Give Now
Research Feedback Form

 

Conference Agenda

This two-day summit will feature a variety of keynote addresses and breakout sessions on topics related to suicide prevention and service member and veteran health.

Summit Agenda and Speaker Information

    • Time
      Description
    • 9:00 a.m. — 10:00 a.m.

      Day One Registration
      Fountain Atrium

      Visit the registration table in the atrium to sign in for Day One of the Summit, receive your name tag and summit program, and enjoy a cup of coffee and light refreshments.

    • 10:00 a.m. — 10:50 a.m.

      Keynote Address
      Room 400

      The Importance of Suicide Prevention Efforts, presented by Rick Twist, LMSW Highland Rivers Behavioral Health

      In this keynote address, veteran Rick Twist shares his experiences as a person in long-term recovery from alcohol and substance misuse and PTSD. Through this address, Rick shares his story to normalize the experience of mental health challenges, promote awareness and comfort among professionals in addressing suicidal ideation, and illustrate the importance and transformative potential of suicide prevention efforts.

    • 11:00 a.m. — 11:50 a.m.

      Morning Breakout 1
      Room 400

      Identifying 4 Priority Groups of the Governor's Challenge to Prevent Suicide among SMVF, presented by Calandra Fergerson, Georgia Department of Veterans Service

      Morning Breakout 2 
      Room 460

      Postvention is Prevention presented by: Dr. Bianca Channer, DSW, LCSW, AMES Research Center, Kennesaw State University

    • 12:00 p.m. — 1:00 p.m.

      Lunch
      Room 400

      Enjoy boxed lunches courtesy of the AMES Research Center, and conversation and networking with your fellow summit attendees. Answer trivia questions on suicide prevention and resources for a chance to win a door prize!

    • 1:00 p.m. — 2:00 p.m.

      Exhibit Hall
      Fountain Atrium

      Get to know the many organizations and people who are involved in the Georgia Suicide Prevention Task Force and suicide prevention services. Visit tables to learn more about the mission of each organization, populations served, and resources provided.

    • 2:00 p.m. — 2:50 p.m.

      Afternoon Breakout 1 
      Room 400

      From Crisis to Connection: Using Unite Us to Help Veterans and Their Families Access Support, presented by Gregory J. Rosso, Unite Us

      This breakout session will explore the challenges faced by service members, veterans, and their families when accessing resources and support services for suicide prevention. We will discuss the benefits of using a coordinated network approach to address these challenges and highlight the key features and functionalities of Unite Us, a platform that connects individuals to a wide range of health and social care services.

      Afternoon Breakout 2
      Room 460

      Reducing Stigma and Promoting Behavioral Wellbeing, presented by Dr. Brian Moore, AMES Research Center, Kennesaw State University.

      In this breakout session, Dr. Moore will describe the importance of stigma reduction and behavioral health improvement efforts in community and organizational contexts. He will discuss barriers to care and stigma reduction methods, discuss areas for leader engagement, and discuss the importance of health leadership behaviors.

    • 3:00 p.m. — 3:50 p.m.

      Keynote Address
      Room 400

      Having an Impact with Suicide Prevention: (Past) Present & Future, presented by Dr. David Rozek, University of Central Florida

      Suicide prevention has evolved over the years and we have learned a lot from our past. New data has shown that there may be changes we need to make in order to have the largest impact both on our military personnel and veterans as well as in general suicide prevention. This presentation will focus on intervention and prevention strategies that best address the current trends in death by suicide.

    • 3:50 p.m. — 4:00 p.m.

      Day One Concluding Remarks
      Room 400

      By Veda Brooks, Georgia Department of Veterans Service

      Veda Brooks will summarize the lessons learned from the first day on the Let’s Connect Summit and provide a preview of the upcoming content in the second day of the Summit.

    • Time
      Description
    • 9:00 a.m. — 10:00 a.m.

      Day Two Registration
      Fountain Atrium

      Visit the registration table in the atrium to sign in for Day Two of the Summit and enjoy a cup of coffee and light refreshments.

    • 10:00 a.m. — 10:50 a.m.

      Keynote Address
      Room 400

      Using Research to Enhance the Practice of Suicide Prevention

      Panelists: AMES Research-Affiliated Faculty and Staff:

      • Dr. Brian Moore, representing AMES Administrative and Research Core
      • Dr. Bianca Channer, DSW, LCSW, and Katherine Moore, LCSW, representing AMES Clinical Core
      • Dr. Chris Hess, representing AMES Data Core
      • Dr. Kristin Horan, representing AMES Outreach Core
    • 11:00 a.m. — 11:50 a.m.

