Silence Isn’t Safety: Why We Must Talk About Suicide

Topic: Silence Isn't Safety: Why We Must Talk About Suicide

Description: Over 50,000 Americans die by suicide every year in the United States and many of them are working in business or corporate America. Suicidal behavior is almost never addressed until either a serious attempt has occurred or a crisis that disrupts an individual’s personal and professional life significantly. A suicide death in the workplace may have profound repercussions for those who are work colleagues, leaving those who are exposed and impacted with poor health outcomes and risk for suicide as well. This one-hour training provides a necessary and candid discussion with three local professionals about the burden of suicide and what leaders and HR professionals may be able to do to equip themselves and their companies to address the upstream risk of suicide. Stigma creates a barrier for creating more caring environments and preventing help seeking among those who are struggling. The stories of loss, suicidal ideation, and attempt are woven into a hopeful message for HR managers and leaders who want to equip themselves to address this serious workforce problem.

Learning Objectives: 

Speakers: Bruce Simpson, Greg Horn and Dr. Melinda Moore

Speaker: Bruce Simpson

Bruce Simpson is a civil trial lawyer in Lexington, Kentucky, with 42 years of experience. He has practiced with two of Kentucky’s largest law firms and now manages his own firm. Bruce’s practice focuses on litigation relating to civil rights and land use law. He has consistently maintained an active pro bono practice, including several high-profile cases, one of which featured on the CBS national news program, “60 Minutes.” He has served as president of numerous non-profit civic organizations, including the Fayette County Bar Association, the Children's Advocacy Center of the Bluegrass, and Prevent Child Abuse Kentucky. Bruce obtained a Bachelor's, Master's, and Law degree from the University of Kentucky. He is also a United States Army infantry veteran, having received an Honorable Discharge.

For the past 2 1/2 years, Bruce has openly discussed his secret, lifelong battle with untreated depression and suicidal ideation, which culminated in his suicide attempt in 2023. He has often presented before veterans’ groups, mental health conferences, and the Kentucky Bar Association. Bruce’s story has been widely disseminated via video podcasts, and he has written extensively about his mental health struggles in legal periodicals. His article, titled “Coming Back,” was the cover story for the December 2023 edition of the American Bar Association’s national magazine, the ABA Journal.

In 2025, Bruce completed training to become a certified adult peer support specialist. He frequently communicates about mental health and suicide prevention issues on LinkedIn and Facebook, where he also shares his personal cell phone number and email address for anyone struggling with their mental health or contemplating suicide to contact him. As a result, in the last 18 months, he has spoken with people from all over the United States and ten foreign countries. Bruce does not charge for these calls or any of his suicide prevention advocacy.

Speaker: Greg Horn

For over 25 years, Greg has been motivating and encouraging others through their painful failures and coaching them toward their true potential. Prior to 1997, Greg’s life was going as planned. He was the assistant basketball coach at Western Kentucky University where he assisted in coaching a four-year losing streak into 21 wins. He married and started his own business in Cynthiana, Kentucky where he received the Chamber of Commerce Business Person of the Year Award, Volunteer of the Year, and the Kiwanis Club Community Service Award. Things were going very well. Then on March 1, 1997 flood waters came to the small town of Cynthiana and wiped out hundreds of homes and businesses, including Greg’s grocery store causing almost $2 million in damages. Without flood insurance, he was later forced into bankruptcy causing him to lose his business and his home that was used as collateral. As if that wasn’t bad enough, his wife also asked for a divorce. Greg hit rock bottom. But, he learned and survived from these major life challenges and now shares with audiences how he overcame these losses and moved forward to a rewarding life. Greg now speaks to audiences about failure and how to “Fail Forward!” His ability to move an audience to action is what he does best. He is an energetic, articulate, and spirited entrepreneur with a consistent record of contribution to individual and organizational development, new concept planning, and TEAM leadership management.

With a broad and diversified background in athletics, business, and non-profit management, Greg began coaching individuals and consulting other business owners. He also produced and hosted his own sports talk radio show.

