On October 24 at 11 AM, Sephardic Bikur Holim’s mental health resource devision will be hosting an event titled 13 Reasons Why Not: Understanding Suicide. The event will feature a lecture by Chaim Nissel Psy.D. Yeshiva University Dean of Students and master trainer for the American Association of Suicidology.

Aptly named, this event was in part organized as a response to the negative effects a recent Netflix series has had on millions of viewers this past year. 13 Reasons Why was a show released in March 2017 about a girl who commits suicide and forces the people she feels are responsible to listen to tapes about how they failed her, after it’s too late. This show romanticizes and even glorifies suicide as an option to escape mental pain. As a result many high schools sent pamphlets out to students, parents, and teachers explaining that their are many far better options.

SBH is doing their part to spread knowledge about this very real and important topic. Anyone and everyone is encouraged to attend. Parents, teachers, students, adults, social, workers, and even doctors, all stand to learn something from this imperative event.

The SBH Clinic sees clients every day for all sorts of issues. They’ve had recent cases of people in the general Brooklyn Jewish community that they serve, usually amongst teens and young adults who have para-suicidal tendencies, meaning they intentionally cause self harm.

For these reasons and others, Audrey Grazi a social worker and Rochelle Mansour, director from the mental health resource division of SBH have been instrumental in organizing the event. MHR would be willing to bring this seminar to high schools, if invited, to help spread awareness and prevent useless tragedies. Grazi said the people who are the most at risk are: people who have very little support in their lives, individuals with unresolved trauma, individuals with poor coping strategies, and people who constantly feel invalidated.

This is the first event SBH is hosting that highlights the topic of suicide, but SBH mental health resources regularly hosts educational events on other important topics. Domestic violence, abuse, and how to keep children safe from predators are a few of the other subjects they cover in hopes of spreading awareness within the community.

SBH has a Domestic Abuse Helpline (7187870009) in which trained volunteers are ready to answer calls from people who need help with these sensitive and upsetting situations. In efforts to keep children safe and aware of predators, MHR has something they call firehouse chats in which a speaker will come to someone’s home in the community. The speaker will talk to a group of parents on how to speak to their children about this topic and how to get their children to be open to them if anything God forbid should happen to them. Expanding the program further, they wish go into schools and Shuls, training teachers and committee members on this subject of child predators.

A large part of what the mental health resource division does is referrals. They have an extensive database to refer clients to. On average they get 30 calls for referrals a week, each which they give about 3 referrals to. Another thing they do is one time targeted interventions. If someone in the community calls because they are worried about a friend or family member, the SBH clinic will help organize and facilitate an intervention.

The 13 Reasons Why Not event will be taking place at SBH, 425 Kings Highway, Brooklyn. It is free to all who wish to attend, refreshments will be served. For more information please call 718-787-1300.

Frieda Schweky

Frieda@sephardic.org

Frieda Schweky is Sephardic.Org's official community events reporter. For inquiries and to get involved with our site, please contact Frieda via email.