Jacoby Shaddix
of the legendary rock band Papa Roach to receive Public
Education Lifesaver Award
NEW
YORK, May 16, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- On
May 23, 2024, the American
Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) will hold its 35th annual
Lifesaver's Gala at Jazz at Lincoln Center in New York City. AFSP is a leading suicide
prevention organization in the United
States. Amongst the distinguished awardees which include
researchers, mental health advocates and entertainers, AFSP will
honor Jacoby Shaddix, lead
singer from the legendary rock band Papa Roach, with the Public
Education Lifesaver Award. Rock icon Chris Daughtry will be presenting the
award.
In 2023, Papa Roach renamed their hit song "Leave a Light On" to
"Leave a Light On (Talk Away The Dark," after AFSP's "Talk Away the
Dark" campaign, which depicts a direct conversation about suicide,
helps people identify warning signs, offers resources for opening a
dialogue about suicide and mental health and for connecting to
help. Papa Roach made a $155,000
donation to AFSP and pledged perpetual royalties from the song's
use to the organization. During their Revolutions Live Tour, the
band surprised the audience at the Nashville concert with a live performance of
the song "Scar" with Daughtry joining as a special guest. The
performance was made available for streaming and all royalties from
"Scars (feat Chris Daughtry) (Live)"
will also be donated to AFSP in perpetuity.
"The mission of AFSP to save lives and bring hope to those
affected by suicide is one that is close to my heart," said Papa
Roach's Shaddix. "Music has always been a way for me and the
band to bring hard topics to light and to let people know that they
are seen and not alone. It's been rewarding to work with AFSP on
our song "Leave A light On (Talk Away The Dark) to spread suicide
prevention and mental health awareness, and to hear from our fans
how much this message resonates. The band and I are humbled to be
recognized for our efforts to let those who are struggling know
that there is hope and help available.
All proceeds from the Lifesaver's Gala support AFSP's
suicide prevention research, public education, advocacy efforts and
programming for the loss survivor community. Hosted by comedian and
content creator, Tefi Pesoa, the event will honor those
working to save lives and raise funds to end this leading cause of
death.
"The Lifesaver's Gala is an opportunity to recognize and reflect
on the progress made by outstanding individuals and organizations
in preventing suicide," said AFSP Chief Executive Officer
Robert Gebbia. "Each honoree and
attendee have devoted their time, talents and resources to this
cause. Preventing suicide is a tremendous team effort and each
individual contribution adds up to real impact that saves
lives."
This year's awardees include:
Public Education Lifesaver Award
Jacoby Shaddix of Papa Roach
Papa Roach is a two-time GRAMMY-nominated,
multi-platinum-selling leader in the world of alternative hard rock
music, who in 2020 celebrated the 20th anniversary of their
breakthrough album Infest. The band is a globally
recognized heavyweight of the genre. Papa Roach has long called
attention to mental health and suicide prevention through their
lyrics and outreach to fans, since their acclaimed and
influential mega-hit song "Last Resort." Their most recent
contribution to mental health advocacy is the current single "Leave
a Light On (Talk Away the Dark)," which encourages listeners to
reach out to their friends who may be struggling.
By sharing lifesaving information on how to recognize the
warning signs and connect people to help, and artistically
expressing the dark and difficult emotions so many people
experience, Jacoby Shaddix and Papa Roach have used their
music to raise understanding and be a beacon of hope to people
across the world.
Public Service Lifesaver Award
USAA
USAA is a financial services company devoted exclusively to
serving military members, Veterans, and their families. This
year, AFSP is honoring USAA with the Public Service Lifesaver
Award for its remarkable suicide prevention initiative, Face the
Fight, launched in 2023 with founding partners Humana Foundation
and Reach Resilience, an Endeavors Foundation.
Face the Fight has united a growing coalition of corporations,
government liaisons, foundations, nonprofits, and Veteran-focused
organizations to raise awareness and support for preventing Veteran
and military suicides. Through generous grants made by its network
of coalition members, Face the Fight is able scale evidence-based
interventions and connect Veterans and military members with both
peer and clinical support, as well as expanded training for mental
health clinicians. The initiative has also funded screening
services and clinical interventions for military members at risk of
suicide.
