Thursday, January22, 2026

The first day is the Youth Mental Health and School Summit, which will focus on integrating schools, together with youth-serving organizations and clinicians, to promote suicide prevention and mental well-being. Presentations will appeal to educators, mental health professionals and suicide prevention advocates who work with young people to build awareness and to share prevention strategies that are tailored to this diverse population. The Day will also include the stories of loss survivors and their journey through grief to hope.

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS:

7:30-8:00am REGISTRATION, RESOURCE GALLERY & COMPLIMENTARY BREAKFAST

8:00-8:15am WELCOME & INTRODUCTION – Jennifer Fair Margraf, MBA, CFRE, Executive Director

8:15-9:15am KEYNOTE 1: Youth Suicide Prevention:  Promoting Healthy Social Connections and Support – Cheryl King, PhD, Professor Emerita, University of Michigan
This presentation will discuss youth suicide risk as an urgent public health and community concern. Because this risk presents in a myriad number of ways, it requires tailored and multi-faceted prevention strategies. Dr. King will provide an overview, based in scientific studies, of the importance of social connectedness and adult support to risk reduction, sharing national recommendations and promising intervention strategies in this area. These strategies focus on promoting healthy connections and building supportive adult networks for young people at risk. The presenter will discuss the implications of this knowledge for school, community, and hospital-based efforts to promote adolescent mental health and prevent self-harm and suicide.

9:15-9:30am BREAK

9:30-10:30am MORNING BREAKOUT SESSIONS:

• Affirming Lives: Suicide Prevention in LGBTQIA Youth and Communities – Robert John Lagrou, DO, Medical Director, H3: Hope, Healing, and Health
  Dr Lagrou will review current statistics on suicide and suicide prevention in LGBTQIA communities.  He will discuss current gaps in care and discuss ways to approach this population in the future.   A focus will be on youths in the queer community with emphasis on strategies for parents and loved ones.
• Social Media Addiction – Corey Hubner, BS, Community Service Trooper, Michigan
  The workshop will discuss how addictive social media is. We will continue to compare social media usage to other forms of addictive behavior. The workshop discusses pitfalls of over usage of social media, monetary issues associated with our cell phones and kids gaming systems, and then we will discuss strategies for reduction in usage for parents and children.
• When Words Aren’t Enough: Supporting Families Through Adolescent Suicide Risk – Fritz and Josephine Klingler, Suicide Loss Survivor with Gigi Colombini, LMSW, Psychotherapist – Suicidologist, Institute for Hope & Human Flourishing

  This presentation shares the deeply personal journey of two parents who lost their teenage son to suicide after days of searching for answers, resources, and hope. With honesty and courage, they recount their desperate efforts to recognize the warning signs, navigate a complex and often confusing mental-health system, and advocate tirelessly for the support their son needed. Through their story, they illuminate the struggles many families face -misunderstood symptoms, long waits for care, limited access to specialists, and the overwhelming fear of not knowing how to help a child in pain.  Their presentation aims to break silence and stigma, encourage earlier conversations about emotional well-being, and offer insight into how caregivers, schools, and communities can better support vulnerable teens. It is a tribute to their son’s life, a reminder of the challenges too many families encounter, and a call to create a world where every young person can find help before it is too late.

• Bridging the Gap: Connecting Inpatient Psychiatry and Schools to Support Youth Recovery – Abishek Bala, MD MPH, Physician, Central Michigan University
  This workshop explores how educators, mental health professionals, and community partners can collaborate to support adolescents following psychiatric hospitalization. Drawing from real-world experiences in inpatient child and adolescent psychiatry, Dr. Abishek Bala will describe what inpatient care entails, including admission criteria, the therapeutic process, and discharge planning. The session will highlight common challenges during the transition back to the community and examine both the challenges and opportunities to improve communication, continuity of care, and shared responsibility between hospitals, families, and schools. Participants will reflect on how school reintegration can serve as an opportunity for recovery and resilience rather than a point of vulnerability. The session concludes with an interactive discussion aimed at strengthening systems of coordination and bridging gaps across sectors.
• Employee Assistant Programs and Suicide Prevention in the Workplace – Kent Sharkey, LMSW

10:30-10:45am BREAK

10:45-11:45am KEYNOTE 2: Strengthening Protective Environments: Culturally Responsive Approaches to Suicide Prevention – Roddia Hill, PsyD, Clinical Director, Suicide Prevention and Risk Management, TRAILS
Suicide prevention must move beyond one-size-fits-all approaches to truly meet the needs of youth disproportionately impacted by suicide risk. This session will explore how culturally responsive strategies can strengthen protective environments across schools, communities, and behavioral health settings. Participants will examine how cultural identity, trauma, and barriers to support shape suicide risk and access to care. Grounded in cultural humility, the session will highlight practical, hands-on tools to adapt prevention, intervention, and postvention practices. Attendees will leave with concrete strategies for building authentic connections, reducing stigma, and co-creating safe, responsive environments with the youth and families they serve.

