We know that if we can give people hope and keep them from taking their lives in the moments of worst despair, we can change the course of that life.
The Vermont Suicide Prevention Coalition invites you to a PRESS CONFERENCE providing a one-year update on the VERMONT GUN SHOP PROJECT – an initiative that brings people with the common goal of reducing deaths by suicide by gunshot together to take meaningful steps to save lives.
This is an ongoing collaboration among the Vermont Department of Mental Health; the Vermont Federation of Sportsman’s Clubs, Inc.; Gun Owners of Vermont; and the Vermont Suicide Prevention Center.
EVENT: Press Conference – Vermont Gun Shop Project
DATE: Thursday, September 1, 2016
TIME: 11:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m
PLACE: Capitol Plaza Ballroom, Capital Plaza, Montpelier, VT
OF INTEREST: Suicide Prevention; National Suicide Prevention Week in September; Gun Safety;
Mental Health and Gun-owners’ Community Collaboration; Legislative Mandate
Press is welcome to stay for Lunch immediately following
PARTICIPANTS:
- Vermont Department of Mental Health:
- Jaskanwar Batra, MD, Medical Director
- Nick Nichols, Policy Director
- Vermont Federation of Sportsmen’s Clubs, Inc.:
- Chris Bradley, President
- Dwina Warren, Secretary
- Gun Owners of Vermont:
- Ed Cutler
- Bob DePino
- Members of the Vermont Suicide Prevention Coalition
PURPOSE:
To provide the public with a one-year report on the Vermont Gun Shop Project, a collaboration between the Department of Mental Health and the gun-owners’ community to reduce suicide.
ADVISORY:
In 2015 the Vermont State Legislature wrote into S.141 a mandate that the Department of Mental Health and representatives of Vermont’s gun owning community work together with the Vermont Suicide Prevention Center on a Vermont Gun Shop Project, formalizing the start of this suicide prevention initiative.
Today, the collaborators will offer a public update on the status of the project.
This press conference heralds the beginning of September’s National Recovery Month and National Suicide Prevention Week, starting the following Monday, September 5, 2016.
For more information go to https://healthandlearning.org/events