Get Social Health talks to Dr. April C. Foreman (or @DocForeman to her healthcare social media crew). She is a Licensed Psychologist serving Veterans in Louisiana as a Suicide Prevention Coordinator for the Southeast Louisiana Veterans Health Care System. Prior to that she worked as the only Licensed Psychologist providing care in the four of the sickest and poorest counties of rural Kansas. Dr. Foreman received her Ph.D. from Texas Tech University in 2005.

DocForeman’s mission in life is to relieve pain, one person, one problem, one minute at a time if she has to. She is known for her practical experience using innovations in emerging technology to solve problems for patients with severe emotional pain.

Our conversation, while about a very serious subject was not without humor, an essential element in dealing with people with suicidal thoughts. ”

You can find DocForeman on Facebook (April Foreman), and on Twitter, where she moderates a weekly Twitter Chat on Suicide Prevention and Social Media (#SPSM). SPSM chat is a project designed to build and spread expertise in the intersection of social media and suicide prevention. A weekly guest expert or targeted discussion topic is featured each week, and targeted at a diverse and multidisciplinary group of stake holders in this field. Each week’s chat is curated, creating a centralized and searchable body of expertise and thought leadership. You can find it here.

Visit our resources page for more valuable (and free!) resources on social media and digital health:

• American Association of Suicidology
• New Partnership Between Facebook and the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
• How to report suicidal content/threats on Facebook
• Ed Bennett – Mayo Clinic Social Media Network
• Tony Wood – Midwest Computer Solutions
• 4chan – An Hero story

Social Media Tip:

From Dana Harris with REX/UNC Healthcare: “Talk to people” -engage on a personal level.