Somehow I have become a regular presenter for crisis intervention training across our state. The Arkansas Law Enforcement Training Academy, along with NAMI includes me and my content in the suicide prevention segment of this 40-hour course. It isn’t an easy crowd each time, and not a light topic everyone is eager to discuss. Still, I walk away each time, knowing that perhaps one person in this space can see this harrowing issue for what it truly is – a human problem that humans do not create but carry the brunt of because it is a burden.

Countless times I have taught this class in the hopes of shedding light on the humanity behind the struggle and the inescapable impact it leaves behind. Countless times I’ve seen officers brought to tears as they hear what I have to say. I hope my words shed light, shift perspectives, and shake the stigma that too often stigmatizes and dehumanizes those who carry the heaviest of weight that is suicide.