Ohio Suicide Prevention Foundation sets September virtual conference

The Ohio Suicide Prevention Foundation will host a virtual suicide prevention conference on Sept. 1, 2026, bringing together practitioners, advocates and people with lived experience for sessions on action, engagement and advocacy. The event will cover youth prevention, postvention, systems change, digital crisis intervention and ethical artificial intelligence.

Why it matters: - The conference is designed to give suicide prevention partners practical tools they can use in schools, communities, clinics and policy work. - OSPF is aiming to strengthen connections across the field at a time when suicide prevention efforts increasingly rely on coordinated public health, community and systems approaches. - The event is open to anyone committed to preventing suicide, widening access beyond a single profession or sector.

What happened: - The Ohio Suicide Prevention Foundation will host Together Forward: Action, Engagement & Advocacy in Suicide Prevention on Sept. 1, 2026. - The conference will be virtual and daylong. - OSPF said the event is for partners who want practical ideas, stronger connections and renewed energy for suicide prevention work. - Registration and additional information are available online.

The details: - The program will include keynote and breakout sessions, interactive conversations, a community showcase and opportunities for connection. - Eligible licensed professionals can earn continuing education credits. - Featured inspirational messages will come from Ohio State University Head Football Coach Ryan Day and University of Dayton Men’s Basketball Coach Anthony Grant. - Session topics will include youth and school-based prevention, community strategies, postvention, advocacy, systems change, digital crisis intervention, ethical artificial intelligence and whole-person mental health. - Other planned themes include public health and systems approaches, community empowerment, inclusive prevention, technology and innovation, and centering lived experience. - The International Association for Suicide Prevention will participate as a global partner and exhibitor. - The global partner role is intended to bring worldwide perspective, content and speakers to the conversation.

Between the lines: - OSPF is positioning the conference as both a training event and a morale boost for people working in suicide prevention. - The inclusion of ethical artificial intelligence and digital crisis intervention signals that the field is expanding beyond traditional in-person services. - Bringing together clinicians, educators, first responders, policymakers, advocates and people with lived experience reflects a broader systems view of suicide prevention. - OSPF CEO Tony Coder said participants should leave with tools they can use and a reminder that they are not doing the work alone.

What's next: - OSPF will continue to promote the Sept. 1 virtual conference ahead of the event. - Participants who register will be able to access the sessions and connection opportunities online. - The conference is expected to help shape future conversations around advocacy, innovation and community-based prevention.

The bottom line: - OSPF is using a virtual conference to push suicide prevention toward more practical, collaborative and technology-aware strategies.