Nick Timmons Endowed Professorship in Suicide Prevention Research
The past two years, through the Nick’s Voice Fund, “Fore the Kids” has devoted its resources to enhancing a school-based mental health initiative between Children’s Mercy and the Blue Valley School District as well as hosted the Nick’s Voice Community Report, a public forum featuring experts in pediatric developmental and behavioral sciences from Children’s Mercy and the Blue Valley School District.
Pediatric Psychologist Endowed Professorship Position at Children’s Mercy Kansas City
Through the Nick’s Voice Fund, proceeds from the 2018 tournament allowed for the creation of the Nick Timmons Endowed Professorship in Developmental and Behavioral Sciences. This endowed fund supports a new position to be used by the Division of Developmental and Behavioral Sciences to enhance research efforts to prevent suicide and treat anxiety, depression and mood disorders in the adolescent population. The first of its kind at Children’s Mercy, this endowed professorship position will allow the hospital and “Fore the Kids” to further enhance all efforts to address pediatric and adolescent mental health in our community.
The Division of Developmental and Behavioral Sciences is comprised of 52 child psychologists, 8 developmental pediatricians, and 7 child and adolescent psychiatrists. In collaboration with the Children’s Mercy Research Institute and Department of Pediatrics, we seek to expand upon existing suicide prevention clinical and research programs. The professorship will include community educational presentations and teaching/supervision of medical and psychology trainees through the hospital’s APA-accredited psychology internship, psychology and developmental-behavioral pediatrics fellowships, pediatric residency program, and psychology practicums.
In 2018, the Children’s Research Institute received $150 million from the Hall Family Foundation and the Sunderland Family Foundation. This funding is supporting the construction of a new 375,000 square foot research building (anticipated completion August, 2020), as well as extensive investments in faculty, staff, and programs, all dedicated to pediatric research. We have mature collaborations with more than 50 hospitals and academic institutions worldwide, and strong ties with regional partners such as the University of Kansas, University of Kansas Medical Center, University of Missouri-Kansas City, and Stower’s Research Institute, which provide a rich research environment and support for continued professional development.
About the Nick Timmons Endowed Professorship
- We have created a new position focused on seeing children AND researching and publishing the findings on how we can prevent suicide
- This will assist with the almost 2,000 referrals/month and help us educate parents and the community on findings for prevention
- This position is endowed and will forever be held at Children’s Mercy, in Nick’s name
- All publications and the title of the position will hold Nick Timmons name and be always referenced
- Endowed positions are high honors in academic medicine and make the position highly sought in recruitment
- Annual reports will be sent to the donor family on findings and developments by the position leader, in perpetuity
Professorship Qualifications
- Psychologists with an academic record in suicide related research
- position will entail clinical care, research, and program development
- an earned PhD or PsyD in clinical psychology or counseling psychology from an accredited college or university
- a completed APA-approved internship
- license eligibility in Missouri and Kansas
- a record of funded research and scholarly publication commensurate with an academic rank of Associate or Full Professor. Consistently ranked among the nation’s best children’s hospitals, Children’s Mercy integrates innovative clinical care, research and academic advancement to transform outcomes for half a million children in Kansas City and across the globe.
Serial Killer Loose in Johnson County
Written by Dr. Mike Artman, Senior Vice President and Head of Pediatrics at Children’s Mercy
I’m here to tell you that there is a serial killer on the loose in Johnson County.
This killer strikes every 4-5 days. Every 4-5 days someone dies at the hands of this killer.
In the first nine months of this year[2017], January through September, he has taken 63 lives in Johnson County. Some of you may know some of these victims – they are our children, teens, and young adults.
What’s more, we know the identity of this serial killer – his name is suicide.
So instead of suicide, if we knew there was an individual wandering the streets of our community randomly killing our children at the rate of 1 or more each and every week, we would be outraged. We would be shouting for help from the rooftops. There would be a very intense and loud call to action.
So why aren’t we clamoring to put a stop to this killer called suicide? Why are we silent? Where is the outrage? Why are we ignoring this threat to our children and family members?
I think there are two reasons: one, we are ashamed. There is still a stigma associated with depression, anxiety, mental illness and ultimately taking one’s own life. Two, it’s a very complex issue without simple solutions. But we have to start somewhere, and that start is right here, right now, today.
Thanks to the courage of Kevin Timmons and his family, we are all engaged in this effort. Your contributions and proceeds from today’s event will go to fund a pilot project between mental health experts at Children’s Mercy and the Blue Valley School district to develop a school-based approach to suicide prevention. We are still working on the details, but it will involve social workers, psychologists, and psychiatrists in the schools and accessible by telemedicine. We envision a multifaceted approach that combines education and access to mental health professionals with a single focus to prevent suicide. And this is just the beginning. We will learn from this pilot project so we can scale up these efforts and make a meaningful and sustained impact on this epidemic locally, regionally and beyond.
Today everyone can be a part of our call to action – please donate today.