request a presentation in English or Spanish for your community.   “Talk Saves Lives™ (TSL): An Introduction to Suicide Prevention for Latinx and Hispanic Communities, a bilingual community presentation focused on providing a basic understanding of suicide risk factors and how to help through the lens of Latinx communities. AFSP Latinx volunteers and advocates are contributing their expertise and time to offer this presentation across the country. Gabi Vargas, a volunteer with AFSP’s Chicago chapter, is one of those extraordinary presenters.   “People line up after every presentation I do to let me know how suicide and mental health has impacted their life. The word that always comes to mind at that moment is ‘breakthrough.’ It truly is amazing to see how one conversation can change your life in an instant. It resonates with me because I am a suicide attempt and loss survivor. It allows me to give back and also speak on my experience as an immigrant,” says Gabi.  Talk. Get familiar with our #RealConvo guide to having authentic conversations around mental health and suicide with the people in your life. This how-to resource, available in English and Spanish, includes suggested dialogue around reaching out for help if you are struggling or want to help someone who is. Talking about suicide may feel taboo in the Hispanic culture, but these guides can help overcome the fear of taking the first step to bring mental health and suicide out in the open.   Walk. Participate in an ‘Out of the Darkness’ awareness walk in your community. These walks are held in hundreds of cities across the country to bring hope to those affected by suicide and foster a culture that’s smarter, and more open about discussing mental health and suicide prevention.  There are other ways that AFSP provides support to those in Latinx and Hispanic communities who have been touched by suicide. AFSP’s Healing Conversations program is available in Spanish and offers those who have lost a loved one to suicide a one-time conversation with an experienced volunteer who is also a survivor of loss. The goal is to provide survivors with support, connections and resources. AFSP also provides guidance in Spanish for adults and children who have lost someone to suicide. General resources to access their website:   We are learning more about how suicide affects Hispanic communities and what can help. AFSP has set a research priority on grants to study suicide in marginalized populations and by researchers from these populations. Through this work, we aim to deepen our understanding and prevent suicide in these communities. Currently, 40% of studies awarded AFSP grants either study a marginalized ethnic/racial group or are being conducted by a person from a marginalized ethnic/racial group. Learn about some of our Hispanic AFSP-funded researchers, visit our website.  AFSP recognizes that true diversity, equity, and inclusion require sustained efforts. It also means building programs for and by the community. Growing staff diversity overall and specifically with Hispanic employees is a priority for the organization. Hispanic staff have increased from 6.7% in 2019 to 11% in 2023 of a total of 171 employees. Interested in joining our staff? Explore our career opportunities, visit our website. Learn more at afsp.org and afsp.org/talkawaythedark. For safe reporting, consult our safe reporting guidelines for journalists. When reporting on suicide, please include the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline number 9-8-8, which provides 24/7, free and confidential support, or the Crisis Text Line (text TALK or AYUDA to 741741). ### The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention is dedicated to saving lives and bringing hope to those affected by suicide, including those who have experienced a loss. AFSP creates a culture that’s smart about mental health through public education and community programs, develops suicide prevention through research and advocacy, and provides support for those affected by suicide. Led by CEO Robert Gebbia and headquartered in New York, with a public policy office in Washington, DC, AFSP has local chapters in all 50 states, DC and Puerto Rico, with programs and events nationwide. Learn more about AFSP in its latest Annual Report and join the conversation on