Speaker

New Programs and Services for the Construction Industry

Construction Industry Brochure

Dr. Sally Spencer-Thomas is an internationally-recognized leader and in-demand speaker on topics of resilience, mental health and suicide prevention. Working directly with communities, companies, professional organizations, and higher education institutions, she inspires, educates, and successfully challenges leaders to develop caring cultures that help people thrive.

She uses the power of stories, science and humor (just enough!) to engage her audiences and inspire a passion for saving lives and promoting wellbeing.

What people are saying:

“Sally is a wonderful person who truly wants to make a difference in the world and has done that by working diligently to keep the suicide prevention movement going forward. She is an awesome speaker who knows how to connect with an audience.”

Michelle Linn-Gust, Past-President, American Association of Suicidology

 “Sally’s message is compelling as she effectively blends personal passion with professional expertise.”

Bob VandePol, National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention Workplace Task Force

“When I heard Sally speak about her work on suicide in construction at IRMI [International Risk Management Institute] I immediately thought of my friend Eric who recently passed away - way too young. Sally and I met and I was taken with her passion for saving the lives of sons and daughters we do not know and she will never meet. There cannot be a more honorable way to live your life.”

TJ Lyons, Corporate Director, Health and Safety (Federal), Gilbane, Inc.

Keynotes

Sally designs each of her 45-90 minute presentations to inform and motivate the particular audience she is addressing. Some talks can be extended to half-day or full-day interactive workshops.

• We’ve Got Your Back: Driving a Psychologically Safe Culture at Work 

• Up on the High Wire: Promoting Resiliency During Tough Times

•  Workplace Wellbeing 24/7: Making Mental Health Promotion and Suicide Prevention Health and Safety Priorities at Work

• Hope Illuminated: Upstream, Midstream and Downstream Approaches to Suicide Prevention

• Aspiring to a Zero Suicide Mindset: What Mental Health Communities Need to Know

• Innovative Approaches to Men’s Mental Health

•  Be a Shining Light of Hope: Everyone Plays a Role in Suicide Prevention

• After a Suicide: Honoring Loss and Healing Together

• The Light Goes On: After Death Communications among People Bereaved by Suicide

• Suicide and Spirituality: The Roles of Spiritual Practice and Faith Communities in Suicide Prevention, Intervention and Crisis Response

Workshops

These interactive workshops help participants develop skills and personal plans. They're 1-3 hours long, and best-suited for groups of 10-35 people.

• Wellness Workout: Create A Mental Fitness Plan

• Become a Mental Health Change Agent: Key Skills in Advocacy and Action

• Phoenix Rising: The Art of Sharing Your Story of Hope and Recovery

About

What is Suicide Prevention Gatekeeper Training?

Suicide prevention gatekeeper training seeks to develop individuals' "...knowledge, attitudes and skills to identify (those) at risk, determine levels of risk, and make referrals when necessary” (Gould et al., 2003).

Sally is a Master Trainer in QPR (Question, Persuade, Refer) and Working Minds and a SafeTalk Trainer, evidence-based/informed methodologies for training lay people on how to identify someone experiencing suicidal despair, to engage in compassionate conversation, and to connect to qualified mental health resources. These trainings are otherwise known as suicide prevention gatekeeper trainings.

More on QPR here.

More about SafeTalk here.

Working Minds: Suicide Prevention in the Workplace

Working Minds is a program of the Colorado Depression Center.

Sally offers an 8-hour Working Minds Train-the-Trainer Certification Course for groups of 10-30 people. Working Minds trains organizations and workplace partners to proactively address the early warning signs of suicide in the workplace. Just as organizations have realized they can help reduce heart disease by encouraging exercise, they can also reduce suicide by promoting mental health and encouraging early identification and intervention. This training will educate and equip businesses with tools to address mental health and suicide concerns within the workplace.

This 8-hour training gives participants the tools to deliver the 2-hour Working Minds training in the community. After completing the course, trainers are able to give participants the tools to identify people at risk and respond to a crisis. The cost of the training includes:

• 8-hour T4T session

• Trainer Toolkit

• Working Minds PowerPoint

• Workbook

• Access to Trainer Portal

• Working Minds Wallet Card

• Working Minds Magnet

  What people are saying:

“[Sally is a] great instructor with deep knowledge of a narrow, specialized field of great importance to human life. She is able to inspire audiences to action and uses her leadership skills to great effect.”

-Dr. Paul Quinnett, CEO & Founder, QPR Institute

Change Agent

Does your organization want to address suicide prevention? Sally can help quickly with the first step: awareness. Plus, for the long term, she can help you build the kind of broad strategy that creates sustainable change.

• Change strategy consultation
• Needs and strengths assessment
• Curriculum development
• Guidebooks and video production

For examples of successful strategies, see her portfolio.

What people are saying:

“Few people in our field have been so practically minded and action-oriented as Sally in this area. Sally is extremely organized, intelligent, and a visionary. As a consultant, she will be in a position to show all manner of stakeholders--from corporate executives to public safety officials to leading educators--how to build more caring, supportive communities that enhance productivity, safety and learning. Sally is good like that; she is a practical dreamer that will help other dreamers to fulfill their dreams. If you want something done, Sally will do whatever it takes to get you there.”

-Dr. John Draper, National Suicide Prevention Lifeline

“I know Sally as a very honest, brave, dedicated and tireless advocate for suicide prevention and support for the bereaved through suicide. She transformed her personal experience of suicide loss into a mission to make the world a better place for others.”

- Karl Andriessen, Co-Chair, Postvention Special Interest Group, International Association of Suicide Prevention

“Sally is passionate and an expert in this mission critical profession. She is a brilliant strategist and communicator on all things pertaining to mental health promotion and suicide prevention. She is innovative and a catalyst for personal, organizational, industry and societal change.”

-Cal Beyer, Construction Risk Management and Safety