Voices For Suicide Prevention

Scott Light
  • 5.0 (2)
  • MENTAL HEALTH

The suicide crisis in Ohio and in America has no boundaries and neither will our conversations. We'll talk openly about the how, the why and the solutions to suicide prevention. This vital conversation is brought to you by the Ohio Suicide Prevention Foundation as we'll highlight experts, counselors, clinicians, advocates and ordinary people doing extraordinary things in the name of saving lives.

  1. APR 21

    What If Calm Is A Warning Sign:  Autism and Suicide Prevention

    Autistic people are at higher risk for suicidal thoughts and behaviors, yet too many support systems still treat autism and mental health as separate worlds. Stepanie and Scott sit down with Lisa Morgan, an autistic adult and founder of the Autism and Suicide Prevention Work Group, and Dr. Brenna Maddox, a clinical psychologist and co-chair of the work group, to talk about what that gap looks like in real life and how to close it. We unpack how language preferences differ, why a strengths-based view of autism matters, and how the social model and neurodiversity-affirming care can replace the harmful idea that autistic people need to be 'fixed'. Then we go straight at the misconceptions that can increase suicide risk, including the dangerous habit of skipping suicide risk questions just because someone is autistic. We also explore a theme we hear again and again: invalidation. Not being believed can be constant, and it can push suicidal ideation higher.  Our conversation is very practical too. Some warning signs can look different for autistic people, including intense internal crisis paired with a calm exterior, and alexithymia that makes emotions hard to name. We point listeners to autism-specific crisis support resources, including guidance for using the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline and tools like a reasons-for-living worksheet that can help even when therapy is hard to access. If you care about autism suicide prevention, share this conversation, subscribe for more, and leave a review so more people can find these resources when they need them most.

    31 min

  2. MAR 23

    When Infection Hijacks The Mind: PANS and PANDAS Explained

    Overnight personality changes are every parent’s nightmare, especially when the symptoms don’t fit a neat box. Scott and Stephanie are joined by Gabriella True, President and founding Board Member of Aspire, to explain PANS and PANDAS in plain language and with hard-earned honesty.  Gabriella brings professional advocacy plus lived experience as a mom of twins impacted by PANS and as someone who has dealt with PANS/PANDAS symptoms herself. We dig into what makes pediatric acute-onset neuropsychiatric syndrome so alarming: sudden OCD, restricted eating, and complex tics that can arrive with severe separation anxiety, rage, urinary changes, and mood swings. We talk about why some kids don’t show “typical” infection signs, how strep and other triggers can set off a neuroimmune response, and why calling these shifts “symptoms” instead of “behavior” can change how families and clinicians respond. Gabriella also walks us through today’s treatment framework including infectious triggers and reducing inflammation alongside careful psychiatric support.  The conversation doesn’t skip the hardest part: suicide risk, the reality of hospitalization, and the urgent need for coordinated medical and mental health care. If this helps you put words to what you’re seeing at home, share it with someone who needs it, subscribe for more conversations like this, and leave a review so more families can find these resources when time matters most.

    26 min

  3. FEB 13

    How One Woman Turned Two Decades of Anxiety and Depression Into a Mission to Break Stigma

    A raw, generous conversation with iHeart radio personality and OSPF ambassador Sol Tsonis that transforms stigma into strategy and rock bottom into a starting line. Sol takes us into the moments that shaped her mental health journey—from early depression and anxiety in her teens to the deliberate, imperfect climb toward stability. We talk about the turning points that matter: choosing a short course of medication as a bridge, returning to therapy until the fit clicked, and cleaning up friendships and habits that kept her stuck. Sol reframes self-care as maintenance, not luxury—movement to burn off stress, gratitude to anchor attention, and scheduled “me time”.   She pairs heart with data, reminding us that activity, social connection, and rest are directly tied to longer, healthier lives. Sol also pulls back the curtain on social media’s highlight reel and the comparison traps that steal joy. Her fix is useful honesty: practical tips on seasonal depression, phone limits, and micro-habits that turn scrolling into learning.  If you’re struggling silently, you’ll hear a clear path forward: tell one trusted person, try therapy even when you’re “fine,” and choose one daily practice that protects your spark. If this conversation gives you hope or a next step, share it with someone you love and subscribe for more real talk on mental health and suicide prevention.

    31 min

  4. JAN 21

    Local Voices Together Create National Impact on Suicide Prevention

    A dinner conversation sparked a movement. We sit down with leaders from SAVE and Ohio Suicide Prevention Foundation CEO Tony Coder to share how the National Suicide Prevention Advocacy Network (NSPAN) is helping small and mid-sized nonprofits combine their strengths, talents and passions! The idea is simple but ambitious: when community groups connect and collaborate, proven strategies scale faster, funding pathways open, and lives are saved. We talk through the four pillars that guide the work—education and training, advocacy, lethal means safety, and support for suicide loss survivors—and why they matter now. The data is shifting: while some demographics improve, suicide risk is climbing among women, preteens, and rural communities tied to a struggling agricultural economy.  Technology looms large in this conversation too. Social media can harm, yet responsible AI and digital tools may help identify risk and connect people to care sooner. The keys are safeguards and smart design paired with human support. We also spotlight 988—the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline—and the surprising awareness gap among young workers. If you lead or support a suicide prevention nonprofit, or if you’re a community member who wants to help, this is your invite to lean in. Learn how to join NSPAN, collaborate on funding and advocacy, and carry solutions across county and state lines. Subscribe, share this episode with a local organization, and leave a review to help more people find these stories to hopefully, save more lives.

