On April 24, 2025, the Impacted Survivors team—Kristina Faulkner, Tina Chevalier, and Michael Vinton—presented their topic, “The Combination No One Wants to Talk About: Murder-Suicides,” to a packed room of attendees. This presentation was part of the Massachusetts Department of Public Health’s annual Suicide Prevention Conference, held just outside the Boston area. More than 200 mental health professionals, educators, and survivors from across the state attended the two-day event. These conferences are vital not only for professional growth but also for fostering a culture of empathy, awareness, and proactive change around mental health and suicide prevention.
ISMS was honored to be selected to participate in such an important event—not just to attend, but to educate. The MA DPH conference marked the first in-person event the team had the privilege of presenting at. Until now, most of their presentations had been virtual, held via Zoom or webinar. Every opportunity to speak and raise awareness about murder-suicide is welcomed, but presenting in person brings a new level of connection—and raises the stakes.
As attendees began filing into the conference room on the morning of April 24, the atmosphere was filled with hope and curiosity—for both the audience and the presenters. In what seemed like moments, the room filled to capacity. Originally, only 51 people had registered for the session, but by the time it began, an estimated 80 attendees had joined—eager to learn, to listen, and to ask meaningful questions.
To say the team felt overwhelmed with joy would be an understatement. They worked tirelessly to fine-tune the presentation, adapting past material to resonate in a live setting. Their goal was to deliver the facts, the heart, and the education in a way that was both informative and grounded in lived experience. The audience was fully engaged—soaking in every word.
Post-event surveys reflected the impact of their presentation:
- How would you rate this session? 4.9
- Presenter’s level of knowledge and expertise: 4.9
- Presenter’s ability to communicate key concepts and skills: 4.9
- Presenter’s responsiveness to questions: 4.9
(Scores based on a scale of 1 to 5, with 1 being poor and 5 being excellent.)
To top it all off, this was the first time the ISMS team had met in person. Having only ever connected online, the trio finally shared hugs that had been delayed since their first virtual meeting. It’s truly remarkable what three people can accomplish through countless Zoom sessions, phone calls, and email threads.
This presentation was more than just a chance to raise awareness about murder-suicides—it was a moment of unity. A moment to share, to embrace, and to connect.
Impacted Survivors of Murder-Suicide would like to extend heartfelt thanks to the Massachusetts Department of Public Health and the AdCare Educational Institute—not only for including us in such a powerful and impactful two-day conference, but also for bringing our team together in person for the very first time. It was an experience we’ll never forget, and we will remain forever grateful.
