Kevin Berthia & Kevin Briggs: Listening to Understand the Mental Health Crisis
11/29/22 • 44 min
Kevin Berthia and Kevin Briggs are an unlikely pair. But their friendship saves lives. And it was hard won, founded on what matters – mutual respect, trust, and listening. They met when Sergeant Briggs was in the state highway patrol and Kevin Berthia was jumping off a bridge. Today they stand side by side as suicide prevention advocates, helping people know they’re not alone, that there is hope and a future. It’s been many years now since they met and we are honored to be part of their ongoing conversation.
Learn more about Kevin Berthia and his work at kevinberthiafoundation.org
And Kevin Briggs at pivotal-points.com
Find Kate on instagram.com/katetuckermusic
Hosted and produced by Kate Tucker, Hope Is My Middle Name is a podcast by Consensus Digital Media in collaboration with Reasonable Volume.
If you or someone you know is experiencing suicidal thoughts, please call or text 988. Or you can talk online at 988lifeline.org
Warning Signs of Suicide
• Talking about wanting to die
• Looking for a way to kill oneself
• Talking about feeling hopeless or having no purpose
• Talking about feeling trapped or unbearable pain
• Talking about being a burden to others
• Increasing the use of alcohol or drugs
• Acting anxious, agitated or recklessly
• Sleeping too little or too much
• Withdrawing or feeling isolated
• Showing rage or talking about seeking revenge
• Displaying extreme mood swings
What to Do
• Do not leave the person alone
• Remove any firearms, alcohol, drugs, or sharp objects that could be used in a suicide attempt
• Call or text 988 for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
• Take the person to an emergency room or seek help from a medical or mental health professional emergency room, or seek help from a medical or mental health professional
Kevin Berthia and Kevin Briggs are an unlikely pair. But their friendship saves lives. And it was hard won, founded on what matters – mutual respect, trust, and listening. They met when Sergeant Briggs was in the state highway patrol and Kevin Berthia was jumping off a bridge. Today they stand side by side as suicide prevention advocates, helping people know they’re not alone, that there is hope and a future. It’s been many years now since they met and we are honored to be part of their ongoing conversation.
Learn more about Kevin Berthia and his work at kevinberthiafoundation.org
And Kevin Briggs at pivotal-points.com
Find Kate on instagram.com/katetuckermusic
Hosted and produced by Kate Tucker, Hope Is My Middle Name is a podcast by Consensus Digital Media in collaboration with Reasonable Volume.
If you or someone you know is experiencing suicidal thoughts, please call or text 988. Or you can talk online at 988lifeline.org
Warning Signs of Suicide
• Talking about wanting to die
• Looking for a way to kill oneself
• Talking about feeling hopeless or having no purpose
• Talking about feeling trapped or unbearable pain
• Talking about being a burden to others
• Increasing the use of alcohol or drugs
• Acting anxious, agitated or recklessly
• Sleeping too little or too much
• Withdrawing or feeling isolated
• Showing rage or talking about seeking revenge
• Displaying extreme mood swings
What to Do
• Do not leave the person alone
• Remove any firearms, alcohol, drugs, or sharp objects that could be used in a suicide attempt
• Call or text 988 for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
• Take the person to an emergency room or seek help from a medical or mental health professional emergency room, or seek help from a medical or mental health professional
Previous Episode
Tim & Beth Reese: Building Small Town Resilience in West Virginia
Are America’s small towns in decline? Not if you ask Beth and Tim Reese. They’re part of a powerful revitalization effort in Capon Bridge, West Virginia, a town of 400 nestled on the Cacapon River, at the “Gateway to the Mountains” of Appalachia. The community of Capon Bridge believes that restoring old buildings, rather than tearing them down, attracts young people and new businesses, like the Farmer’s Daughter Market & Butcher serving up “West Virginia’s Finest Finest” including one of America’s best burgers. A son of West Virginia, Tim’s heritage is in coal, but he sees a future “mining West Virginia sun,” and his early investment in solar power is catching on throughout Hampshire County. Though they’ve lived in Capon Bridge for over twenty years, the Reeses still see themselves as newcomers, and they take a community-directed approach to building resilience.
More about Tim & Beth Reese at https://www.facebook.com/taprootfarmwv
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Hosted and produced by Kate Tucker, Hope Is My Middle Name is a podcast by Consensus Digital Media in collaboration with Reasonable Volume.
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Mary's references in the episode include: AIANTA (American Indian Alaska Native Tourism Association), Spruce Root; Sustainable Southeast Partnership, and Sealaska.
Connect with Kate Tucker on instagram.com/katetuckermusic
Hosted and produced by Kate Tucker, Hope Is My Middle Name is a podcast by Consensus Digital Media in collaboration with Reasonable Volume.
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