By Bianka Hardin, Psy.D
September is Suicide Prevention Month, an important time to raise awareness, break the stigma surrounding mental health, and extend support to those who are struggling. By spotlighting this month, we can encourage meaningful conversations, share essential resources, and remind everyone that help is available. It is also an opportunity to educate communities about the warning signs of suicide and emphasize the life-saving importance of prevention efforts.
This month, we are honored to highlight the crucial work of the Illinois Chapter of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) and my dear friend and colleague, Dr. Edmond Yomtoob. I’ve had the privilege of knowing Edmond for nearly 30 years and have witnessed his deep passion and unwavering commitment to supporting those affected by suicide. I’ve invited him to share about his journey, his work, and ways we can all contribute to this essential cause. His dedication to this important work inspires me and the impact of his work touches countless lives.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and explain your role on the board of the foundation?
My name is Edmond Yomtoob. I am a clinical psychologist in private practice, and I am a founding member of the Illinois Chapter of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP). I currently serve as Board Secretary, and I am a trainer for AFSP’s Suicide Bereavement Support Group Facilitator Training, where I teach people to run peer-led suicide grief support groups in their community.
What motivated you to become involved with this suicide prevention foundation?
My mother died by suicide thirty years ago. At that time, there was almost no support for bereaved people and prevention efforts were in their infancy. I first learned about AFSP years later, shortly after I earned my Doctorate, when I heard about the Out of the Darkness Walk. AFSP allowed me to channel my background as an educator and my organizational skills to serve the community beyond my professional work. I consider my work with AFSP to be a monument to my mother’s life.
Can you share a memorable moment or story that highlights the importance of the foundation’s work?
It’s hard to pick one. I can honestly say that I’ve met hundreds of advocates, survivors of suicide loss (a person who experienced a loss to someone who died by suicide) and people with lived experience (a person who has attempted suicide but did not complete). I am always forever inspired by how people can transcend their pain and grief for the greater good. We are expecting around 5,700 people to people to come to the Chicagoland Out of the Darkness Walk on Saturday, September 14th, at Montrose Harbor. That’s a lot of people working on self-healing and shattering the stigma surrounding mental health and suicide. If you’re interested in joining us or would like to donate to the cause, go to www.chicagowalk.org.
What have you learned personally through your involvement with the foundation?
Suicide is undeniably awful, and most people find the topic incredibly difficult. But by addressing it and trying to prevent it, we’re spreading hope. We’re saying it doesn’t have to be this way. With my work in prevention, I’ve met so many gracious people, and I’ve had so many opportunities I would not have had otherwise, but I would give it all up if I could change history.
What message would you like to share with readers about the importance of suicide prevention?
Mental health is as real as physical health. According to 2022 CDC Data, over 49,000 people died by suicide in the United States alone. That’s people dying from the fatal effects of under-treated mental health problems.
Is there anything else you’d like to add that we haven’t covered?
Through our fundraising efforts, AFSP directly funds research for suicide prevention and creates research-based interventions for use in the community. AFSP-IL provides all our programming for free. This includes an hour-long program called Talks Saves Lives (presented with cultural adaption for several communities including LGBTQ, Latin-x, African American, Seniors, Corrections and more) and It’s Real (for youth). AFSP’s prevention efforts also uses social media to create awareness and teach youth to identify, address and seek help for themselves or peers who may be experiencing suicidal ideation. We also coordinate Legislative Advocacy Forums (in Washington DC, Springfield, and other state Capitols), postvention programs and more.
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To learn more about the organization and general information about suicide prevention, please go to www.afsp.org.
If you would like to learn more about local programming or if you would like to volunteer for the Illinois Chapter, please go to https://afsp.org/chapter/illinois/