Clarigent Health’s Post

Today is my son Justin’s 33rd birthday. As many of you know we lost Justin to #suicide in 2017. Justin was just starting his life. I remember him as an amazing young man with a brilliant wit and infectious smile. He was my best friend and I miss him every day. I could bore you with hours of stories about him, but he would hate that; he would prefer this. For those who have lost someone remember that there is no right or wrong way to grieve or remember your loved one. Do what feels right for you and what brings you comfort. If you find it difficult to cope, seeking support from a therapist or counselor who specializes in grief can be extremely helpful. I am developing a document that I am using to advance a series of articles and podcasts expanding on these mental health and suicide prevention topics. What we have decided to do at Clarigent Health is to save those who can still be saved. Today I want to talk briefly about technology and resistance to change. Too many MHPs are content with the status quo. At best, current scales are correct 50% of the time. In the era of rapid technological advancement, it is paradoxical that mental health care has not capitalized on the potential of modern technology. While there have been minor strides in integrating digital tools into mental health services, significant gaps remain. The mental health sector is resistant to change. Clinicians, institutions, & state and county agencies reliant on traditional methods & funding are hesitant to adopt modern technologies. This can stem from a lack of familiarity with digital tools, concerns about efficacy, or fears about the potential for technology to replace human interaction. Throwing money at the same programs that are not working and continuing to use outdated scales, screenings, and treatments that have been shown to not work needs to stop, now. A change in thinking must happen. While it is exciting to see government agencies starting to fund more mental health programs and especially suicide prevention, this tends to simply push funds into the same programs that are not working. This not only does not work to solve the problem, but it is also a pointless waste of money when there are other diagnostics and treatments that could be making a difference right now. The lack of technology in mental health care represents a significant missed opportunity to enhance services and improve outcomes. Addressing this gap requires concerted efforts to increase funding, overcome resistance to change, ensure data privacy and ethical standards, bridge the digital divide, and invest in targeted research and development. By embracing technology, the mental health sector can unlock new possibilities for accessibility, early intervention, personalized care, and overall effectiveness. The integration of digital tools into mental health care is not just an innovation - it is imperative for meeting the needs of a modern, diverse, and connected society. #suicideprevention

Heartbreaking and inspiring story from Don. Agree with most of what he says. I would add the following. The key question to ask is if patients, families, clinicians, organizations, and payors really want to know about lurking risk for suicide and other mental health issues. Because the new tools we and others have developed are getting better every day at providing the knowledge. The answer to that question might be very different for different stakeholders, due to stigma, life changing impact, liability, and financial issues, and therein lies one of the unspoken causes of lack of adoption. We need to adress these ( legitimate) concerns people have by the way our products are positioned and rolled out. For example, my group has pivoted to emphasizing life improvement rather than suicide prevention for one of our digital products, along with annonimity, to facilitate adoption. Mindxsciences.com

Anybody who really has an interest in suicide prevention will see, instantly, through the cracks in this government initiative and ask questions. For me, in a nutshell, they can spend 'Billions on Mental Health' but should be asking why the previous billions haven't helped? For example, ask yourself this... Many of those, who choose to end their lives through suicide, are already in the system. They've asked for help and been prescribed anti-depressant medications, all of which have suicidal thoughts/ideations as a side-effect. Show us the figures and they will, no doubt, be shocking. Why do we continue to medicate and mask, rather than treat the root-cause? I see posts on social media, every single day, speaking of death by suicide of loved ones, colleagues and friends, but nobody knew. That's because a huge number don't ask for help. So how will those people be identified? I can tell you that the only way to prevent those deaths is to be present when they take action to kill themselves, and break their state of mind. Even then, you may be only preventing the inevitable. The Government is hell bent on Mental Health First Aid being the way forward, but there is absolutely no evidence to support the efficacy of that, nor that of money making 'Suicide Prevention' training, of which, no doubt, you will see a lot over the coming months. So what is the solution? It is about pro-active education for all, from an early age. Teach children that emotions are transient, that most mental health conditions are not for life, and please begin to speak of recovery rather than acceptance and a life of medication! Everybody needs to understand that, and if education also gives young people the tools and coping strategies to prevent a downward mental health spiral, then suicide will be prevented by default. That's what the government should be investing millions in. It is the only way. Education, not 'awareness'. The only thing publicity and awareness delivers, is a tipping-point that tells the vulnerable that suicide is acceptable. #suicidepreventionmonth #suicideprevention #suicideawarness #suicide #government #hr #mentalhealth

This could be one of the most important posts you ever read …… On world suicide prevention day, with clear intent to move to a Zero suicide society, there are practical things you can do as an individual, please start by reading the report 🙏

