Community Partner SPOTLIGHT: Sarah Michelle Peterson Foundation
Name: Michelle Peterson
Profession: Executive Director
Organization: The Sarah Michelle Peterson Foundation
Website: www.worldwithoutsuicide.org
Phone number: 571-330-5337
Business Address: 4500 Colley Ave, Suite B, Norfolk, VA 23508
Three Words to Describe you: Kind, Practical, Nature Loving
Industry: Nonprofit 501(c)(3)
Describe what the organization you work for does.
The Sarah Michelle Peterson Foundation works to stop suicide by educating our community to recognize the signs that someone may be in danger of losing their life to suicide and teaching everyone how to take swift action to provide support, safety, and resources to those in need. Breaking down stigma and shame around mental health is a big part of our mission, and we collaborate with other organizations who help bring our resource table and our educational programs to all segments of the community, including the outdoors, educational institutions, the arts, civic groups, youth groups, libraries, places of worship, eateries, and healthcare organizations. Mental health education belongs everywhere. After all, mental health is part of overall health, and the brain is an organ in the body like all the other organs. It can become ill and need care, therapy, or medication.
Suicide rates are rising because of persistent stigma around the topic. Suicide is now the 2nd leading cause of death for people ages 10-34. Suicidal people may not be able to reach out to save themselves. They need others to notice that they are not ok, to support them, and to direct them to the care they need to stay alive. It is now more likely that any person will need to talk to someone about their mental health than that they will need to use CPR skills, so it’s important for EVERYONE to be able to be a first responder when someone shows signs of suicide. Just like learning CPR, we don’t become professionals in the field. We learn to recognize that someone needs support, and we learn what to say and do to assist them.
The Sarah Michelle Peterson Foundation uses national evidence-based programs including safeTALK, QPR, and Erika’s Lighthouse to teach citizens the warning signs for suicide, how to talk directly to someone about suicide, how to listen calmly, provide support, hope, and safety, and how to direct someone to local resources for care. Youth programming is age-appropriate and includes information about achieving and maintaining good mental health, self and peer advocacy, the importance of talking to trusted adults, and how to get help for oneself or a friend if warning signs are present. Any willing person can be a first responder for someone struggling with suicidal thoughts when they have these skills, the confidence to intervene, and knowledge of what resources are available for further support and care.
Participants in some trainings receive national certifications or continuing education units. We offer basic community programs as well as custom programs for a variety of groups, including EMS workers, school personnel, LGBTQIA+, military, etc. Our goal is to educate 15- 20% of the local population of Hampton Roads to be suicide-alert helpers because, at that level of community education, statistics show that the incidence of suicide will decline. It’s a bold, long-term goal that we will achieve working with partners.
Tell us about yourself and your work in the organization.
I’m currently the Executive Director of The Sarah Michelle Peterson Foundation. Along with my family and some friends, I co-founded the Foundation when our daughter, Sarah, died by suicide. Sarah was a ninth-grade student at Maury High School who was active in track, cross-country, art (especially drawing), Girl Scouts, and her school’s medical studies program. She thought about becoming a scientist or doctor someday. Eleven years ago, when we incorporated as a 501(c)(3), no one was talking about mental health, and the stigma was even more intense than it is now. Suicide is a preventable death, but only when people know how to prevent it, so we decided to start an educational foundation. With my background as a teacher, it made sense for me to lead the Foundation. Perhaps the work chose me rather than the other way around.
My role as Executive Director includes managing all aspects of the Foundation’s operation. I create and maintain partnerships, secure and manage donations, apply for and manage grants, handle legal & other paperwork, make purchases, sit in with the Board of Directors and all committees as they steer the organization, plan, execute & promote events of our own and with our community partners, create and update the website and social media channels, and teach some of the suicide prevention trainings, along with offering talks about our work. I supervise the Program Coordinator and the Administrative & Volunteer Coordinator, who handle their jobs as well as pitching in on so much more since we are a small staff. The best part of it all is that I am called to stretch my abilities and interests in ways I didn’t imagine when I began this journey. Working in suicide prevention means that I get to meet and work with a lot of really caring people. I can’t imagine a more rewarding job than saving lives.
How did you get connected to the Elizabeth River Trail?
The Elizabeth River Trail runs by my house! A year or two after moving here, I began hearing about it, and I realized that I had been regularly walking on a segment of the trail without realizing it. After a little internet learning, I began to explore more of the trail. In the year following the devastating loss of my daughter, several friends spent time walking with me on the trail as a way to offer their support. After the founding of The Sarah Michelle Peterson Foundation, we collaborated with others to form Mentally Healthy Norfolk and soon began to explore a partnership with the ERTF as part of a Healthy Bodies; Healthy Minds campaign.
During that time, I visited more sections of the trail and fell more in love with it. Now I make it a point to plan both personal trail time and ways for The Sarah Michelle Peterson Foundation to partner with the ERTF. The good news about mental health is that the same things that keep the body healthy also keep the mind healthy: good nutrition, adequate sleep, moderate exercise, and reducing stress by doing something you enjoy. Those last two can often be found on the trail. Be on the lookout for our next mind/body connection collaboration!
Given your background and the nature of what you do, what benefits do you feel the trail has for the community?
The trail benefits both mind and body by offering a beautiful and safe place to exercise and reduce stress in a wide variety of ways. When we get outdoors, breathe deeply, and reduce stress, our mental and physical health improve. Opportunities for social connection are also found along the ERT.
What’s your favorite trail moment?
Time spent with friends is always my favorite time on the trail. Some trails are for solitude, and I enjoy that, too, but an urban trail like the ERT is perfect for social connection. I love a good Walk-and-Talk session with a friend, and I sometimes make new friends on the trail! If you see me, say “hi!”
Favorite Trailgrazing spot? (i.e. best local food spot steps from the trail)?
There are just too many to choose one! Also, I have to confess that I am likely to bring a snack on my walks so I can enjoy maximum time outdoors.
Best view of the Elizabeth River from the trail?
One of my favorite spots to view the river is from the ODU Loop part of the trail at the end of Bolling Ave. It’s not far from my house, and I enjoy seeing all of the river industry and recreation in view there. I also go there when the tall ships pass by on their way to the downtown festivals, when sailing students are out on the water in those little sailboats, to look for pods of dolphins swimming past, to watch the sunsets in their glorious shades of orange, pink & lavender, to see the planets in a line, and, well, whatever else shows up. I once saw an otter there, so I’m always on the lookout for another one!
