Courtesy of Catalina Island Health
Catalina Island Health has launched a free monthly Community Health Talk. The goal of these talks – or presentations – is to provide island residents additional information on a particular health subject. Its second installment takes place Saturday, Nov. 23, from 11 a.m. to noon in the council chambers at Avalon City Hall.
This month’s topic is suicide prevention. Guest speaker, Kim McKewon, will present Talk Saves Lives: An Introduction to Suicide Prevention. This presentation is the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention’s flagship suicide prevention education program. McKewon will briefly share her personal story and lived experience, followed by the latest data on suicide in the United States, the research that has been done on causes, how certain communities are impacted differently, and contributors to suicide risk. She will provide an understanding of the protective factors that lower suicide risk, strategies for managing mental health, and being proactive about self-care.
She will then share what you can do. The presentation provides guidance on warning signs and behaviors to look for, how to start a conversation with someone you are concerned about, and ways to seek and offer support and crisis resources for yourself and others.
To RSVP or to get more information, visit CatalinaIslandHealth.org/news-events or call 310-510-0096.
Please note: If you, or someone you know, are in crisis, call or text 988 or text TALK to 741741.
About the guest speaker
McKewon served on the chapter board of AFSP for 10 years where she led education and outreach efforts speaking to students, teachers, counselors, and parents, and she guided the annual “Out of Darkness Walk” on several occasions. She has remained active as a volunteer for the organization since stepping down from her board position. McKewon is a graduate of UC Santa Barbara, and was for 10 years the lead singer in an ’80s tribute band, The PopRocks.
McKewon, along with her husband Ray, started The Xceptional Music Company in 2000, and starting in 2010 they brought over 100 free family friendly concerts to Wrigley Stage, until they retired in 2023. She and her husband continue to support the Catalina Film Festival, the Catalina Island Health Foundation, the Rotary Club of Avalon, and other island projects. McKewon can often be seen in the interior riding her “gravel” bike to and from Two Harbors, and Ray can be seen walking the trails above Avalon.
Event details
CIH Community Health Talk: Suicide Prevention with Kim McKewon
11 am – 12 pm on Saturday, November 23, 2024
Refreshments and lite snacks will be provided.
Council Chambers at Avalon City Hall, 410 Avalon Canyon Road, Avalon
If you are unable to attend in person, this presentation will also be live streamed on the Catalina Island Health Facebook page.
About Catalina Island Health
CI Health’s primary care physicians and family nurse practitioners provide the island community with a solid foundation of care. The medical clinic is located at 100 Falls Canyon Road, Avalon, CA, up the street from Avalon’s City Hall on the bottom level of the hospital. Its hours are 8 am to 5 pm, Monday through Friday. Visit CatalinaIslandHealth.org or call 310-510-0096 for more information or to make an appointment. The emergency room is staffed 24/7 with a UC Irvine Emergency Medicine Physician and supported by the CI Health’s laboratory and diagnostic imaging departments to meet the acute medical needs of Catalina Island’s residents and visitors. With the use of patient satisfaction surveys, patients consistently rank CI Health’s emergency services as one of the best in the nation. The hospital’s main number is 310-510-0700. For more information, visit CatalinaIslandHealth.org.
