Partnering With You to Prevent Suicide

In December 2021, Kathleen Kilbourne joined CHL full time as our new Executive Director.  Below is a message from Kathleen from CHL's January newsletter:

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As the new Executive Director of the Center of Health and Learning, I want to introduce myself and share how I came to this leadership role.

I have served in public education for the past 28 years--as a teacher and a principal. After seeing the mental health needs of our children daily, I knew that I wanted to get closer to the root causes of what was making school difficult for our young people, budding adults, and their families. I chose to move into the work of Suicide Prevention, Education, and Awareness with intentionality and purpose. First, the Covid pandemic caused us to pause to consider the relationships in our lives, what we need and want, and to appreciate the gift of time that not all of us were afforded in the past three years of illness and sometimes loss of life. Second, I had a loved one who ended his life by suicide, and I had no idea how much he was hurting and struggling until it was too late for me to help or support him. Lastly, changing career paths made me examine my “WHY” and my passions in life carefully. These three lived experiences brought me to the leadership role at CHL in the crucial work of service to bring hope, resources, and support to those with mental health needs and those who strive for wellness and healthy balance during these turbulent times.

The Center of Health and Learning fills multiple needs in Vermont and beyond suicide prevention, awareness, and education. This month we would like to update you on our  Free and Low-Cost Umatter® Suite of Trainings.  We offer a Umatter® 90 min awareness training monthly via Zoom. We can even come to your agency, school, or business to create an Awareness training for your specific audience. For example, recently, we have given one of these basic intro classes to a group of pharmacists and an administrative team in a school. We will be training a group of 100 construction workers in the spring on their job site. We are a team of trainers who can adjust and accommodate your specific training needs with our evidence-based materials. We can meet you where you are and provide technical assistance and further training for those who would like a more systematic approach or protocol at their place of employment or school.  

EVERYONE, yes, even YOU, should have a basic understanding of how to help save a life! I liken our “Umatter® 90-minute Suicide Awareness Training” to taking a basic CPR class. You do not have to be a registered nurse to take CPR and save a life. Anyone can be trained to do this medical intervention, and it does make a difference in public health outcomes! The same goes for Mental Health. Anyone can be trained in a few basic steps of what to do and where to go to help someone in a mental health crisis or difficult times. You need NOT be a counselor or clinician to save a life! We train you on the myths about suicide, share recent data about its prevalence, and how to interrupt the crisis with support and care while accessing the needed resources more formally. You, too, can SAVE A LIFE with this 90-minute training opportunity! 

We look forward to seeing you at one of our upcoming Umatter® training sessions. 

Feel free to contact me directly at 802 251 6561 if you want more information or are interested in an Awareness training tailored to your specific audience.

In hope and partnership,

Kathleen Kilbourne (she/her) Why is this important?
Executive Director
Center for Health and Learning
(802)251-6561
Kathleen@healthandlearning.org

The Board of Directors at the Center for Health and Learning has named Kathleen Kilbourne, M.Ed., of Vergennes, Vermont, as the new Executive Director at the Center for Health and Learning. 

Kilbourne’s background as an innovative educator and principal in Vermont, combined with her passion for education and trauma-informed practices that improve resilience and health, will help advance the Center for Health and Learning's mission. CHL recently celebrated its 23rd anniversary. 

“We are delighted to welcome Kathleen as a new Executive Director,” says Frank Dike, Board of Directors President. “She brings tremendous competency and leadership, and her more than 30 years of experience as an educator makes her highly qualified to lead the Center for Health and Learning as we work to improve outcomes in public health and prevention. We feel lucky to have found her and look forward to welcoming her to the helm of our organization.”

When Kilbourne assumes the role in mid-October, she will oversee all programming at the Center for Health and Learning (CHL), an organization known for its commitment to supporting mental health in Vermont through practice improvement, development of educational resources, projects, and community programs, such as Umatter® Suicide Prevention. Kilbourne will also direct CHL fundraising programs and marketing while driving community engagement initiatives that aim to increase CHL’s strong strategic partnership initiatives. Kathleen will be responsible for growing CHL’s online e-commerce to advance the work and mission of the organization while keeping the financial health of the organization strong.

“I am thrilled to join the team at CHL,” says Kilbourne. “As both an advocate and an innovator in public education and community health, I aspire to create more opportunities that offer optimal health for all.”

Kilbourne succeeds JoEllen Tarallo, Ed.D., who has grown and led CHL for 18 years. Tarallo has been the face of CHL and has carried the organization through the pandemic most capably. She remains invested in its growth and the relationships she cultivated during her tenure at CHL. Tarallo will devote her energy and efforts to promoting the Umatter® suite of training and products to a national audience, and she will remain a member of the CHL team.

“I look forward to learning from JoEllen and following in the footsteps of her tremendous leadership to continue to build the organization's reputability and service orientation, " says Kilbourne.

“CHL is poised for a terrific next chapter,” says Tarallo. “Along with the Board, I am committed to ensuring its success and am delighted to watch Kathleen continue to advance its mission.”