As treating mental health issues becomes mainstream after the COVID-19 pandemic, NAMI Miami-Dade is hosting the first South Florida Suicide Awareness Conference: “Honest Talk About Suicide and Messages of Hope.” The free community event will last from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Saturday, March 4, at the University of Miami Newman Alumni Center.

According to the CDC, there is a suicide death in the U.S. every 11 minutes and approximately one in five people will experience a mental illness each year.

“In this community, NAMI Miami-Dade is working to try to stem these potential tragedies, with programs that educate the public to make them aware of mental unwellness among family and friends, which is key,” Kathy Coppola says, Executive Director of NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) Miami-Dade.

The keynote speaker will be Kevin Hines, a best-selling author, suicide prevention speaker, award-winning documentary filmmaker and suicide survivor. He attempted suicide by jumping from the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, California and lived to become an advocate for suicide prevention. In addition, NAMI will feature leading national and local experts and young adults who share their mental health journey to help to prevent suicide and save lives.

“We have to educate everyone about mental health, no matter their age or demographic. We believe the community will benefit from a half-day conference to recognize the signs of suicide, what to do and where to go for help,” Lisa LeSueur says, NAMI Miami-Dade’s suicide prevention initiative coordinator.

All NAMI Miami-Dade programs are free, which include 36 support groups a month, QPR (Question, Persuade, Refer) and Ending the Silence Presentations to individuals and companies to provide education about suicide and mental health issues. Thriving Mind South Florida and The Florida Department of Children and Families support these programs. The event is free to the community, but registration is required.

To register for the half-day conference, go to: https://TheSouthFloridaSuicideAwarenessConference.eventbrite.com