Annual Eye Opener Returns in Person

Suicide and suicide prevention was the topic for the November 5 GIVING WoMN Eye Opener at the Minikhada Club in Minneapolis. If you missed this event, here is a recap of this significant and important morning:

GIVING WoMN welcomed 54 GIVING WoMN members and 33 guests on a chilly, foggy November 5th morning at the Minikhada Club in Minneapolis for the 14th Annual Eye Opener Breakfast – a signature education event coordinated by the Engage & Educate Committee.

The topic of the event was Suicide Prevention: Awareness, Help, and Hope.

Kaari Miller from the E&E Committee welcomed everyone and spoke about GIVING WoMN’s history, mission, and our grant process. Lorri Anderson, Board Vice President, explained the new three-tiered membership options that the Board is testing, hoping to make GIVING WoMN more accessible to a broader range of women.

Suicide has existed as long as humans have. It crosses every social and economic group, age, culture, religion, and gender. Suicide currently claims the lives of 47,000 Americans each year – more than car crashes and twice the murder rate. In Minnesota in 2020, 723 individuals took their own lives, about two per day. For every death by suicide, there are dozens of people who have thought about it, planned it, even attempted to end their lives.

The first item on the program was a video called “I Jumped Off the Golden Gate Bridge,” narrated by the subject of the video, Kevin Hines. In September 2000, in a state of deep despair and guided by voices in his head, he traveled the walkway across the bridge. When Kevin reached the middle, he catapulted himself over the rail. He explained that, as he fell, he was overcome by instant regret and the realization that he didn’t want to die. He fell 75 feet into the water. Miraculously, Kevin survived the fall and was rescued by a nearby Coast Guard boat. This second chance at life led him to seek serious psychiatric help and to become an advocate for suicide prevention. His story is a powerful one that provides a window into the complex life circumstances and mental health challenges that leads a person to take their own life.

Kaari next introduced the first of three panelists, Dr. Willie Garrett. He has practiced psychology for over 40 years, many of which were spent training mental health professionals in communities of color and helping colleagues understand the mental health needs of Black children, adolescents, adults, and families. Dr. Garrett is the president of the Association of Black Psychologists. He gave the keynote presentation, describing in detail how suicide is viewed, understood, and carried out in various Minnesota cultures. He talked about risk factors and warning signs. He compared suicide rates around the world and noted that they are rising everywhere. In most populations, men have a much higher rate of suicide than women.

After a break, Dr. Glenace Edwall, our second panelist spoke. She is a distinguished child psychologist who served for 15 years as Director of Children’s and Adult Mental Health Services at the Minnesota Department of Human Services. Dr. Edwall is “Glenace” to us because she’s also a GIVING WoMN member! She presented data provided by the Minnesota Department of Health’s Division of Suicide Prevention. In Minnesota, Native Americans have over twice the suicide rate of Whites and almost four times the rate of Blacks. Glenace highlighted state resources for help, particularly the new 988 Suicide and Crisis Hotline and mobile crisis teams. She also explained the state’s Zero Suicide Learning Collaboratives between healthcare systems and behavioral health organizations, noting that one of the cohorts is dedicated to tribal partners.

The third and final panelist was Deborah Cavitt, an advocate, trainer, and Project Director for the Minnesota Association for Children’s Mental Health. Formerly a teacher on the White Earth Reservation, she focused on risk factors for suicide, such as family dysfunction, LGBTQ challenges, and substance abuse. She made connections between suicide and other mental health diagnoses, for example, schizophrenia, bipolar, anorexia/bulimia and obsessive compulsive disorder. Ms. Cavitt also discussed appropriate responses when suicide is a possibility. These include taking the threat of suicide seriously, remaining calm, listening non-judgmentally, removing potentially lethal means of death, and calling 988 or 911.

A question-and-answer session followed the presentations, with Renee Kessler’s roving microphone. Kaari closed the Eye Opener by encouraging attendees to complete our survey and check out upcoming events on the back of the agenda.

Thank you to our E&E team for the wonderful morning!