NIEAPA Labor Committee Presents

Suicide: Knowledge to Aid Prevention (3.0 CEU)
Friday, September 19, 2025 • 12:30pm - 4:00pm

Graciously hosted by
International Brotherhood of Electric Workers Union Local Chapter 701!

Join us for this exciting event!

Dan will present an overview regarding the progression of historical perceptions, stigma, and efforts by society to dissuade suicide.  He will discuss how the manner in which we absorb this information shapes our understanding of suicide and mental health.  Dan will then focus on risk factors, warning signs, characteristics of suicidality, as well as, protective factors and lethal means safety to aid in efforts to effectively intervene and limiting suicide as an option.  

PRESENTATION OBJECTIVES:

• Gain an understanding of historical perceptions and stigma of suicide, and efforts to dissuade it
• Expand awareness on conditions and circumstances linked with suicide
• Identify inherent characteristics we possess and the strengths they offer
• Learn that to prevent suicide we must educate and train ourselves on multiple levels

PRESENTER

Daniel DeGryse
Battalion Chief (Ret.), Chicago
Consultant, DCD Consulting

Dan is a nationally recognized leader in first responders’ behavioral health and peer support programming.  A retired Battalion Chief from the Chicago Fire Department and former coordinator of the Chicago Firefighters Union Employee Assistance Program, Dan has spent four decades in the clinical arena while advancing mental health awareness, crisis intervention, and substance use recovery among first responders. He now serves as a consultant for Recovery Ways, Responder Strong, NVFC, and other first responder organizations where he offers his expertise towards training, curriculum development, and connects emergency personnel with culturally competent care. Dan is a sought-after speaker and trainer, known for blending professional expertise with lived experience, practical strategies, and deep compassion. His work has shaped peer support systems across North America.

REGISTRATION RATES:

General Admission - FREE