In 2017, Greg started a non-profit called “HOPE is Here” to help address the alarming increase in the national suicide rates. As part of this endeavor, he communicates a message of hope through a daily radio program/podcast. In addition to the thousands that listened live on the radio, more than 120,000 podcasts have been downloaded. Greg welcomes the opportunity to speak to organizations, non-profits, and churches about creating awareness about suicide and its prevention.

One of New York Times Best-selling authors, John C. Maxwell, featured Greg’s story in his book, "Failing Forward, Turning Mistakes Into Stepping Stones for Success." Greg certainly learned that "it’s not what happens to you, but what happens in you." He’s a walking success and wants to help you overcome adversity in your life as well.

Speaker: Dr. Melinda Moore

Dr. Melinda Moore is a Professor in the Department of Psychology at Eastern Kentucky University (EKU) in Richmond, Kentucky, and part of the core faculty for the EKU Clinical Psychology doctoral program. She routinely trains clinicians in the empirically supported, suicide-focused treatment framework, the Collaborative Assessment and Management of Suicidality (CAMS) and is in private practice in Lexington, Kentucky. Dr. Moore works at the intersection of faith and suicide prevention.  She published The Suicide Funeral: Honoring their Memory, Comforting their Survivors and After the Suicide Funeral: Wisdom on the Path to Posttraumatic Growth (both Wipf & Stock) with her co-editor Rabbi Dan Roberts. She conducts suicide bereavement research at Eastern Kentucky University with an emphasis on Posttraumatic Growth. Her research is an outgrowth of her own experience with suicide loss. Dr. Moore received her PhD from The Catholic University of America.

Registration Deadline: Due to venue catering requirements, registration for in-person attendance closes at midnight 7 days prior to the event. Virtual participation registration closes at midnight 1 day prior to the event. 

Location: Mane on Main, 201 E Main St #1500, Lexington, KY 40507 (Validated parking is reserved in the Chase Tower Parking Garage)

Parking Map: Mane on Main Parking Map

Virtual: Login details will be sent to all attendees prior to the meeting, up to 24 hours in advance.

Schedule of Events:

11:15 am - 11:45 am: Registration, Networking, & Lunch
11:45 am - 12:00 pm: Business Meeting Update

12:00 pm - 1:00 pm:  Presentation

*PENDING for one (1.0) PDCs with SHRM and HRCI.

Parking: CHASE TOWER PARKING GARAGE. Validated parking is attached and easy to access! A validated parking ticket will be provided to you at registration. To exit, scan the ticket you received upon entry and then scan the validated ticket for payment. 

This month's meeting is sponsored by:

If you wish to sponsor future events, please contact Caroline at publicrelations@bgshrm.org for a 2025 Sponsorship Packet.

Premier Sponsor:

Transfer and Refund Policy

BGSHRM strives to provide quality events that are educational in content and rich in networking opportunities. We place emphasis on the humans in Human Resources and value the shared experience of our peers and comrades who are working to create safe and productive environments for their employees. We have designed chapter meeting fees to be as low as possible. 

Because of rising costs in our community, your regular member registration fee covers the program related expenses and is not a fundraiser for the chapter.  As such, all payments for registration to BGSHRM events are non-refundable. If an event must be rescheduled by the chapter (i.e. severe weather in which travel is prohibited or impractical, our community is placed under pandemic restrictions, etc), we will apply your payment to a future event.

If you are unable to attend a meeting, you may request a transfer to another scheduled event or you may gift your registration to the current event to someone else following the guidelines below. To make a transfer request, please email communications@bgshrm.org.

• If the transfer request is made before 7 calendar days in advance of the event you may transfer your registration to another scheduled event or gift your registration to the current event to someone else.
• If the transfer request is made within 7 calendar days in advance of the event, you may gift your registration to someone else. This is a wonderful way to introduce your peers, managers, or leaders to ideas and information that will benefit your organization (and help them understand that HR is a strategy-based role)!
• If you cannot attend in person, you may utilize the Zoom link sent to all registered attendees to join us online. Event links are sent to your registered email address, please check your spam folders or email filtering systems as we do not honor transfer requests for "lost links." 
• Individuals who have registered to attend online may not switch to in-person after registration has closed as that is the cutoff date required by the venue for event planning.
• No transfer requests made after the event has passed will be considered.