About Us

Our Mission

On July 25, 2001, in the space of a moment, Kathleen Wakefield’s life changed forever when a police chaplain knocked on her door and informed her that her 21 year-old son, Jake, had died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Jake’s suicide gave Kathleen a new life goal, “It is my deepest desire to honor Jake’s life by educating teens and young adults about depression and suicide.”

I NEED A LIGHTHOUSE (INAL) was established by Kathleen in 2001 to carry out the following mission:
To significantly reduce the loss and suffering from youth depression, suicide and suicidal behavior in communities throughout the region. INAL will be the leading provider of education programs that increase the community’s awareness of the serious consequences associated with depression and suicide among teens and young-adults, and make it easy for at-risk youth to seek and obtain help.

Suicide Affects Thousands

Each year in the United States, more than 30,000 lives are cut short by suicide. That means that suicide ends one life every 17 minutes. For every life lost, thousands more are affected by the loss of a child, parent, friend or co-worker. Suicide is the third leading cause of death for young people (ages 10-24). According to the National Institute of Mental Health, “more teenagers and young adults die from suicide than from cancer, heart disease, AIDS, birth defects, stroke, pneumonia and influenza, and chronic lung disease – COMBINED.”

Research has identified risk factors for suicide, providing hope for treatment and prevention. The 2001 National Strategy for Suicide Prevention, published by the US Department of Health and Human Services gives a comprehensive list of risk factors for suicide, including: mood disorders, and other psychological disorders, alcohol and substance abuse disorders, and social isolation. Untreated, depression has been identified as the leading cause of suicide.

Depression is treatable, suicide is not. We must focus on prevention, addressing depression and related risk factors. Through education and prevention, we can save lives and prevent needless suffering. I NEED A LIGHTHOUSE is committed to educating teens and young adults about depression and suicide in order to create a network of informed support around those at-risk and ultimately to save lives.

Testimonials

"Through the diligent efforts of Kathy Wakefield's I Need a Lighthouse, Virginia Beach teens are educated about the realities of depression and suicide. Informed students are our first line of defense in the battle to prevent the needless suffering and loss of life associated with teen depression. I applaud Lighthouses' important work in our city".
Jim Spore
City Manager
City of Virginia Beach

“I Need a Lighthouse works to ensure that teenagers and others have an understating of mental health and the symptoms of depression in order to assist them in realizing that they or their friends may need help. They identify sources of help and support to minimize the risk that depression may claim lives, especially young ones. As School Board Chairman for Virginia Beach and the father of a daughter who took her life I appreciate the work of I Need a Lighthouse and I support their efforts.”
Dan Edwards
Chairman
Virginia Beach School Board

I Need A Lighthouse’s Accomplishments in 2009-2010

· Shared our message of depression awareness and suicide prevention with over 4,500 Virginia Beach High School students through educational presentations to 10^th graders.

· In partnership with NAMI, launched a new program to establish Lighthouse Psychology Clubs in local high schools. These clubs work to reduce the stigma of mental disorders through education and awareness, while offering students information about careers in mental health. To date, 3 have been founded with plans for 2 more in the coming year.

· Hosted over 300 students at two teen conferences addressing the issues of bullying and the biological roots of mental wellness.

· Trained 98 Virginia Beach police officers and 46 sheriff’s deputies as part of the county’s Crisis Intervention Team program, which prepares officers to respond effectively to residents with mental health issues.

· Trained 87 Virginia Beach 911 operators in depression awareness and suicide prevention.

Have these efforts been effective?

Yes! Outcome measurements are built into our education and prevention efforts. Evaluation responses from students participating in the high school presentations indicate the positive impact of our hard work:

· 93% of participants indicated they learned new facts about depression and suicide.

· 96% indicated that they understand the connection between depression and suicide.

· 92% indicated they know how to reach out to a friend who is depressed.

A Beacon of Hope

INAL’s message is getting to those who need to hear it. It is critically important in these unusual times that we continue to reach out to our youth. As many families bear the burden of financial difficulties, military deployments or divorce, the stress of the situation trickles down to each family member. These issues create additional anxiety for our young people who are already facing the challenges of

growing up in a complex society. INAL is on the front lines educating young people and saving lives.

INAL’s Plan

To achieve its mission, INAL will focus its activities on four key strategic objectives:

Provide and promote targeted education and awareness programs that reach (i) the largest number of teens and young-adults in Virginia, and (ii) those people and organizations that can influence and help at-risk youth.
Provide and promote easy access to crisis hotlines and other channels where at-risk youth can seek and obtain help.
Create strategic alliances with other community-based organizations and legislative groups that can support and help INAL achieve its mission.
Create and manage an effective organization that has sufficient resources to carryout its education programs.

INAL will focus on three demographic segments within the teen and young-adult communities in Hampton Roads:

Early-Teens - Ages 10-14

Teens - Ages 15-18

Young Adults - Ages 19-24

This segmentation allows for targeted messages appropriate for each age group, and corresponds directly with the public and private school system (middle and high schools), making it easier for presentation delivery.

INAL recognizes that it also needs to target those individuals and groups that can influence the behavior of teens and young-adults. These will include such groups as parents, teachers, school counselors, medical professionals, church groups and peer youth groups.

The goal of INAL’s educational programs is to provide accurate and useful information that will reduce the stigma associated with depression and suicide, and stimulate individuals to seek (or provide) help. The programs are designed to deliver four key messages:

Depression and suicidal tendencies are common among teens and young-adults. It is not something one should be ashamed of – YOU ARE NOT ALONE
Furthermore, it is a temporary condition that is treatable – YOU CAN GET THROUGH THIS AND LIVE A HAPPY LIFE.
There are people who care and want to help you through this difficult time (family, friends, professionals) – SEEK THEIR HELP.
INAL is here to provide you with information on depression and suicide and to assist you in getting help for yourself or a loved one – LEARN WHAT YOU CAN DO.

INAL has found that the most effective means for creating awareness and educating audiences is through personal presentations. However, INAL will further extend the reach of its target audience by delivering its core message and educational material through multiple promotional channels, including printed brochures, media advertising, the Internet, an educational DVD, events and conferences, public relations and a newsletter. It will also create strategic alliances with other community-based organizations and legislative groups that can support and help achieve INAL’s mission.