    29 min

  5. 12/05/2025

    A Farmer Shares Why Mental Health Matters In Agriculture

    The heart of Ohio agriculture beats inside family trucks, quiet cab rides, and long rows that hold equal parts pride and pressure. We sit with first‑generation farmer Nathan Brown to trace the real story behind the harvest: the money paid up front, the machinery that breaks at the worst time, and weather that never reads the plan. Nathan shares how he scaled from 25 acres to 2,000, why conservation practices ground his work, and what it took to exit cattle during a drought without losing hope or identity. The conversation turns to mental health where the stakes are human and immediate. Nathan names the stigma farmers face, the belief they must fix everything alone, and the danger of silent struggle. He offers a toolkit built on lived experience: “get your five” trusted contacts, call to vent before rumination takes over, step away for a few hours to reset, and treat counseling like any other professional service.   You’ll hear why subtle signals on a farm speak volumes and how persistence can save a life. We also explore the wider system: market swings, policy shocks, and public narratives that misread modern farming. Nathan outlines simple ways organizations can help, from short mental health segments at ag events to creating real on‑ramps for new producers.  If this resonates, subscribe, share the episode with someone in agriculture, and leave a review to help more farmers and families find practical support and hopeful stories. Your voice helps break stigma and builds a safer, stronger farm community.

    31 min

  6. 11/24/2025

    How Being Brave Means Asking for Help

    Raw honesty meets hard-won wisdom in a conversation with three veterans who open up about service, identity, and the messy middle of healing. We explore how the military’s structure can be both lifeline and blindfold—building discipline and leadership while making it easy to bury pain in the name of the mission. From early careers where mental health was a no-go topic to a slow cultural shift toward prevention, they lay out what changed, what hasn’t, and why vulnerability makes units stronger, not weaker. We dig into myths civilians hold about veterans and trauma, and why “strong and struggling” can be true at the same time. You’ll hear practical ways to support without clichés: ask simple questions, listen without fixing, and learn the basics of military culture so your words land. Families get real attention here too—the constant balancing act of deployments, childcare, and unknowns—and how the load often pushes people toward unhealthy coping unless a community shows up.  Scott and Stephanie ask our guests about the transition after the uniform too: the loss of mission, the hit to identity, and the temptation to fill the void with busyness or substances. Our guests share what helped them rebuild—therapy when ready, peer groups, veteran retreats, EMDR, and outdoor activities that blend movement with conversation.   If you care about suicide prevention, veteran wellness, or simply want a clearer way to show up for people you love, this conversation will change how you listen and how you lead. If this resonates, share it with a friend, subscribe for more real talk on mental health, and leave a review to help others find the show.

    45 min

  7. 10/29/2025

    Healing Behind The Walls: A Conversation with Ohio's Corrections Director

    What if a prison operated like a bridge back to community rather than a dead end? We sit down with Director Annette Chambers-Smith of the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction to explore how values, data, and everyday relationships are reshaping safety, reentry, and long-term well-being. We start with the bigger picture: 98% of people come home. That reality shifts the mission toward healing, education, and practical preparation.  Director Chambers-Smith shares four core values—and shows how correction officers, teachers, volunteers, and families become the frontline of change.  Then we go deep on mental health. With high rates of behavioral health and substance use needs among those incarcerated—and elevated PTSD and suicide risk among staff—the department is investing in employee support teams, nonprofit partnerships, and stigma-busting tools.  The director also leads a national push beyond recidivism, tracking 16 determinants of post-release success. We close this conversation with candid lessons from the director's own reset: sleep hygiene, protected time, and professional help that turned burnout into sustainable leadership. It’s a grounded, hopeful look at rehabilitation powered by data, partnerships, and human connection. If this conversation resonates, follow the show, share it with a friend, and leave a review to help more listeners find these stories.

    46 min

  8. 09/02/2025

    988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: Saving Lives One Call at a Time

    The lifesaving work happening behind the scenes at Ohio's 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline is both humbling and extraordinary. With over 592,000 contacts in just three years—approximately 700-800 daily—the service has become a critical resource for Ohioans experiencing mental health crises. What makes this number even more remarkable is the human connection happening with each call. As 988 specialist Pru Hudson shares, "Somebody's having their worst day ever so what could be more important than being able to hold space with them?" This philosophy drives the dedicated professionals who answer these calls within an average of just 23 seconds—significantly faster than the national average of 34 seconds. The podcast reveals the deeply personal motivations behind those who staff the crisis line. Doug Jackson, who administers the 988 system, found his way to this work after hiking the entire Appalachian Trail, an experience that gave him "a different life perspective."  Hudson, with decades of experience in social work, describes the profound impact of simply being present for someone in crisis: "The loudest message you can send to another person is I'm here, I'm waiting, whatever your crisis is, we're in this together." Perhaps most powerful is the understanding that 988 serves as a judgment-free space where callers define what constitutes a crisis for them.   No identification is required, no time limits imposed. The vision for 988's future includes expanding awareness beyond the current 36-50% of Ohioans who know about the service and developing additional resources like mobile crisis units to create a comprehensive mental health emergency response system. The ultimate goal? As Jackson puts it, ensuring that "mental health resources would be on an equal level of physical health needs." Whether you're personally struggling or concerned about someone else, 988 is waiting to help and so is the entire team at OSPF.

    32 min
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
2 Ratings

About

The suicide crisis in Ohio and in America has no boundaries and neither will our conversations. We'll talk openly about the how, the why and the solutions to suicide prevention. This vital conversation is brought to you by the Ohio Suicide Prevention Foundation as we'll highlight experts, counselors, clinicians, advocates and ordinary people doing extraordinary things in the name of saving lives.

Information

  • Creator
    Scott Light
  • Years Active
    2022 - 2026
  • Episodes
    50
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Voices For Suicide Prevention
  • Show Website
    Voices For Suicide Prevention