Description

Participants will engage in conversation around suicide prevention, intervention, and postvention. We will examine myths and facts and the ethical and moral obligation people of faith have to respond to suicidality in a way that saves lives. We will also address safe messaging in the context of faith communities. The importance of breaking the silence in faith communities around suicide and suicidality is essential in suicide prevention. 
 
Workshop Objectives 

1. Participants will examine their own beliefs around suicide/suicidality and determine if a change is necessary in order to potentially save lives.
2. Participants will learn the value of safe messaging and the importance of breaking the silence faith communities tend to maintain around suicide/suicidality.

Workshop Leadership

Rev. Dr. Rachael Keefe is the author of The Lifesaving Church: Faith Communities and Suicide Prevention (Chalice Press, 2018), and pastor of Living Table United Church of Christ in Minneapolis, MN. She’s a favored conference presenter on topics related to the church and mental health, particularly suicide and congregations. Previously, she served as a clinical chaplain at a state psychiatric hospital where she worked with patients, staff, clergy, and faith communities to increase understanding and welcome of persons living with severe and persistent symptoms of mental illness. She also served on a State Suicide Prevention Council. 
 
Since her ordination in 1992, Keefe has served in many different ministry settings. Keefe has graduate degrees from Princeton Theological Seminary and Andover Newton Seminary at Yale Divinity School (formerly Andover
Newton Theological School). She is a painter and a poet, and her other published works are three in a series of theological poetry, which you can find out more on by visiting her website, beachtheology.com.