Suicide Prevention Conference Scheduled for September

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PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Several key Berkshire County mental health and community organizations across the region are partnering on a suicide prevention conference to be held in Pittsfield in September. 
 
New Perspectives on Populations at Risk in Berkshire County will be held on Tuesday, Sept. 10 from 8 am to 4:30 pm at Bousquet Mountain Ski Area in Pittsfield. The event is aimed at social workers, licensed mental health counselors, licensed alcohol and drug counselors, nurses and psychologists. 
 
The program is sponsored by Berkshire Health Systems, the Berkshire Coalition for Suicide Prevention, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health Suicide Prevention Program, the Brien Center, the Austen Riggs Center and NAMI of Berkshire County. Applications have been submitted for 6.5 continuing education units (CEU) for those professionals in attendance.
 
This conference will focus on new perspectives on populations at risk for suicide in Berkshire County. Racial justice and health equity principles will be presented with a focus on trauma-informed and healing centered approaches and applications. Suicide risk will be defined through societal structures and environments, rather than just identity traits. Societal mechanisms within systems of oppression that create and maintain high-risk conditions for suicide and the root causes of suicide risk through a community care lens will be identified. Priority populations, including people experiencing suicide ideation, who are at-risk of attempts and or death, and under-served and/or historically marginalized populations, will be reviewed. There will be a focus on youth, suicide loss survivors, and people living in rural areas. Concepts will be applied to the unique needs of the Berkshire County community. 
 
Presentations include: 
Keynote Address - Deconstructing Risk in Suicide Prevention: Ysabel Garcia, MPH, Founder of Estoy Aqui 
       
Populations at Risk: Local, State and National Statistics: Brenda Bahnson, MSW, LICSW, Director of Ambulatory Behavioral Health Services at Berkshire Medical Center 
       
Going Beyond Trauma Informed Care: Christine Callahan, LMHC, PMH-C, MBA, Berkshire Medical Center Department of Psychiatry  
       
Suicide Loss Survivors: Brian Berkel, President of the Board of Directors for the Berkshire Coalition for Suicide Prevention; Bertha Connelly, retired human resources professional; and Cheryl Puntil, MN, APRN, PMH-CNS, BC, geriatric, medical, and adult psychiatric nurse 
     
Living Experience Youth Panel moderated by Brenda Butler, MD, Medical Director of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry at Berkshire Medical Center.  
      
Small group discussions moderated by Christine Callahan and Brian Berkel. 
 
The conference costs $85 for general admission with CEUs or $35 for admission without CEUs. To register for this event, visit www.berkshirecoalition.org and click on Events. Registration is open until Wednesday, Sept. 4.  
If you would like to contribute information on this article, contact us at info@iberkshires.com.

Companion Corner: Loki at Berkshire Humane Society

By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — There's a sweet and playful dog at the Berkshire Humane Society waiting for his new family.

iBerkshire's Companion Corner is a weekly series spotlighting an animal in our local shelters that is ready to find a home.

Loki is a little less than a year old and is a terrier/pit mix who has been at the shelter for about a month.

Canine caregiver and adoption counselor Simone Olivieri told us about Loki. 

"He is very friendly, very social. He loves every single human. He's good with other dogs. He's just a lovely, lovely puppy who has a few things that he could still work on. He is young and learning."

Loki was brought in because his former home didn't have enough time for him and wanted him to be able to have a family who could give him the attention he deserves.

"He was brought in just because they didn't have time to continue working with a puppy," she said. "So nothing, nothing too serious, really, just he needs someone who can give him a lot of time, because he really does need that time, that attention as he grows and matures and works on this training."

He is still young so he has a bit to learn and has been hard at work learning new things including potty training and playing with other dogs.

"He can get a little bit mouthy, so sometimes, when he gets excited with his toys, he mouths on your hands a little bit. So that's something that we're working on showing him just more appropriate uses of his mouth when he's tugging," Olivieri  said. "Also, he can be a little bit reactive when he is out on walks and he can see other dogs, he tends to want to bark, and it's all just out of excitement and wanting to go see the other dog. So these are a couple things that we are working on with him here at the shelter, and he's been doing really, really well." 

Loki loves to play and go outside and will need a family who will want to take him on lots of walks. He can do well with a dog his size with introduction but should not go to a home with cats. They also say children 10 and older because Loki can be a little jumpy.

"He is very active, and he loves to go on hikes and walks and a lot of playtime. So someone who can devote a lot of that time to him, because he just wants to adventure," she said. "He wants to do everything. And also he could work on some training. Someone who would also devote some time to doing some training classes and really working with him on some reactivity and some mouthiness."

Loki is a great friend to play with other dogs and also loves to tug on stuffed animals and play fetch. While you may have to train him, he loves to learn and will be a great student and snuggle buddy.

"He loves to play with other dogs. He's a very social boy. He adapts his play style really well to other dogs. He loves to go for walks. He loves to play tug. He loves his stuffies here. He likes to play fetch. He loves to learn. He really likes to train. He really likes to be with you. He gives really good eye contact, good engagement. He loves learning new things. And more than just learning, he loves doing it with people. He just likes spending time with people. He also really likes to cuddle. Once his daily exercise needs are met. He's like a really good snuggle buddy."

Loki loves to meet anyone and everyone and is excited for his new family.

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