      Morning Breakout 1
      Room 400

      Spiritual Readiness and Resilience: An Aide to Suicide Prevention, presented by Sharonda Watson, Georgia Army National Guard

      In this breakout session, Chaplain Watson will describe the positive impact that spiritual readiness and resilience can provide to suicide prevention. Chaplain Watson will describe the importance of spiritual readiness and resilience, create connections between these concepts and suicide prevention efforts, and summarize the scientific evidence regarding spiritual readiness and resilience in suicide prevention efforts.

      Morning Breakout 2
      Room 460

      Social Connection as a Protective Factor, presented by Marcus Laird, US Air Force

      Morning Breakout 3
      Room 174

      VA S.A.V.E.: Outreach and Assessment with the Veteran Population, presented by Chelle Lamb, LCSW, Atlanta VA, HCS

      Every 12.3 minutes someone dies by suicide and suicide has been deemed to be a public health issue. Statistics show that veterans commit suicide at the rate of 1.5 times the rate of non-veterans most often by firearm use. Suicide is preventable. S.A.V.E. is a training that was created and implemented by the VA to educate community partners on the prevalence of suicide among the veteran population, ways to identify risk, and what resources are available to help reduce risk.

    • 12:00 p.m. — 1:00 p.m.

      Lunch
      Room 400

      Enjoy boxed lunches courtesy of the AMES Research Center, and conversation and networking with your fellow summit attendees. Answer trivia questions on suicide prevention and resources for a chance to win a door prize!

    • 1:00 p.m. — 2:00 p.m.

      Exhibit Hall
      Fountain Atrium

      Get to know the many organizations and people who are involved in the Georgia Suicide Prevention Task Force and suicide prevention services. Visit tables to learn more about the mission of each organization, populations served, and resources provided.

    • 2:00 p.m. — 2:50 p.m.

      Afternoon Breakout 1
      Room 400

      Strengthening Communities, Saving Lives: Suicide Prevention and Social Connections for Aging Veterans, presented by Dr. Qwynn A. Galloway-Salazar, Ph.D., In Their Honor, LLC.

      In this breakout session, Dr. Galloway-Salazar will identify the unique challenges that aging Veterans face and the role of social connections in preventing suicide among this population. She will describe evidence-based strategies for building social connections and fostering a sense of belonging within a community. Finally, attendees will apply practical methods to create a supportive and inclusive environment that cultivates hope and purpose among aging Veterans.

      Afternoon Breakout 2
      Room 460

      Suicide Prevention in Georgia, presented by Rachael Holloman, Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities

      Unfortunately, since the COVID pandemic, suicide has been on the rise in Georgia. Come learn how to identify risk factors and warning signs of suicide, ways you can help prevent suicide and resources, and the current data of what suicide looks like in the State of Georgia.

      Afternoon Breakout 3
      Room 174

      Filling in the Gaps: The Veterans and Military Services, presented by Dr. Stacey Dixon, Military and Veterans Services, Kennesaw State University

      In this breakout session, Dr. Dixon describes the mission of Military and Veterans Services at KSU, provide recommendations on promoting connection among military-affiliated students, and describe how KSU MVS supports students through internal and external resources.

    • 3:00 p.m. — 3:30 p.m.

      Keynote Address
      Room 400

      Georgia National Guard Resiliency and Challenges, presented by MG Thomas Carden, Georgia National Guard

      In this keynote address, MG Carden will provide a discussion on what the Georgia National Guard is doing in an effort to reduce harmful behaviors in their organization. He will highlight the scope of the challenge and the efforts of the Georgia National Guard to gather data to adjust course.

    • 3:30 p.m. — 4:20 p.m.

      Keynote Address
      Room 400

      Using Connection and Collaboration to Impact Quality of Life, presented by Lisa Dawson, Georgia Department of Public Health

      In this keynote address, Lisa Dawson will provide best practices in facilitating collaborative work between organizations to support program management and policy initiatives.

    • 4:20 p.m. — 4:30 p.m.

      Day Two Concluding Remarks
      Room 400

      The Planning Committee for the Let’s Connect Summit will summarize the lessons learned throughout the event and end by encouraging and motivating the members of the Task Force to increase connection in their activities moving forward.

Please note that the Planning Committee for the Let’s Connect Summit reserves the right to change details regarding the summit agenda. An up-to-date schedule will be posted on the Let’s Connect Summit website and included in summit programs distributed at Day One Registration.

©