May is Mental Health Awareness Month, promoting a cause that is dear to Ithaca Beer Co. and The Sophie Fund. The two organizations are partnering this year to highlight the many mental health information and treatment resources that are available in Tompkins County.
Zach McGovern and Valerie Consiglio-Nickerson, Taproom managers at Ithaca Beer
Throughout the month, Ithaca Beer will provide its customers with a resource card listing local providers for psychotherapy and psychiatry, addiction counseling, support groups, peer counseling, and sexual violence support.
The card’s flip side contains 5 Simple Steps, a brief safety plan that can help prevent an immediate mental health challenge from escalating. With the card’s QR code, users can download the resources to their smart phones.
“Mental health is a fundamental aspect of overall health, and is too often ignored, under supported, and stigmatized,” said Jess Mitchell, Ithaca Beer Co. director of operations. “We welcome hundreds of visitors monthly, giving us the platform to reach our community widely. We are committed to doing our part to connect people with the resources they need.”
Ithaca Beer and The Sophie Fund are also running a mental health awareness campaign on social media, pointing to local resources, breaking the stigma around mental health, and encouraging anyone who is struggling to reach out for help.
The organizations, along with Better Together for Mental Health, will host a special Mental Health Awareness Month gathering for local mental health workers honoring their dedication and impact. The event will take place at Ithaca Beer on May 28.
Scott MacLeod, co-founder of The Sophie Fund, expressed gratitude for Ithaca Beer’s effort to promote mental health in the community.
“Stigma remains an obstacle that prevents many people who are struggling from acknowledging they need help or actually reaching out to loved ones or professionals for support,” he said.
“When a high-profile company like Ithaca Beer steps up to actively help normalize talking about mental health, it makes all the difference. Nobody should suffer in silence when help is available.”
DOWNLOAD Mental Health Support and Crisis Services 2026
For the fourth year in a row, organizers held an “Out of the Darkness” suicide prevention awareness walk on the Cornell University campus April 26.
Some 120 students, faculty, staff, and community members, encouraged by Free Hugs Ithaca, Be Kind Ithaca, and the superhero known as the Cornell Batman, trekked the 2-mile route snaking from Barton Hall around campus and back again on a bright Spring afternoon.
The 2026 Walk begins!
The walkers raised more than $10,000, bringing to $60,000-plus the monies raised in the Cornell Walks for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. AFSP uses the funds for awareness programming as well as to develop evidence-based methods for treating suicidality and preventing suicide deaths.
Walk Chair Cheyanne Scholl, a staff member at Cornell’s College of Veterinary Medicine, noted that Cornellians have been affected by campus suicide deaths this year as well as by government cutbacks for mental health.
“You being here today is showing that there is something to fight for. Every dollar raised today is going back into suicide prevention in the form of research, advocacy, and prevention efforts,” said Scholl.
“Cornell is currently the only Ivy League institution with a multi-year Out of the Darkness Walk,” she added. “That is something to be very proud of!”
Cornell students preparing for the Walk
During the speakers’ program, Nambita Sahai, a Cornell junior studying biology, called on her fellow students to overcome the stigma around mental health.
“No matter how someone seems, they may be fighting battles you can’t see. Cornell is full of brilliant, driven, compassionate people, but it’s easy to feel like you’re the only one struggling,” said Sahai, the current president of Cornell’s student-run Empathy, Assistance & Referral Service (EARS).
“While improving campus mental health feels like a universal goal, many aspects of it are still stigmatized. It’s easier to talk about stress over a test than to admit you can’t get out of bed or take care of yourself. We ask each other how we’re doing, but we don’t always expect honest answers. And it’s still difficult to ask for mental health days or find consistent support from all professors,” she said.
Sahai said that Cornell students can find meaningful support through services like EARS but also just being there for each other.
“There is a lot of evidence that students turn to peers before formal therapy, which means we all have a role in supporting each other. It can be as simple as asking someone to expand on how they feel and actually listening. Sometimes people just want to be heard, to have a space to talk, and to form authentic relationships.”
Members of the Walk team: Crysal Howser, Cheyanne Scholl, Emily Georgia, and Stacy Ayres
Another speaker was Sandra Sorensen, executive director of the Finger Lakes chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness, who echoed Sahai’s plea to overcome stigma.
Sorensen related how her husband Michael, although the creative, sharp-minded, outwardly larger than life father of five and doctoral candidate at Cornell, died by suicide in 2021. Inside, she said, Michael dealt with bipolar and major depressive disorder.
“Stigma kept him from seeking help and forced him to continue to perform at his best,” she explained. “Michael didn’t talk about his mental health. We as a family didn’t talk about it either, as we were held to his silence and the stigma that he felt. We can look at the high achieving Michaels of Cornell and within our social circles and say, ‘Not them.’ But, ‘Yes, them.’ We need to talk about it. We need to check in on our friends and family.”
