Baxter Health Hosts Free Community Event on Suicide Awareness and Prevention

National Speaker Dennis Gillan Brings an Honest, Hopeful Conversation to Mountain Home on September 12

Baxter Health Behavioral Health is hosting a free community event on Saturday, September 12, from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m. at the Vada Sheid Community Development Center, located at 1600 S. College Street on the ASU-Mountain Home campus. The event, titled “It’s a Tough Subject: A Conversation About Suicide,” is open to the public and requires no registration.

The evening will feature Dennis Gillan, founder and executive director of the Half a Sorrow Foundation and a nationally recognized speaker on mental health and suicide prevention. Gillan lost two brothers to suicide, eleven years apart. After years of working through grief, he made a decision to break his silence and help others have the conversations that are often the hardest to start. He speaks with honesty and perspective that comes from personal experience, and his presentations are known to change the way people see and respond to those around them who may be struggling.

The presentation covers practical ways to recognize when someone may be in distress, how to start a conversation about mental health, and how communities can work together to reduce the stigma that too often keeps people from seeking help. Suicide is the 11th leading cause of death in the United States, and a number of lives are lost because the people around them did not know what to say or how to help. Gillan’s goal is to give people the tools and the confidence to act.

Jamie Leach, LCSW, Behavioral Health and Community Relations Specialist at Baxter Health, spoke to why this event matters for north central Arkansas. “This is exactly the kind of conversation our community needs to be having,” Leach said. “Mental health is something that touches every family, and we want people to feel equipped to support the people they love. Dennis Gillan has a gift for opening that door in a way that feels honest and accessible, and we are proud to bring him here.”

The presentation runs approximately one hour, with time for questions to follow. The event is free and open to all members of the community. No registration is required.

For more information, contact Jamie Leach at (870) 508-6465 or jleach@baxterregional.org. To learn more about Dennis Gillan and the Half a Sorrow Foundation, visit halfasorrow.org.