11:45am-1:00pm LUNCH

12:30-1:00pm LUNCHEON SPEAKERS: Collaborative Strategies for Suicide Prevention in Michigan – Lindsay DeCamp, MHA, State Suicide Prevention Coordinator, Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, and Kasie Kaufman, MPH, PMP, Executive Director; Board Chair
This presentation will provide an overview of two federally funded Michigan Department of Health and Human Services programs, Transforming Youth Suicide Prevention in Michigan (TYSP) and Preventing Suicide in Michigan Men (PRiSMM), and the statewide organization With One Voice (WOV). Attendees will gain insight into how these programs and WOV align with the goals and strategies outlined in the Michigan Suicide Prevention Plan 2024–2027 by supporting youth, adult men, and community coalitions through evidence-based practices, culturally responsive approaches, and cross-sector collaboration. The session will highlight how these efforts collectively strengthen Michigan’s capacity to prevent suicide and promote mental wellness across the lifespan.

1:00-1:15pm BREAK

1:15-2:15pm KEYNOTE 3: Wired to Feel: Understanding Adolescent Brain Development and Suicidal Risk – Jaime Taylor, DO, MS, FAAFP, Founder and Medical Director
Adolescence represents a critical window of neurobiological, psychological, and social transformation. During this period, the brain is “wired to feel”, with emotional centers developing faster than the regions responsible for regulation and judgment. This imbalance contributes to impulsivity, emotional reactivity, and vulnerability to stress, particularly within a culture that promotes instant gratification and constant comparison. This lecture explores how developmental changes intersect with the rising prevalence of non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) and suicidal ideation (SI), highlights the impact of social media and environmental factors, and provides practical tools for promoting resilience, emotional regulation, and healthy brain development in youth.

2:15-2:30pm BREAK

2:30-3:30pm AFTERNOON BREAKOUT SESSIONS:

