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PostSecret creator, Frank Warren introduced the world to a collection of highly-personal and artfully-decorated postcards mailed anonymously from around the world, exposing the soulful secrets we never voice. Warren has received over 1,000,000 anonymous secrets on homemade postcards. What power is in a secret? How can releasing a secret help save someone’s life? PostSecret Frank Warren discusses about how this community mail art project quickly exploded in popularity raising money and awareness for suicide prevention and demonstrate that through our secret struggles and adversity, we can help others. www.postsecret.com

Every year, millions of men, women, and children are trafficked in countries around the world, including the United States. It is estimated that human trafficking generates many billions of dollars of profit per year, second only to drug trafficking as the most profitable form of transnational crime. How did human trafficking become so pervasive and what do we need to do to help impact this crime? This show will provide perspectives from victim advocates and investigative experts discussing what is human trafficking, why it is a hidden crime and the collaborative community efforts needed to help victims find safety and justice.

MADD -Mothers Against Drunk Driving- lead a campaign that changed the culture and made drunk driving unacceptable, which in turn diminished the number of deaths caused by drunk driving accidents. The commercial “This is your brain…this is your brain on drugs” and “Just Say No”, vivid in the minds of “The More You Know” generation, were encouragements to not do drugs. These campaigns and strategies were used by older generations to help prevent substance abuse. Are the strategies of the past still effective for the issues we face today? What type of prevention approaches do we need to implement to slow down the heroin and opiate crisis? My guest Matt Smith will discuss what prevention experts are doing to help move the substance abuse prevention field forward and to reduce the stigma that can keep people from seeking help.

Men die by suicide 3.5 times more often than women. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s recent report, suicide rates overall have increased by 24 percent between 1999 and 2014. For middle-aged men, the spike of death by suicide is even higher, jumping by 43 percent during the same time period. Seeking help is often viewed by men and society as a sign of weakness. What needs to happen to reduce this stigma, and to support seeking help as a sign of strength? My guest Josh Rivedal lost his father and grandfather to suicide. He has made it his mission to share his story to help save lives. We will highlight this silent killer of men and the need to focus attention on prevention, screening, and creating communities where it is safe to talk about mental health, suicide, and finding strength in getting help to save lives.

Child abuse and neglect can have lifelong implications for victims. Physical abuse, emotional maltreatment, sexual abuse, and abandonment are a few examples of the things children experience at the hands of those who are suppose to be responsible for them: their parents, family members or other adults in their life. While the physical wounds heal, there can be long-term consequences if the trauma of abuse and neglect is not recognized and addressed. Children who are maltreated are at risk for delayed cognitive, nervous system and immune system development, putting children who have been maltreated at a higher risk for physical and mental health problems as adults. This show will explore various types child abuse, warning signs and different types of response services available to intervention, help children and help families end the cycle of abuse in their family.

Shoving, kicking, name calling, threats and internet gossip are all types of bullying children experience every day. One in three students in the United States say they have been bullied at school. Over 80% of people witness a bullying episode, but less than 20% intervene. Bullying can happen in any number of places, contexts and locations. The emotional and psychological impact is significant. What can you do to prevent bullying, provide intervention as a bystander and help to support targets of bullying? This week’s show will highlight research by the Alberti Center for Bullying Abuse and Prevention at the University at Buffalo. We will define types of bullying, give important tips for educators and parents, and discuss how bystander intervention can play a vital part to help end bullying.

Hurricane Sandy, the Boston Marathon bombing, and the recent Ebola outbreak are just a few examples of disasters that affected not only those who experienced the crisis first hand, but had a global impact as we watched these tragedies unfold before our eyes. When disasters occur, first responders are called into action to help provide support, intervention and help to begin to restore order to the chaos that surrounds us. Providing help during a disaster is the main priority of the National Disaster Distress Helpline. People experience a wide range of emotions before and after a disaster or traumatic event. There’s no right or wrong way to feel. However, it’s important to find healthy ways to cope. In this show we will discuss the different types of disasters, the warning signs and risk factors after a disaster and the help that is available to begin the road to recovery.

When a loved one is diagnosed with a mental illness, we do everything we can to support that person. What we fail to realize is that it is just as critical to provide support to the entire family and to recognize the impact of this diagnosis on the entire family unit. During this show you will hear from a family member who turned her experience into empowerment, helping families understand and advocate for their loved one with mental illness. We will discuss the impact on the family, the work that the family needs to do to help themselves as much as their loved one, and hear about options available to provide help, hope and encouragement. We will share information on the National Alliance on Mental Illness and all the resources and support they provide for families of the mentally ill.

Our own confidence is a driver in our personal and emotional success. When your life is impacted by challenges or trauma it may derail that path. But the power is within. Author Rachel Morrison will share her path of helping others that helped herself. She will share the impact of a personal journey and being a visionary of her life. With her own personal experiences, including a loss of loved one to homicide, she had to determine her own power inventory to continue living while honoring her loved one. Rachel will discuss her book Bare Naked Trees and help guide you towards a path of courage and acceptance to establish a vision for your life.

Effective suicide prevention requires various approaches to provide support and hope. In this show, we will discuss evidence-based telephone follow up in crisis intervention and suicide prevention that keeps callers connected to care and committed to their own safety. We will discuss the many ways follow up programs can be implemented on a crisis hotline, using the experience of Response of Suffolk County in Long Island, New York as an example. In addition, we will focus on the lethality of loneliness as a risk factor for negative health outcomes and the use of telephone follow up to mitigate this risk.

