SAN FRANCISCO1 SUICIDEANNUAL REPORT PREVENTION 2008—2009 FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR There are some organisms that die if they do not remain in motion. San Fran- cisco Suicide Prevention is very much like those life forms – we are always in some form of motion and change. New volunteers arrive every three months like clockwork. Others leave as their lives change. We move to new offices. We change how the offices look. This year we changed some staff members. We moved former Crisis Line Volunteer Coordinator Marc Roman into the position of Program Director for the Crisis Line – a wonderful culmination of his six years of dedicated work with the agency so far. Laura Balch, a graduate of the University of Texas with a background in high tech staff coordination took over the Volunteer Coordinator position and brought her own creativity and enthu- siasm to it. And when the position of HIV Nightline Coordinator opened up, we added Jules Dizon, a graduate of UC Santa Cruz and a San Franciscan who is also fluent in Tagalog. Embracing change sounds easier than it is. Things move around and are not as easy to find. Routines shift. Preferences are different and perhaps less predictable. BUT – on the other hand – new things happen: yummier pastries, spiffier training manuals, zingier brochures. And we suddenly realize we’ve arrived at a new level. You’ve arrived with us – you were right next to us all along the way! Thank you so much for helping us to change, for changing with us, for celebrating and embracing the changes that help us stay alive—and forhelping us keep people who need us alive! We are always proud to have you in OUR family!—Eve THE CREATION OF THE “BERNARD MAYES LEGACY FUND” Bernard Mayes, founder of San Francisco Suicide Prevention, announced that he has worked with the staff of the agency to create the “Bernard Mayes Legacy Fund.” This new fund allows people who want to make their donations part of their estate planning to designate San Francisco Suicide Prevention as a beneficiary of their estate. “I’m making San Francisco Suicide Prevention one of my beneficiaries myself,” Mayes announced, “and I wanted to make it easy for other people do this too. Not everybody can write a check right now.” Mayes added that he is hon- ored that the fund will be named after him. Proceeds will be used to handle emer- gency expenses that other BERNARD MAYES RETURNS TO SAN FRANCISCO funding sources will not cov- er, such as repairing broken Bernard Mayes first arrived in San Francisco the Media Studies Program. equipment or purchasing in 1962 – as a 33-year-old anchorman with the After his retirement in 1999, he wrote and specialized software. British Broadcasting Corporation assigned to published his autobiography, Escaping God’s “We could not be more cover the story of the “world’s highest suicide Closet: The Revelations of a Queer Priest, which grateful,” said Eve Meyer, rate.” One year later, the handsome and char- won the Lambda Literary Award in the spiritu- Executive Director of the agen- ismatic Mayes had founded San Francisco ality category. He has also recorded dramatic cy. “This is a very generous Suicide Prevention and trained its first vol- works for radio, including Homer’s Odyssey and forward-thinking action on unteers, renting a basement cubicle at Geary and The Lord of the Rings in which he played Bernard’s part – just very typi- and Larkin for the agency’s first home. the part of Gandalf. cal of how his thinking helped In 1968 he became founding chairman of But he never lost his love for suicide pre- to start the entire Suicide National Public Radio as he helped to organize vention – or for San Francisco. He has re- Prevention movement in the public radio and television in the United States turned here to live and to pay sporadic visits United States.” and became a consultant for the Corporation to the agency he began when he first arrived To participate in the for Public Broadcasting in Washington, DC. in the United States. He recently celebrated BERNARD MAYES LEGACY By 1984 he was teaching at the University of his 80th birthday at the agency’s “Business FUND, contact David Paisley at Virginia, eventually chairing the Department of Prevention” luncheon in October at the the SFSP Development Office of Rhetoric and Communications and later City Club. at 415/984-1900 x106. 2 3 will things be different under your direction?” I see this very interaction as a significant step in the right direction for I’ve known many organiza- tions whose infrastructure doesn’t encourage the man- agement to interact with its employees. The volunteers who selflessly donate their time each week to our callers aren’t getting paid to do what they’ve come to do so well, so managing volunteers is a dif- ferent situation. I like hearing everyone’s ideas. To this end, I encourage the volunteers to stay active in the agency. My staff and I attend vari- ous community events each month in order to keep current in prevention, intervention and postvention of suicides. This effort however isn’t limited to suicide-related work. It also in- cludes fostering mental health disaster planning, modern approaches to cognitive be- havioral therapy, as well as acquiring a culturally compe- tent treatment approach for individuals living with HIV and FROM THE NEW PROGRAM DIRECTOR AIDS. I will add here that I was My journey with San Fran- come to us from this insti- fitting words to describe how proud to see so many of our cisco Suicide Prevention be- tute of higher learning. Other I feel at the end of a workday own volunteers attending the gan in the autumn of 2003. prestigious schools include include: gratified, moved, en- recent forum, “Sex, Drugs & I remember it well, for I was JFK and Alliant University. couraged, and, often times, HIV: A Harm Reduction Ap- deeply impressed with the vol- touched. This is due to the proach” presented by the San unteer program from the start many callers I am privileged Francisco AIDS Foundation and knew I’d want to stay with I count to speak with each and every held at the Women’s Building. the organization well after myself among day who trust in me to share This was a great opportunity completing the yearly com- the fortunate their sorrows, anger and pain. for us to hear from local ex- mitment requested of all its few who can I’ve also come to this place of perts and to put our name out volunteers. serenity due to my working al- there so everyone knows what This particular agency fell honestly liance with a dedicated staff we do for the community. into my lap as if by fate. I say they’re and a group of caring and Beyond attending commu- had been canvassing the Bay satisfied with hopeful volunteers. nity lectures and workshops of- Area for graduate programs in I have many dreams for the fered at various mental health counseling when I came across their work. agency, two of which include agencies in the Bay Area, my a flier for San Francisco Sui- education and outreach. One team and I are also schedul- cide Prevention while visiting Prior to my involvement of these dreams was realized ing our own presentations in the University of San Francis- with San Francisco Suicide as early as last night. I was an effort to teach others the co. The bulletin boards in the Prevention, I spent many sitting in the audience of our statistics on attempted and hallway of the counseling de- years in other helping profes- newest training class of 15 completed suicides and ways partment were filled with vari- sions. This included teaching participants. Additional staff, to detect the warning signs of ous fliers for academic clubs, English as a Foreign Language current volunteers and myself suicide. Our hope is to educate meetings and community in South East Asia, working as were spilling out of the train- case managers, therapists, events. However, it was the fli- a certified nursing assistant in ing room and into the hallway. physicians and the average er seeking volunteers at SFSP San Francisco and Daly City I looked around and discov- caring person on how we can that stood out the most for me. and, many years ago, working ered that a dream of mine had all prevent suicides and how I later called and scheduled as a mental health worker in just come true. We had a full to live peacefully when we are an interview. After completing a locked psychiatric unit in my house! Our marketing and re- not able to stop someone from the required paperwork, I was home state of Connecticut. cruitment efforts, in addition taking their own life. accepted into the fall class. This year marks my sixth to many hours of interview- We’re confident that with By the way, I never did apply year with San Francisco Sui- ing, had paid off. Everyone all of us working together, for the master’s program at cide Prevention. It has been an appeared deeply engaged. We each one of us making our USF, although today we have honor and a pleasure getting were learning how to be with a own special contribution, we a very good working relation- here. I count myself among person in pain. can not only achieve what is ship with this university. Sec- the fortunate few who can As the new Program Di- expected of us but also sur- ond to San Francisco State honestly say they’re satisfied rector, I am often asked by pass what is needed of us at University, most of our interns with their work.