More than 500 AFSP Out of the Darkness Walks are held across the country each year. Besides raising funds, the Walks send a message that “suicide is preventable, and no one is alone,” and help build a community around mental health. They show solidarity and bring hope for suicide attempt survivors or loss survivors.
Among the participants in the 2026 Cornell Walk were 12 fundraising teams, with Alpha Gamma Rho bringing in the most funds, $920. Other top teams included Cornell CARE, Team Hope, Stronger Together, and the Cornell Out of the Darkness Planning Committee. Michell Moyal collected $1,227 in donations, becoming the top individual fundraiser.
For the Honor Beads ceremony
Participants were provided with “honor beads,” necklaces in vibrant colors signifying their connection to the suicide prevention cause—white for the loss of a child, red for the loss of a spouse or partner, gold for the loss of a parent, orange for the loss of a sibling, purple for the loss of a friend or relative, silver for the loss of a first responder or military member, green for personal attempt or struggle, teal for someone who struggles or has attempted suicide, blue for supporting the cause, and rainbow for the LGBTQ+ community.
Why Do You Walk?
Cornellians left messages on the “Why Do You Walk” wall:
Talk about it! PLEASE!
Ask for help
To show up for those who could not for themselves
YOU ARE LOVED!
In memory of Nick Budney
For my best friend Holly
Give healing 1 more try
For myself and my brother. You are not alone!
To remind myself that I am not alone!
For Jack. I miss you!
A light to guide through the darkness—Batman
My Uncle Tim
For the friends I almost lost. There is hope beyond the darkness.
To give someone hope
You deserve to be here
Compassion
This year’s sponsors were: Suicide Prevention and Crisis Services of Tompkins County; NY FarmNet; Halco Home Solutions; Be Kind Ithaca; Free Hugs Ithaca; and Rosie’s Café and Parlor.
Sandra Sorensen and Kathy Taylor
Darrell Harrington and Samantha Shoemaker
Big Red Bear, Cornell Batman & Friends
Empathy Assistance, and Referral Service
Photo credits: Zoe Phemister-Jimenez and Crystal Howser
If you or someone you know feels the need to speak with a mental health professional, you can call or text the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 9-8-8, or contact the Crisis Text Line by texting HOME to 741-741.
Besides finishing up Spring semester, a team of Cornell University volunteers has another goal: getting fellow Cornellians to open up about their mental health and to utilize support resources if they need them.
Students participating in the 2025 AFSP Campus Walk at Cornell
The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention’s fourth annual “Out of the Darkness” Campus Walk at Cornell will take place on Sunday April 26. The committee of volunteers led by chief organizer Cheyanne Scholl includes Cornell staff, students, and faculty along with community members.
“The walk aims to improve the visibility of mental and physical health resources on the Ithaca campus while also reminding all members of campus that they are not alone if they are struggling,” said Scholl.
“As a student-facing manager on campus, I constantly hear about how stressed and overworked these students are and they continue to stretch themselves thinner and thinner,” Scholl added.
“We need to continue talking about mental health and make sure they know where to turn when things feel too big and too hard to manage. The walk benefits campus by starting conversations about suicide prevention and mental health as well as providing a wide array of potential resources to turn to when you need them most.”
Disha, one of the student organizers, stresses the benefits of raising awareness on campus.
“Most people here don’t talk about mental health,” she said. “We aren’t really taught how to stay on top of our mental health nor do people realize how to use the services. People act like they are never sad or upset, even though that’s totally normal. Mental health needs to be talked about more.”
The 2023, 2024, and 2025 Cornell Campus Walks brought participation from hundreds of students, faculty, and staff and raised more than $50,000 for AFSP research and programming. The goal this year is to collect $15,000 in donations.
More than 500 AFSP Out of the Darkness walks are held across the country each year. Besides raising funds, the walks send a message that “suicide is preventable, and no one is alone,” and help build a community around mental health. They show solidarity and bring hope for suicide attempt survivors or loss survivors.
Fundraising or donating are not requirements to take part in the Campus Walk; everyone from the Cornell community and beyond is welcome.
The event starts at 11 a.m. in Barton Hall with Campus Walk check-ins; a mental health resource fair featuring local and campus health providers; yard games; a raffle with donated items from local and campus businesses; a memorial and positivity sticky note wall; snacks including cotton candy and popcorn, and more.
At 12 Noon the kickoff ceremony will commence with speakers, and an honor bead ceremony to commemorate lost loved ones and lived experiences. Speakers include Nambita Sahai, co-president of Cornell’s Empathy, Assistance & Referral Service (EARS); and Sandra Sorensen, executive director of NAMI Finger Lakes based in Ithaca.
Walkers will follow an accessible two-mile route through the center of the beautiful Cornell campus. It is for people of all fitness levels and abilities. Participants may also walk/roll on Barton Hall’s indoor track.
Sponsors of this year’s Cornell Campus Walk include: Suicide Prevention and Crisis Services of Tompkins County; NY FarmNet; Halco Home Solutions; Be Kind Ithaca; Free Hugs Ithaca; and Taste of Thai Express.