Humanitarian Lifesaver Award
David Huntsman, President and COO, Huntsman
Foundation
Christena Huntsman Durham, Executive
Vice President, Huntsman Foundation
In 2010, David and Christena's beloved sister Kathleen Huntsman died of a drug overdose. This
death compelled the Huntsmans to open up about the family's
personal connection to mental health and suicide prevention. The
Huntsman family has a long legacy of giving back to the community
with David and Christena dedicating much of their efforts to
transforming health care for their Utah community, and for communities across the
country. Their historic gift of $150
million established the Huntsman Mental Health Institute
(HMHI) at the University of Utah.
Through its collaboration with researchers, clinicians, educators,
and organizations across Utah,
HMHI is able to provide world-renowned care to thousands of
Utah children, teens, adults, and
families. In 2022, HMHI made a founding gift of $15 million to the Ad Council's $65-million, multi-year mental health initiative.
As part of the initiative, the Huntsmans' gift was used to develop
the "Love, Your Mind" campaign, which offers inspiration,
community, and educational resources to promote open dialogue and
proactive approaches to mental wellness.
Lifetime Achievement Research Award
Barbara Stanley, PhD (1949-2023, Awarded
Posthumously)
Dr. Barbara Stanley was a
trailblazing clinical psychologist who dedicated her life to
advance learning and interventions to improve mental health. She
specialized in the treatment of individuals with borderline
personality disorder, depression, and self-harm. With her
colleague Dr. Gregory Brown, Dr.
Stanley developed the widely used Safety Planning Intervention. It
is implemented in emergency departments, inpatient and outpatient
facilities, Veterans Affairs, and crisis hotlines and has no doubt
played a role in saving countless lives. She has also mentored
several young investigators on fMRI studies examining the
interpersonal dysfunction dimension of borderline personality
disorder, genetics studies of borderline personality disorder, and
treatment engagement trials with suicidal individuals.
Dr. Stanley was a force in her field authoring and editing more
than 200 articles and book chapters, was editor-in-chief of the
Archives of Suicide Research and served on several editorial
boards. She was a past chair and member of the American
Psychological Association Committee on Human Research, and also
served as a standing member of the Adult Psychopathology and
Disorders of Aging NIH CSR study section. Besides serving on
the faculty in Department of Psychiatry at Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians
and Surgeons, she held numerous appointments across private and
government sectors. At AFSP, she served on both the Research Grant
Committee and Scientific Council.
Annual Research Award
Jeff
Bridge, PhD
Dr. Jeff Bridge is director of
the Center for Suicide Prevention and Research in the Abigail
Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital. He is
receiving this year's Annual Research Award for his outstanding
recent work related to youth at risk for suicide. His research
focuses on the risk factors contributing to suicide and suicidal
behavior in young people and improving the quality of care they
receive. He has received multiple AFSP grants for his work
including a 2006 Young Investigator Award and 2011 AFSP Early
Career Researcher Award in 2011. He was also a senior investigator
for a 2014 AFSP Linked Standard Research Grant.
Dr. Bridge is also the Nationwide Foundation Endowed Chair of
Innovation in Behavioral Health Research, and professor of
pediatrics, psychiatry, and behavioral health at The Ohio State University College of Medicine.
At AFSP, Dr. Bridge serves as a Scientific Advisor, member of
the Research Grants Committee, and Scientific Council member.
The 2024 gala chair is Cara
McNulty, president of Behavioral Health and Mental
Well-being for CVS Health.
View coverage of the 2023 Gala here. Tickets are
available online. Learn more about the 35th Annual
Lifesaver's Gala sponsors and event details here.
The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention is dedicated to
saving lives and bringing hope to those affected by suicide,
including those who have experienced a loss. AFSP creates a culture
that's smart about mental health through public education and
community programs, develops suicide prevention through research
and advocacy, and provides support for those affected by suicide.
Led by CEO Robert Gebbia and
headquartered in New York, with a
public policy office in Washington,
DC, AFSP has local chapters in all 50 states, DC and
Puerto Rico, with programs and
events nationwide. Learn more about AFSP in its latest Annual
Report and join the conversation on suicide prevention by following
AFSP on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn and
TikTok.
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SOURCE American Foundation for Suicide Prevention