Advocacy Works: AFSP-RI Volunteer Advocates

Advocacy Works: Suicide Prevention Volunteer Advocates

You’ve probably heard the word ‘advocacy’ on social media, the news, or talking with friends. You may know what it means—but do you know that it’s part of your daily life? Speaking up for yourself at home or work, asking for what you need, is advocacy.

Advocating for a bigger societal issue takes this energy to a new level. According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, an ‘advocate’ can be any of the following:

1. one who defends or maintains a cause or proposal
2. one who supports or promotes the interests of a cause or group 
3. one who pleads the cause of another

For anyone invested wholeheartedly in a worthy cause, it’s likely all three. But one thing is certain—advocacy works.

Advocacy educates others in an intimately human way through real people sharing lived experiences about real-life circumstances. Connecting through advocacy to create momentum,we can make our voices heard by our elected representatives. Because policymakers have so many topics competing for their attention, advocacy can help focus their attention on the most crucial issues and be a catalyst for change. 

American Foundation for Suicide Prevention Rhode Island Chapter (AFSP-RI) is a more impactful and meaningful organization thanks to the profound investment of our AFSP-RI advocates, and we are deeply grateful to them. After the AFSP National Advocacy Forum in Washington, DC, in June and in preparation for Suicide Prevention Month in September, we spoke with three of our advocates to get their thoughts on what they’re discovering and learning from this work.

Suzy Winchester started her advocacy as a young girl, feeling a strong connection to animals and the need to protect them. But there was more. “Being from a family of immigrants, I was aware that certain peoples’ voices were not being heard and resources were not being shared equally.”

Suzy has dedicated herself to supporting those in need as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Certified Grief Informed Therapist with a special focus on loss and grief. This work has a personal resonance for Suzy because of her own loss of a loved one to suicide. As an advocate for AFSP-RI, Suzy was instrumental in pushing for the RI 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline  legislation which passed in 2022. The close relationship she built with Representative Mary Ann Shallcross Smith is a powerful example of advocacy in action.

“It’s so important to personally meet our government representatives—at every level!” says Suzy. “We need to share our stories of what’s impacting us and our community.”

After listening to what Suzy had to share, Representative Shallcross Smith asked her to be part of the team assigned to getting the legislation passed. Together, they were able to raise both awareness and support.

Another AFSP-RI advocate played a vital role in this effort - Missy Ames. After losing a close friend to suicide in 2015, she participated in an AFSP-RI Out of the Darkness Community Walk where she met the founder of the chapter who asked if she would like to get more involved. After becoming an advocate, Missy went on to recruit others to support the 988 legislation at the federal level, working closely with the AFSP National policy office and Senator Jack Reed's office.

“We thank all of the advocates for their tireless work and dedication in bringing this vital lifeline into reality. This phone number will save lives, simple as that, and we are grateful for another available tool to combat rising mental health issues in our society,” wrote Shallcross Smith and Senator Sandra Cano when the legislation passed in July 2022.

And the work of Suzy, Missy and our other advocates doesn’t stop there.

Lauren Weinstock, PhD is an AFSP advocate with a unique skill set. She’s a clinical psychologist and a Professor and Associate Director of the Consortium for Research Innovation for Suicide Prevention in the Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior at Brown University. Lauren has spent the last 20 years developing, evaluating, and implementing interventions for people who are at risk for suicide.

“My specific focus on suicide prevention was inspired by the realization early in my career that people at greatest risk were frequently disqualified from research study participation. That made no sense to me because how could we conclude that our treatments work if we’re not including those most in need in their development and testing? Thankfully, the field has changed a lot and become more inclusive,” she explains.

As a clinician and researcher, it’s important to Lauren that the work impacts people, practice, and policy. She acknowledges that there are many systems-level factors at play, echoing Suzy’s own early observations—limited access to care, stigma and lack of awareness, creating safe and supportive environments, and difficulty reaching people beyond traditional settings. In addition to advocating for 988, Lauren has focused on erecting bridge safety barriers over Narragansett Bay and supporting policies related to the safe storage of firearms. And Lauren’s work inspired her teenage daughter to coordinate a local letter writing campaign in partnership with AFSP-RI, focused on advocacy for greater 988 funding at the state and national levels.

“As a nexus of activity for suicide prevention in RI that brings together healthcare, public health, government, academic, municipal, and other community partners, AFSP-RI has such an important role to play,” says Lauren.

Missy agrees. “AFSP provides you with an incredible toolkit to help you with your local and federal advocacy efforts from writing emails, to testifying on bills, to talking to your delegates. I’ve learned that people do want to give back and learn more about how they can have a voice in suicide prevention.”

“It’s about raising awareness, eliminating shame, and creating safe spaces for people in need. This work is a lasting way of honoring those we’ve lost and creating a more positive legacy,” adds Suzy.

Advocacy works. Sign Up to be an Advocate: To learn more about AFSP advocacy work and public policy priorities or to sign up to be an AFSP-RI Advocate, visit the AFSP Public Policy Action Center: https://afsp.org/public-policy-action-center/ 

If you are interested in volunteering for the AFSP-RI Advocacy Committee, contact [email protected]  for more information.  

Walk with us to Prevent Suicide at a Rhode Island Out of the Darkness Community Walk 

Northern Rhode Island Walk Oct 4th, Providence, RI: www.afsp.org/northernri 

Southern Rhode Island Walk Oct 18th, Newport, RI: www.afsp.org/southernri  

For more information about AFSP-RI: www.afpesp.org/rhodeisland [email protected]

 If you or someone you know needs help, please call, text, or chat 988.

Authored by Victoria Lemont