A few weeks ago, I was asked to be a committee member for the first Lived Experience Advisory Committee for the Suicide Prevention Resource Center (SPRC). I’ve been wanting to share this news but found myself prioritizing focus on the AAPI community and the pain we are enduring.

Many of you know I have spent the past several years of my life working in the realm of suicide prevention. This opportunity is an absolute honor, and it has humbled me beyond words even to be considered to sit alongside some of today’s leading voices in the realms of mental health and suicide prevention. 

I absolutely cannot express what this means to me, not only as an advocate but as a person who has been impacted by loss and felt the expectation to shoulder that loss in silence. 

I want to take the time to thank the Suicide Prevention Resource Center for recognizing the importance of listening to the voices of experience. 

I, especially want to highlight Shelby Rowe and her dedication to this work. Without her, this group would not be in the stages of becoming a reality. We’ve needed a group like this for so long, and Shelby has ensured that those who have been touched by suicide can help guide care and programming to be more impactful and compassionate. 

Thank you, Shelby and the SPRC, for this committee and for the absolute privilege of asking me to join it. 

I will do all I can to include as many voices who wish to be heard and accounted for as possible. I will share and keep you updated on our activities and efforts when able. I may also be asking for feedback and your voices. I want to do my best to keep you all at my table and allow you all to be heard. Thank you to those who will walk with us on this journey. 

The Suicide Prevention Resource Center (SPRC) is the only federally supported resource center devoted to advancing the implementation of the National Strategy for Suicide Prevention. SPRC is funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).