If you or someone you know feels the need to speak with a mental health professional, you can call or text the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 9-8-8, or contact the Crisis Text Line by texting HOME to 741-741.
The Mental Health Support and Crisis Services resource for Tompkins County has been updated for 2026.
The guide is a hyperlinked listing of essential local services for suicide prevention, psychotherapy, addiction recovery, sexual assault and domestic violence, and support groups. Click on the links for more detailed information about available services and programs.
The Sophie Fund is sponsoring free registration—and free continuing education credits (CEUs)—for healthcare professionals in Tompkins County to attend a two-day online training in suicide prevention featuring many leading experts.
It is organized by The Wellness Institute, which says attendees “will receive direct guidance from intervention developers, current updates into emerging suicide prevention challenges, and concrete steps to work with clients at risk with greater confidence, competence, and clarity.”
The training will cover primary treatments for suicidality such as Cognitive Behavior Therapy for Suicide Prevention (CBT-SP) and Dialectal Behavior Therapy (DBT) as well as brief interventions including Attempted Suicide Short Intervention Program (ASSIP) and Collaborative Assessment and Management of Suicidality (CAMS). The program includes a session devoted to treating suicidality in youth. (See full program, below.)
Free registration with free continuing education credits for physicians, primary care clinicians, health and mental health clinicians, and clinical social workers serving Tompkins County is supported by a grant from The Sophie Fund.
To request a registration code for free registration, healthcare professionals can email The Sophie Fund at thesophiefund2016@gmail.com providing their 1) name, 2) email address, 3) degree level, and 4) place of employment (or name and address of practice, if self-employed).
Scott MacLeod, co-founder of The Sophie Fund, said his organization’s sponsorship of the Wellness Institute program for the fifth year in a row is intended to advance suicide prevention with local healthcare providers. Thus far, The Sophie Fund has provided the free training for 220 clinicians in Tompkins County, including the counseling center staffs of Cornell University and Ithaca College.
Zero Suicide is an emerging standard designed to save lives by closing gaps in the suicide care offered by healthcare providers. The model provides a practical framework for system-wide quality improvement in areas including training staff in current best practices, identifying at-risk individuals through comprehensive screening and assessment, engaging at-risk patients with effective care management, evidence-based treatments, and safe care transition.
Anja Gysin-Maillar, PhD; Craig Bryan, PsyD, ABPP; Raymond Tucker, PhD
Youth Interventions: ABFT vs. IPT-A vs. DBT-A
Guy Diamond, PhD; Alec Miller, PsyD; Anat Brunstein-Klomek, PhD’ Jonathan Singer, PhD, LCSW
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 11, 1-5 P.M. EST
Joining the Client in the Dark: Leaning into Empathy Rather than Fear
Stacey Freedenthal, PhD
The Silent Partner: Addressing Substance Use in Suicide Prevention
Arwen Podesta, MD
AI, Chatbots, and Apps: Implications in Clinical Care
John Torous, MD, MBI
Self Care is Not a Luxury: Techniques for Protecting Against Vicarious Trauma
Jeffrey Barnett, PhD
Trigger Warning: Re-framing Firearm Counseling from “Restriction” to “Safety”
Emmy Betz, MD, MPH
Crisis-Ready: Preparing a Suicide-Safe Practice
Jill Harkavy-Friedman, PhD
In Practice: Effective Solutions to Unique Situations (Bridging the Gap between Theory and Implementation)
Jill Harkavy-Friedman, PhD; Jennifer Hartstein, PsyD
Learning Objectives
Describe two research-based models for understanding suicide, identify motivations for suicide and their implications in clinical treatment.
Describe evidence-based interventions DBT and CBT-SP for suicide ideation and behaviors and how to apply each approach to clinical cases.
Describe evidence-based brief suicide interventions, ASSIP, CAMS, and BCBT and how to apply each approach to clinical cases.
Describe evidence-based suicide interventions for youth, ABFT, DBT, and IPT-A and how to apply each approach to clinical cases.
Differentiate client-centered care from defensive practice in treating individuals with suicide ideation and/or behavior.
Describe how mental health apps and AI-enabled chatbots are currently being used in clinical care. Review their evidence base, limitations, and risks related to safety, bias, and clinical validity.
Apply practical frameworks to assess digital tools and suggest ways to communicate the risks and benefits to patients.
Describe a screening process that detects substance use disorders and co-morbid risk for suicide.
Explain the importance of ongoing self-care to maintain clinical effectiveness when treating suicidal patients and outline an effective self-care plan.
Describe how language impacts delivery of firearm suicide prevention messaging or counseling and three preferred terms relevant to firearm suicide prevention.
Identify suicide risk factors and warning signs and describe key steps for preparing one’s clinical practice to respond effectively to individuals expressing suicidal ideation.
Analyze complex cases and apply practical, evidence-informed strategies to effectively manage suicide ideation and behaviors in clinical practice
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