For press information, contact:
Janna F. Herbison, MS
TSPN Shelby County Media Liaison
(901) 568-2080 or jfherbison@comcast.net

Scott Ridgway, MS
TSPN Executive Director
(615) 945-5558 or tspn@tspn.org

Memphis, TN - The Memphis/Shelby County Region of the Tennessee Suicide Prevention Network (TSPN) is proud to announce its upcoming Suicide Prevention Awareness and Educational Event, scheduled from 11:30 AM – 12:30 PM on Wednesday, September 9, at the Panhellenic Ballroom on the University of Memphis campus, located at 384 Patterson Street.

This event is part of TSPN’s observance of Suicide Prevention Awareness Month during the month of September and its ongoing mission to promote suicide prevention in Tennessee. On average, 88 people die by Shelby County alone every year, including six people between the ages of 10 and 19. Tennessee’s suicide rate is routinely above the national average. However, most suicides are preventable. With public discourse, education, and awareness, each of us can help reduce the frequency of suicide in our communities.

The event is co-hosted by several University of Memphis departments and programs, specifically Memphis STEPS (Suicide Training, Education, and Prevention Services), the Department of Psychology, and the Department of Counseling, Educational Psychology, and Research.

In addition to Memphis STEPS, the Network is also indebted to these event sponsors: Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine LLC, Delta Medical Center, Everyminute.org, the Jason Foundation, Inc., Lakeside Behavioral Health System, Lynn Doyle Flowers, NAMI Tennessee, Saint Francis Hospital-Memphis, Tennessee Lives Count (TLC) Project, Tennessee Voices for Children, and Youth Villages.

For more information about the regional Suicide Prevention Awareness and Educational Event, contact TSPN Executive Director Scott Ridgway at (615) 297-1077 or tspn@tspn.org. For more information about Suicide Prevention Awareness and Educational Events in other parts of the state, visit the event website at http://sites.google.com/site/tspnawarenesswalks.