A semicolon is used when an author could’ve ended a sentence but chose not to. You are the author and the sentence is your life. This is the basis of the worldwide campaign Project Semicolon. We will talk with Project Semicolon Founder, Amy Bleuel who wanted to honor her father whom she lost to suicide. Through the semicolon symbol many related to the struggle of depression, addiction, self-injury and suicide and their will to continue on. This also represented a goal – to believe that this is not the end but a new beginning. As she began this effort, Amy heard from people longing to continue their story and live a life that would inspire others to continue on as well. Project Semicolon has become much more than just one person honoring a parent. Project Semicolon is honored to be a part of those continuing stories, and to be an inspiration to those who are struggling.

A groundbreaking study based in New York estimated that 260,000 (1 in 13) older adults in the state of New York had been victims of at least one form of elder abuse in the preceding year. The New York State Elder Abuse Prevalence Study found that for every case known to programs and agencies, 24 were unknown. New York is not alone. Response and prevention strategies for elder and vulnerable adult abuse worldwide are varied. Elder abuse has multitude of negative impacts on both the micro and macro levels including physical, psychological, financial, social, hospitalizations & disability, medical, and others. It is projected that our elder population will double to 83 million by 2050. What can we do to prepare to protect this vulnerable population? Our show will discuss the issue of elder abuse, what is it, the types of abuse, what are the risk factors, who are the perpetrators and how each one of us has a responsibility to keep vulnerable elders safe from harm.

Liz Murray transformed her life of despair into an inspiring journey of determination, hope and hard-won success. The child of drug-addicted parents who routinely ate from dumpsters and sought refuge at all-night subway stations to survive, Liz was homeless at age 15 and fending for herself. Determined not to be defined by her circumstances, she recognized education as the key to a fresh beginning and a whole new way of living. Tune in for a discussion with Liz Murray and hear about her journey from mere survival to success, and the powerful message she shares to inspire hope and triumph in the face adversity.

The research is clear: trauma is at the root of many physical and mental health problems people experience. Childhood trauma is particularly damaging and has a negative impact on a child's development and throughout the lifespan: mental illness, drug addiction, obesity, ischemic heart failure, and diabetes are just some of the results of adverse childhood experiences (ACE). Our guests will talk about the ACE study and the dramatic results about trauma and its impact. They will also talk about grassroots efforts to shift our approach and perspective in responding to trauma and steps to build a trauma informed community.

Kevin Briggs is a retired California Highway Patrol officer who spent many years patrolling the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. He encountered numerous individuals clinging to life by a thread, who had lost hope and could see no way out of their current situation - ready to jump off the bridge ending of their pain and hopelessness. Through his compassion, gentle voice, eye contact, and his innate ability of “listening to understand”, Kevin encouraged more than 200 individuals over his career to either not go over the bridge’s rail or come back to solid ground and start a new chapter in their life. These challenging, but rewarding efforts earned him the nickname “Guardian of the Golden Gate Bridge.” Tune in to learn how Kevin found a positive way to approach people in crisis, that encouraged individuals to find hope for tomorrow and allow them to make the decision to live for another day.

When a person engages in addictive behaviors that become destructive it brings suffering to themselves and to those around them. If the process continues, some of the consequences can be irretrievable: devastated relationships, emotional scarring, mental breakdown, financial ruin, physical debilitation, and even death. But what if that process could be interrupted? What if something could be done that could relieve the suffering of this loved one and those who care? Learn directly from national expert Jeff VanVonderen on how to stop this behavior and how to intervene. Hear about his decades of work helping those in crisis including his time on A&E’s show “Intervention” and his approach to impacting change for those struggling with issues like addiction, eating disorders and gambling.

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention has released a report on the increasing number of suicides; a surge that hasn’t been seen in the past 30 years. How do we address this epidemic and play our part to help reduce suicides? The first step is to reduce the stigma around suicide and mental health. On this week’s show we will break down the CDC report and discuss the groups at highest risk for suicide and why. We will review individual suicide risk factors, walk you through how to assess for suicidal concerns, and provide a plan on what steps to take if an intervention is needed. You will also learn what role you can play to help to reduce stigma and encourage strength in seeking help.

When our children go off to college, we worry about how they will adjust to being away from home, how they will do in their studies and if they will find friends like they had during their high school days. We don’t think – what happens if they are raped or sexually assaulted? The response to sexual violence by college campuses is crucial to help the victim and to manage the student perpetrator for the overall safety of the school's community. Our guests, one from a large public university and the other from a smaller private college, will share their perspectives and what they have done to implement sexual violence response, intervention and prevention efforts on their campuses. We will also discuss the role and responsibility of campus personnel to support those reporting sexual assault and the effective ways they are collaborating with the larger community to help those impacted by sexual violence.

Over the last few years, sweeping national attention has been shed on the issue of sexual violence in our communities, campuses and homes. For decades, the rape crisis community across the country has taken on the task of spreading awareness and education about this issue to their local communities. While awareness has increased, response protocols have greatly improved and multidisciplinary teams have emerged to combat this issue, we see the same startling statistics around rates of rape and sexual assault. The dial has moved very little in terms of seeing decreases in the prevalence of this issue. We are witnessing a nationwide trend of sexual violence prevention emerge and it is set within a public health framework. This week’s discussion will unpack what sexual violence prevention looks like, current modalities of prevention and trends, along with a state wide Coalition’s role and their perspective on the integration of prevention into historical rape crisis response work.

Rape and sexual assault is pervasive in our society. Victimization occurs across the lifespan and impacts all segments of our community. Sexual assault can take many different forms, but one thing remains the same: it’s never the victim’s fault. This show will discuss the traumatic effect sexual assault has on the victim in the immediate aftermath and throughout the person’s life. We will discuss the community’s response to sexual assault including the role of rape crisis centers, victim advocacy, the forensic evidence collection process, law enforcement investigation and the path through the criminal justice system. Our guests will explain the importance of seeking help immediately after an assault, the value of multidisciplinary collaboration and steps communities can take to help victims become survivors.