After 35yrs+ working in #TransformationalChange and involving people in decisions that affect their lives to facilitate change... ...and after 10yrs+ working in #SuicidePrevention... ...plus my own lived experience of suicide going back 43yrs... ...this could be my most important publication on this subject so far. My new magnum opus! I've put my heart & soul into this. And yet I don't think many people will read it. Why? 1) everyone's 'busy', with the attention span of a gnat with ADHD [apologies to all my friends & family with ADHD!] 2) many people just aren't interested in suicide prevention. The Jordan Legacy CIC MEL Research Survey shows 1 in 3 people in the UK are really lucky as their lives haven't been touched by suicide in any way. Many of these people, understandably, live their lives without thinking about suicide or suicide prevention, in contrast to the 1 in 8 who've lost a loved one to suicide or the 1 in 15 who've made a suicide attempt who, in many cases, think about suicide/suicide prevention every day. It's tragic that suicide can affect anyone. Even those who've never thought about suicide or engaged with the topic of suicide prevention in their busy lives are potentially at risk of suicide or losing someone they care about to suicide - a family member, friend, colleague, neighbour, someone they're connected to on LinkedIn... Those of us deeply involved in suicide prevention might think everyone else should be involved as well...but that's unrealistic, unreasonable, unfair. No, all we can do is keep raising awareness, educating & campaigning...and hope more people get engaged before they too have their personal lives touched by suicide. So, I don't think many people will read my 'dissertation'. But I know that everyone who's truly 100% committed to getting the suicide numbers on a downward trend, towards zero - and fully committed to creating & sustaining a 'Zero Suicide Society' - will read it. And I know several people working in suicide prevention, inc some Suicide Prevention Leads, will read it...as they encouraged me to write it! So I'm going for quality not quantity on this one. Also, I know many of my peers & partners in transformational change, #research, #CommunityEngagement, and deliberative & participative #democracy will read it... ...as they understand the transferable lessons; fully appreciate the dynamics of change & barriers to change analysis; and they're increasingly interested in this subject as they see suicide prevention as 'one of the great transformational change challenges of our time'... ...ie. getting the suicide numbers down from 6,000+ preventable deaths every year in the UK, where they've been for the past 15yrs, towards zero. Who wants to join us in rising to this transformational change challenge? Please read my (lengthy) piece. Then let's have a hook up. https://lnkd.in/eEfRZ_jW

September is Suicide Prevention Awareness Month — a time for mental health advocates, community organizations, health care organizations and others to highlight resources and raise awareness of this stigmatized, and often taboo, topic. Throughout this month, the AHA is shining a spotlight on suicide as a public health issue and working to ensure that people have access to the resources they need to discuss suicide prevention and seek treatment when needed. https://lnkd.in/g9TA_i4M

❤️ #Advocate 💛 #MentalHealth 🌟 Creating Hope Through Action: Suicide Prevention Month 🌟 September has been Suicide Prevention Month, a crucial time for us to come together as a community and take meaningful action to save lives. As a mental health advocate, your voice can be a beacon of hope, offering support and spreading awareness. Let's join hands and create hope through action. 💪 🤝 CONNECT: One of the most powerful ways to prevent suicide is by connecting with those around us. Reach out to friends, family, or colleagues. A simple conversation can make a world of difference. Let them know you care and are there to listen. ❤️ SHOW EMPATHY: Understand that mental health struggles are real. Avoid judgment and replace it with empathy. Supportive and non-judgmental conversations can break the silence surrounding mental health. 🌱 RAISE AWARENESS: Share information about the signs of suicide and available resources. Knowledge is a powerful tool in prevention. Use your platform to educate others about the importance of seeking help. 🧘 PROMOTE SELF-CARE: Encourage self-care practices that can help improve mental well-being, such as mindfulness, exercise, and seeking professional help when needed. Remind others that seeking help is a sign of strength, not weakness. 🌈 SPREAD HOPE: Share stories of resilience and recovery to inspire those who may be struggling. Let them know that they are not alone and that there is hope for a brighter future. 🤗 BE SUPPORTIVE: If someone you know is struggling, offer your support and encourage them to seek help. Remember, sometimes the most profound acts of kindness can save a life. 🌞 FOSTER A SAFE ENVIRONMENT: Promote environments that are free of stigma and discrimination. Encourage open dialogue about mental health and make it okay to ask for help. 📣 USE YOUR VOICE: advocate for policies and funding that support mental health services and suicide prevention efforts. Your advocacy can influence change on a larger scale. 🤗 REMIND EVERYONE: Your message can reach someone who needs it most. Share this post and help spread the message that there is hope and there is help. Together, we can make a difference in the lives of those who are struggling. 🌟 Let's create hope through action this Suicide Prevention Month. Let's make it our lifestyle even beyond September to ensure suicide claims no more lives. Together, we can make a positive impact on the lives of individuals battling mental health challenges. 💚 #SuicidePrevention #HopeThroughAction #MentalHealthMatters #selfcare #Empathy #Growth #Virtualassistant #Adminsupport #20daysLinkedingrowthwithhaoma

A powerful piece from Tamir Aldad, MD, MBA, CEO of Mindful Care. As he states, "It is comforting to read about simple solutions, but our nation's mental health crisis is serious and complex. The problems of access to care are not easily solved." Amid this complex and ongoing issue, it's vital that those living with serious mental illnesses have the support of caring communities that can help them pursue stability and navigate the day-to-day challenges of their conditions. https://lnkd.in/gtb2aRtT