Kevin’s Song 8th Annual Conference on Suicide: Continuing the Conversation . . .
REGISTRATION OPEN
WHEN: Conference January 25-27, 2024 – Preconference Training January 24, 2024
WHERE: St. John’s Resort located at 44045 Five Mile Rd. in Plymouth
WHO’S INVITED:
-
Psychologists / Social Workers / Licensed Counselors
-
Physicians / Nurses / Medical Professionals
-
Educators / Teachers / School Administrators
-
Crisis Center Workers
-
First Responders / Law Enforcement
-
Policymakers / Legislators
-
Loss Survivors / People with Lived Experience
-
Employers / Human Resource Professionals
-
Veterans and Veteran Support Groups
-
Parents / Family Members
-
Members of the General Public
-
Professional Trainees and Students
The three-day conference will bring together educators, mental health professionals, professional trainees and students, business and community leaders as well as members of the public, survivors of suicide loss, and attempt survivors. The speakers and presentations will address all aspects of this public health crisis in an effort to better understand and prevent suicide. The mission of the Kevin’s Song Conference on Suicide is to break down the barriers to build pathways to better models of prevention and treatment in order to save lives.
CONFERENCE PROGRAM
KS-2024 – 5 page Conference Flier
PRE-CONFERENCE TRAINING DAY – Wednesday, January 24, 2024
SUPPORTED BY
The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services and 
.
A variety of Pre-Conference training sessions will be offered – including safeTALK, QPR and AMSR.
CONFERENCE DAY 1
Youth Mental Health and School Summit – Thursday, January 25, 2024
PRESENTING SPONSORS
The first day of this bold and comprehensive conference will focus on integrating schools, 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.
Keynote speakers include: Kathryn Goetzke, Chief HOPE Officer at The Shine Hope Company; Hayley Watson, PhD, Clinical Psychologist and CEO at Open Parachutes; Jocelyn Meza, PhD, Assistant ProfessorIn-Residence in the Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences and a bilingual licensed clinical psychologist atUCLA; and Mason Englert, Detroit Tigers relief pitcher.
CONFERENCE DAY 2
Continuing the Conversation – Friday, January 26, 2024
PRESENTING SPONSORS
The second day of the Conference will include an array of powerful presentations that engage clinicians and suicide prevention advocates to enhance their knowledge and skills to prevent suicide. Attendees will hear the latest in research about suicide and risk assessment as well as evidenced-based treatments and prevention strategies to better serve individuals and communities at risk.
In addition, students in the behavioral sciences or professional trainees in medical related fields of study can attend the Friday program FREE of charge.
Keynote speakers include: Michael Anestis, PhD, Executive Director of the New Jersey Gun Violence Research Center and as an Associate Professor of Urban-Global Public Health at Rutgers University; Thomas Joiner, PhD, The Robert O. Lawton Distinguished Professor of Psychology, Florida State University; Brian Ahmedani PhD, is a research scientist at Henry Ford Health System with appointments at the Center for Health Policy and Health Services Research and the Department of Psychiatry; Nancy Buyle, MA, LPC, ACTP, School Safety/Student Assistance Consultant, Macomb Intermediate School District, Co-Chair, Michigan Suicide Prevention Commission; Lindsay DeCamp, MHA, State Suicide Prevention Coordinator, Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, Injury And Violence Prevention Section; Kristen Smith, PhD, Program Coordinator, Preventing Suicide in Michigan Men, Michigan Department of Health and Human Services; and Tony Thrasher DO, MBA, CPE, DFAPA, Medical Director of Crisis Services, Milwaukee County Behavioral Health Division, and past President of the American Association for Emergency Psychiatry (AAEP).
KS-2024 Conference Day 2 Flyer
DAY 3https://kevinssong.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/KS-2024-Friday-Flier.pdf
Journey of Healing and Hope – Saturday, January 27, 2024
PRESENTING SPONSOR:
The focus of the Saturday program is on survivors of suicide. The stories of loss survivor, La Toya Bond and Scott Teichmer, an attempt survivor, will help to ease the pain for those who often suffer alone and in silence. Fr Ron Rolheiser will share his belief that cries of the soul need neither to be saved nor be fixed – but rather they need to be heard. Barb Smith will address how to manage grief and offer hope to those who have suffered a loss and those who love and support them.
Following the survivor presentations, attendees will have an opportunity to meet privately in group support sessions facilitated by mental health professionals. Portion of the program will be live streamed by Detroit Public Television via Facebook LIVE. 
KS-2024 Conference Day 3 Flyer
MEMORIAL FOREST
The MEMORIAL FOREST was created for the Kevin’s Song Fourth Annual Conference on Suicide to help us remember and honor some of the people who have died by suicide and to offer solace to those who were left behind. This Memorial Forest, which will be a virtual respite during the 2022 Conference of Suicide and School Summit, is made possible through the many generous donations to Kevin’s Song in memory of Adam Elbadawi and the support of the Detroit Wayne Integrated Health Network.
Since 2020, Kevin’s Song has collected over 600 names in memory of a loved one lost to suicide or to honor a survivor, and have inscribed the names on a Kevin’s Song bird which decorated the trees during the recent conference.
Training and Awareness on Suicide from Kevin’s Song
As a community of health care professionals and educators, we all have T.A.S.K.S. to do in order to help save lives and prevent suicide whenever possible.
While the field of suicidology is not an exact science, and it is difficult to predict who will end their lives, we are amassing more and more scientific, evidence-based information that can help put a stop to such tragic losses in our communities.
This Recognition is something extra we are providing to qualifying attendees at our annual Kevin’s Song Conference on Suicide. The Conference on Suicide offerS a comprehensive program of educational sessions that focus on suicide.
Kevin’s Song will send the certificate to you after the conference.
To Become Qualified for T.A.S.K.S. Recognition:
- You must be a licensed health care professional or educator.
- You will be required to attend every PLENARY SESSION.
- At least two (2) Breakout sessions each day of the 2-Day Conference.
- You must complete and submit session evaluations for each session and the post event feedback form you will receive by email after the conference.
- You must also complete and submit the TASKS form which will be emailed to you following the Conference.
