Sherry Burkhard

I struggled with my mental health as a youth, and it was a nurse who was instrumental in me getting the help I needed. As a result, I pursued a career in nursing by obtaining a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from TCU. I remain a licensed registered nurse and have worked in multiple psychiatric settings and levels of mental health care. Prior to moving to Colorado, I co-founded and served as the executive director of a Texas based nonprofit focused on helping community members navigate mental health and addiction recovery. In addition, I was part of the Behavioral Health and Suicide Prevention Task Force of Montgomery County that brought community stakeholders together to address the rising youth suicide rates the county.

After relocating to Colorado several years ago, my priority was to learn about the systems that support the mental health of youth and their families. I took a role as a trainer for Partners for Children's Mental Health, a community-facing department established by Children's Hospital Colorado and the University of Colorado School of Medicine, focused on providing trusted adults the knowledge, skills, confidence, and resources to address the youth mental health crisis. This position provided an excellent platform to engage with the stakeholders involved in youth suicide prevention and particiapte in research endeavors focused on improving youth outcomes around suicide.

I passionately believe that one of the ways we "rise against" suicide is by providing youth and families with the resources that they need to find help and hope. Because of the financial and social barriers that often exist when help is required, the average time between the onset of mental health symptoms and treatment is ten years. In the case of suicidal ideation, a youth does not have ten years to wait. Rise Against Suicide bridges these barriers so that youth can obtain access to needed resources promptly. The origin of the word resource actually means to "rise again."  Being part of an organization that not only "rises against" suicide but enables youth to "rise again" is one hundred percent an effort that I want to pour my energy and time into because, ultimately, it not only saves a life but changes the trajectory of a life.