• Hungry Minds: The Overlooked Link Between Food, Feelings, and Healing – Jaime Taylor, DO, MS, FAAFP, Founder and Medical Director, and Devyn Goodman, MS, RDN, Director of Nutrition, rethink.
  This workshop explores how nutrition directly influences brain function, mood regulation, and the effectiveness of mental health treatment. This session challenges diet culture by embracing the “all foods fit” philosophy, emphasizing that flexibility and balance, not restriction, support both physical and emotional well-being. Participants will learn how consistent nourishment fuels the brain and body, helping to stabilize energy, improve focus, and enhance resilience. We’ll discuss how nutritional adequacy plays a vital role in managing anxiety, depression, and recovery from eating disorders. Attendees will leave with practical strategies to support mental health through compassionate, sustainable eating habits that honor both body and mind.
• Holding Onto Life Toolkit Tips for Professionals and Parents on How to Support an Adolescent after a Suicide Attempt – Nancy Buyle, MA, LPC, ACTP, School Safety/Student Assistance, Consultant/Psychotherapist, Macomb Intermediate School District, Gigi Colombini, MSW, Clinical Social Worker, Institute for Hope and Healing, and Alejandra Arango, PhD, Clinical Assistant Professor, University of Michigan and Syma Khan, MSW, MPH , Clinical Social Worker, University of Michigan
  Supporting a youth struggling with suicide can feel overwhelming for both families and professionals. The Holding Onto Life Toolkit was developed to provide practical guidance, compassionate strategies, and reliable information to help parents, caregivers, and school staff navigate this critical time. In this session, participants will be introduced to the updated toolkit and learn how to use it as a resource for promoting safety, healing, and hope. Presenters will share real-world applications, communication strategies, and collaboration tips that strengthen the circle of support around a young person experiencing a suicidal crisis. Attendees will leave with actionable tools and insights to foster connection, reduce stigma, and build resilience in both youth and their support systems.
• Practicing Cultural Responsivity: Tools to Support Youth in Crisis – Roddia Hill, PsyD, Clinical Director, Suicide Prevention and Risk Management, TRAILS and Ben Karle, LMSW, Behavioral Health Program Coordinator, St. Joseph County ISD
  Building on the foundation of the main session, Practicing Cultural Responsivity: Tools to Support Youth in Crisis,  this session offers participants an interactive space to apply culturally responsive strategies in real-world contexts. Through scenario-based activities, small, and large group discussions, and guided reflection, attendees will explore how culture, identity, and barriers to support shape youth experiences during moments of crisis. This session emphasizes using a culturally responsive lens to assess suicide risk, respond with sensitivity and equity, and adapt existing prevention and intervention practices to meet the unique needs of diverse youth.
• The Effect of Adolescent Drug Use on Mental Health and Suicidology, as well as Consequences of Consuming Substances with High THC Content – Bruce Goldberg, LMSW, ACSW, CAADC, SAP, President, River’s Bend PC
  Adolescent drug use has a profound impact on mental health, often increasing the risk of depression, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts or behaviors. During adolescence, the brain is still developing—particularly areas responsible for decision-making and emotional regulation—making teens more vulnerable to the harmful effects of substances. High-THC cannabis products, now more potent than in previous decades, can significantly disrupt brain chemistry, leading to cognitive impairment, paranoia, and psychotic symptoms in some individuals. Regular use of high-THC substances is linked to increased rates of mood disorders and suicidal ideation. Substance use can also worsen existing mental health conditions and reduce the effectiveness of treatment interventions. Over time, these combined effects can contribute to social isolation, academic decline, and a higher likelihood of self-harm or suicide attempts among adolescents.
• Bridging Campus and Community: Advancing Mental Health Access through Michigan Community Colleges –Tim Rhodes, MSW, MPH, Research Staff, Mental Health Improvement through Community College (MHICC) Initiative and Shawna N. Smith, PhD, Co-Director & Principal Investigator, Mental Health Improvement through Community Colleges (MHICC) Initiative
  This session will spotlight the pivotal role that community colleges play in connecting students to evidence based mental health care and supporting the well-being of the broader community. Tim Rhodes, MSW, MPH, and Shawna Smith, PhD, will share their work from the Mental Health Improvement through Community Colleges (MHICC) initiative to highlight current trends in community college student mental health needs and the landscape of mental health services available across Michigan’s 31 community and tribal colleges. The presenters will underscore innovative strategies for expanding community college students’ access to mental health care, while discussing the role that community organizations and K-12 institutions play in supporting the mental health needs of this population.
• Suicide Prevention in the Workplace –Christine Hilton, LMSW and Kent Sharkey, LMSW

3:30-3:45pm BREAK

3:34-4:45pm KEYNOTE 4: Best Practices for Suicide Postvention in Schools: Managing Dilemmas and Changing the Narrative – Larry Berkowitz, Ed.D., Co-Founder, Senior Clinical Consultant, Riverside Trauma Center, a Service of Riverside Community Care
Sadly, it is increasingly likely that schools will be impacted by the suicide death of a student. This presentation will provide information for school-based teams to respond to the tragedy of suicide loss by learning effective, best practice strategies to support students, faculty, staff and families after a suicide death. Content includes tasks for conducting postvention activities, use of screening tools in a postvention setting, and strategies for responding to typical dilemmas such as handling memorials, responding to denial that the death was a suicide and reacting to information spread on social media. The presentation shares  qualitative data from interviews with young adults who were students in schools where they experienced the suicide death of a student in their middle or high school.

5:00-6:30pm COMPLIMENTARY RECEPTION

6:30-8:00pm DINNER Honoring Thomas Joiner. Join the Kevin’s Song family, joined by Bart Andrews, PhD and Michael Anestis, PhD, for this tribute to Dr. Thomas Joiner and his landmark contributions to suicide research and prevention. Entertainment provided by UM Musical Theater students. (separate ticket event)

Day 2 Event Schedule
2026 Suicide Prevention Education Summit

Who’s Invited

Participants in the 10th Annual Kevin’s Song Suicide Prevention Education Summit will gather in-person from all around the State of Michigan – from Metro Detroit to Marquette and from Grand Rapids to Bay City.

Participants Will Include:

• Educators / Teachers
• Parents / Family Members
• Psychologists /Social Workers / Licensed Counselors
• Physicians / Nurses / Medical Professionals
• Crisis Center Workers
• First Responders / Law Enforcement and Firefighters
• Policymakers
• Loss Survivors
• Employers/Human Resource Professionals
• Veterans and Veteran Support Groups
• People with Lived Experience
• Members of the General Public
• Professional Trainees and Students
  

2026 Speakers and Presenters

2026 Sponsorship Kit

Registration Information: