The Wellness Universe’s “Take My Hand Support Series” features interviews with guest speakers on suicide awareness and prevention. It provides resources, education, and empowers individuals, providers, and communities.

Take My Hand: Outreach and Care for Our Military Families – Survivors of Grief, Tragedy, and LossEach year, over 6,400 U.S. veterans and more than 500 active-duty service members die by suicide. Veterans face a 58% higher risk than civilians (VA 2024, DoD 2023–24), leaving behind thousands of bereaved military suicide-loss survivors in the U.S. In this Take My Hand Support Series event, “Outreach and Care for Our Military Families,” host Jean Voice Dart interviews Dr. Carla Stumpf Patton, Vice President of TAPS, and psychotherapist Ilene Dillon, who share expert insight, lived experience, and healing pathways. A portion of proceeds from this event supports TAPS, providing free 24/7 care to military survivors. Please join us. 

HOST:
Jean Voice Dart, M.S., RMT, CATP, Expressive Arts Psychotherapist of nearly fifty years, has lost multiple family members to suicide. She is an international best-selling author who has worked closely with children and adults with special needs, helping them feel, reveal, and heal. Jean is a certified teacher, coach, and therapist specializing in grief, trauma, and chronic pain.

Link for Jean Voice Dart: https://www.thewellnessuniverse.com/world-changers/jeanvoicedart

EVENT SCHEDULE
Join the live sessions at Noon ET / 9 AM PT
2025: July 12, Sept 13, Nov 8
2026: Jan 10, March 14, May 9, July 11

Register here: https://bit.ly/WUTakeMyHandSupportSeries

SEPTEMBER EVENT GOALS
• Gain tools, resources, tips, and techniques for supporting our military families experiencing loss of a family member.
• Hear actionable steps for those transitioning after loss.
• Identify signs when others need professional help, therapy, or additional resources to deal with grief, trauma, and death by suicide.
• Listen, ask questions, and connect with a supportive, safe community to access mental health tools for well-being and recovery.

GUEST SPEAKERS:
Dr. Carla Stumpf Patton, Ed.D., LMHC, NCC, FT, CCTP, serves as Vice President of Suicide Prevention, Intervention, & Postvention at Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS), supporting military families and communities impacted by suicide. A recognized expert in suicide, grief, and trauma, she consults with military and civilian leaders in prevention efforts. Carla is certified in suicide first aid (ASIST) and Psychological Autopsy Investigations. She holds advanced degrees in counseling psychology and mental health and is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor and Certified Fellow Thanatologist. Carla’s first husband, Sgt. Richard Stumpf, died by suicide in 1994. She is remarried to a fellow suicide-loss survivor, and they share five children.

Link for Dr. Carla Stumpf Patton: https://www.taps.org/staff

Ilene Dillon, MSW, LCSW, LMFT, is a psychotherapist, author, and international speaker who has helped thousands transform their lives over five decades. A survivor of childhood abandonment, incest, and abuse, Ilene draws on her lived experience and clinical insight to teach others how to work with emotions as built-in guides for healing and growth. Her “System for Living” empowers individuals to navigate life using emotional intelligence. As a military dependent, she lived in eleven homes and attended fourteen schools before graduating high school—giving her a deep understanding of resilience and adaptation. An eight-time Amazon best-selling author, Ilene’s latest book is Emotions in Motion: Mastering Life’s Built-in Navigation System.

Link for Ilene Dillon: https://www.thewellnessuniverse.com/world-changers/ilenedillon/

NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION – TAPS
TAPS (Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors), founded in 1994, offers 24/7 support at no cost to all military survivors, regardless of the circumstances. It has served over 120,000 families since its creation. In 2024, 8,911 new survivors connected with TAPS, averaging 24 daily, marking its busiest year: 37% lost loved ones to illness, 29% to suicide, and 3% to hostile action. Services include the TAPS Helpline, nationwide grief programs, trauma-informed resources, and peer-based healing via the TAPS Institute for Hope and Healing.

Link for TAPS: https://www.taps.org

EMERGENCY AND CRISIS RESOURCE LIST
If you or someone you know is struggling with thoughts of suicide, it is essential to seek help. Call, text, or chat 988 to speak with a trained crisis counselor who offers support 24/7/365.

Find more emergency resources here:The Wellness Universe Emergency and Crisis Resource List
https://www.thewellnessuniverse.com/emergency-and-crisis-resource-list/

PAST EVENTS
July 12, 2025 – Take My Hand: It’s OK to Not Be OK – Helping Kids Cope with Family LossHOST
Jean Voice Dart, MS, RMT, CATP, is an Expressive Arts Psychotherapist of nearly 50 years specializing in grief, trauma, and chronic pain.

EXPERT SPEAKERS
Dr. Mary Welsh, Co-Founder of Susie Q’s Kids is a suicide and grief session facilitator, speaker, and coach helping others cope with loss and adversity.

Carrie Hopkins-Doubts, PCC, author and founder of Life’s Next Chapter Coaching, who supports widowed individuals in rebuilding life after loss.

September 27, 2024 – Take My Hand: Supporting Youth

On September 27, guest speakers shared practical tools to prevent youth suicide, support sensitive teens, and foster trust—helping create a safer, more connected future. This impactful event launched the support series.

HOST
Lisa Bonta Sumii, LCSW, CMPC, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Certified Mental Performance Consultant®, known for her work in mental health and performance in sports.

EXPERT SPEAKERS
Judy Giovangelo, Advanced Grief Recovery Specialist and Founder of Ben Speaks, shared wisdom from her lived experience and guided participants in how to support empathic, sensitive teens.

Dr. Joshua Stein, Psychiatrist with PrairieCare, taught the CALM method to reduce access to lethal means, emphasizing the life-saving importance of “removing the how” to give time to uncover the “why.”

Gayle Nowak, Communication and Emotional Wellness Coach, offered strategies to help adults nurture deeper, trust-filled relationships with youth through self-awareness, healing, and authentic connection.