
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: MONDAY, October 2, 1995                   TAG: 9510020085
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: C-2   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: SANDRA BROWN KELLY STAFF WRITER
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

TREATING SUICIDAL IS WORKSHOP TOPIC

A rash of suicides in the Roanoke Valley - six in the past two weeks - has caused a run on materials about the problem, says Diane Kelly, executive director of the Mental Health Association of Roanoke Valley Inc.

It's estimated that at least six people are directly affected by a single suicide, Kelly said. And three of the recent deaths have been professionals with a wide range of work colleagues, she said.

The mental health group has focused on education about suicide for the past year and has several programs on the topic scheduled next week. Included is a conference for professionals on "Treating the Suicidal Patient."

The conference will be held Tuesday in Fralin Atrium at the Jefferson Center on Luck Avenue in downtown Roanoke from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. The keynote speaker will be Dr. Samuel Risch, professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences and director of the Clinical Neuropharmacology Research Program at the Medical University of South Carolina.

Also speaking will be Janet McKinney, vice president of Carilion Psychiatric Services, and Dr. David Scheiderer, assistant director of psychiatric education at Roanoke Memorial Hospitals, who will discuss "Risks Involved in Treating the Suicidal Patient in the Outpatient Setting''; Janet McDowell, who will speak on "Ethical and Theological Issues Related to Suicide''; and Sue Moore, president of Good Samaritan Hospice, who will discuss "Counseling Survivors in the Aftermath of Suicide."

A registration fee of $30 includes a continental breakfast and program materials. For further information, call 344-0931.

Other events include:

Today at 7 p.m., a seminar, "When Mental Illness Strikes the Minority Family," also at the Jefferson Center. The program will include a video presentation of African-Americans' experiences with mental illnesses and a presentation by Gloria Manns, a social worker at Lewis-Gale Psychiatric Center. Manns is also in private practice at the Center for Emotional Wellness.

Registration in advance is not required.

Wednesday, a free seminar on "Adolescent Depression and Suicide" will be held at noon in the Jefferson Center Training Theater. Guidance coordinators Amy Barnhart and Esther Johnson will speak on the warning signs of suicide, prevention strategies and resources for help for troubled teens. This is a brown-bag lunch session, but beverages and desserts will be provided.

by CNB