St Ritas to host Suicide Prevention Workshop

(LIMA; March 2, 2017) Last year, St. Rita’s Health Partners began the planning process of their Suicide Prevention Workshop for professionals. On Friday, March 3, at 8 a.m., more than 125 professionals from the area will be attending this workshop. The event will take place at St. Rita’s Auxiliary Conference Center located at 718 W. Market St., Lima, Ohio 45801.

“We came to the decision last year that we needed to have this workshop after seeing a spike in teen suicide and/or thoughts of suicide in our area,” Melissa Watkins, administrative director of medical education at St. Rita’s Health Partners, said. “It’s important that we continue educating professionals in our community about the signs, symptoms and how we can help the youth in our community who may be struggling with mental wellness.”

The workshop will be led by two world-recognized Ohio State University researchers and practitioners. Darcy Haag Granello, Ph.D., is a Professor of Counselor Education and Director of The Ohio State University Suicide Prevention Program. Paul F. Granello, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor of Counselor Education at The Ohio State University.

Topic experts from the Lima community including Donna Dickman and Mike Schoenhofer will also present. St. Rita’s Behavioral Health Institute and St. Rita’s Pharmacy professionals will also be included in the speaker lineup.

Those attending will be educated on warning signs and symptoms. They will also have the chance to propose strategies for improving mental wellness in the community. There will also be a roundtable discussion at 2 p.m. where professionals will have the opportunity to discuss the topics presented throughout the day, and how they can incorporate this into their work and within the community.

St. Rita’s looks forward to hosting this event to build awareness and provide the necessary resources for professionals to help youth facing challenging situations.