Mission Statement - To advocate for mental health and reduce suicides by:
- Starting a conversation that promotes help-seeking behavior.
- Educating about risk factors, warning signs and what to do in crisis.
- Promoting hope through protective factors, coping skills and resilience.
We aim to carry out our mission through the information and resources available on this website, our presentations for schools, and The Detour Project.
Presentations:
There is a very real chance that someone at your School or University is thinking that suicide might be the only way out. Anyone that is thinking about suicide needs to hear that there is hope, there is help, and we are all loved, even if we don't feel that way sometimes. Suicide does NOT offer a second chance.
- Suicide is the 3rd leading cause of death for 10-24 year olds.
- 50% of College Students have reported having thoughts of suicide.
Our goal is to start an honest conversation about suicide so that people facing these thoughts can take the first necessary, and very difficult step: Talk about it. Ask for, and be willing to accept help when you can't do it on your own. That's where this all has to begin
This is intended to be an on-going conversation and we want YOU to share YOUR story... your struggles, your pain, your hopes and your dreams. What are your fears, obstacles and challenges? How are you coping with them? What does hope and life mean to you?
The Detour Project:
The goal of The Detour Project is to plant seeds of hope, resilience and connection so that when people are faced with darkness in their lives, suicide will not be an option. Reducing suicides is a battle... and the enemies are silence, hopelessness and isolation. The Detour Project is meant to be a preemptive strike against those things. We cannot fight this battle on our own, so we are asking YOU to reach out - to make a difference in someone's life today.
How We Began: NoResolve.org began with a song. When Dennis Liegghio was 14 years old he lost his father to suicide. For the next ten years, he blamed himself for his Dad's death. Dennis struggled with depression, thoughts of suicide and self-destructive behavior, never believing he would make it to his 25th birthday. In 2001, ten years after losing his father, he wrote the song No Resolve, which finally opened the doors for him to begin healing the anger and sadness that had held him captive for so long. Shortly after writing "No Resolve" Dennis began writing more songs and recruited some friends to go into the studio and record an album. Student Driver Band was born.
Dennis' mom delivered a copy of the album to Jean Larch, coordinator of the Macomb County Survivors of Suicide Program in Michigan. She invited Dennis to visit the group and perform No Resolve. The performance was an overwhelming, healing experience. Immediately, Dennis and Jean felt the song was reaching the people that it needed to reach. Dennis became more involved with the survivor programs, performing his song at groups and conferences. Later Jean would include the lyrics to "No Resolve" in her book - "Dying to Be Free a Healing Guide for Families after a Suicide" - which was coauthored by her friend Bev Cobain and published by Hazelden in 2006.
In December of 2006, Dennis proposed an idea to Jean to host a grand benefit for Suicide Prevention and Awareness. His dream envisioned a first class night of hope that included great food, great speakers, and most importantly, great music. It was imperative that the evening be a celebration of life and memory, a gathering that would help to remove the deadly stigma that is associated with suicide. The dream also included creating a soundtrack for the cause which indeed turned into reality... "Breaking the Silence, Vol. 1".
Work began in January 2007. With the help of their friends, they formed NoResolve.org. A website was built and hosted an online competition for bands that have been affected in some whttp://www.noresolve.org/admin/page.aspay by suicide or depression to submit their songs for a compilation CD. Nearly 200 songs from all over the world were submitted. Fourteen were chosen and "Breaking The Silence, Vol. 1" was born.
For the next 10 months, the NoResolve.org committee rallied support, gathered donations and sponsorships. Contacts were made with the local media which helped to promote the event. On Saturday, November 17th 2007, over 500 people attended the event to show their support. When Keynote Speaker Bev Cobain asked the audience how many people had not been affected by suicide, only a dozen raised their hands. The night was as amazing as Dennis had imagined it would be. Everyone involved knew that they were on the right track and this was an issue that desperately needed attention.
Executive Board / Staff:
Dennis Liegghio - President / Executive Director
With support from family and friends, Dennis founded NoResolve.org in the Spring of 2007. Since then, he has spoken to more than 14,000 people (and counting) about his experience as a survivor, the warning signs of suicide and what to do in crisis. Dennis developed the presentation with assistance from Jean Larch at the Macomb County Crisis Center and co-author of "Dying to Be Free: a Healing Guide for Families After a Suicide" (Hazelden, 2006). Dennis received suicide prevention training from the Macomb County Crisis Center and continues his education on the topic through trainings and seminars. Dennis is a member of the Amercican Association of Suicidology and the Michigan Association for Suicide Prevention. He also sits on several coalitions in his community including: The Macomb County Suicide Prevention Coalition, and The Chippewa Valley Coalition for Youth and Families.
Bradley Mott - Vice President / Events Director
Bradley is one of the founding members of NoResolve.org and has a Bachelors Degree in Business Administration from Ferris State University. His duties include coordinating fundraising events, graphic design, overseeing daily operations, and performing with Dennis at the school presentations. Bradley's experience includes Production Scheduling and Supervising for Mennel Milling and graphic design / project management for Four5ive Design.
Kristal Jeffries - Secretary / Treasurer / Office Manager
Kristal is one of the founding members of NoResolve.org. She oversees the planning and coordinating for all events, manages the planning committees and keeps all financial records in order. Kristal's experience includes office management and bookeeping for Four5ive Design, MJA Graphics and DENCAP Dental Plans.
Board of Directors:
David M. Beran - David is an independent benefit consultant and owner of B&B Insurance Services in Clinton Township. BBIS specializes in medical, prescription drugs, dental, disability, life and many other insurance products for individuals, families, sole-proprietors and employer groups with two to 500 employees. David has enjoyed working in the insurance industry for over 20 years. David became involved with Dennis and NoResolve.org in 2007 after experiencing the loss of his older brother, Jim, to suicide. The event devastated his family even more after having dealt with the passing of his sister, Kim, from Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma just three years earlier. David and his wife, Vicki, have hosted a Caribbean themed fundraiser for various charities over the last ten years. Their annual fundraiser now benefits the organizations that help prevent the issues that took the lives of his sister and brother. David is an Ambassador with the Sterling Heights Area Chamber of Commerce, which includes the communities of Sterling Heights, Clinton Twp., Macomb Twp., Shelby Twp., Utica, and Warren. He is also a member of the Rochester Regional Chamber of Commerce. David enjoys being involved with the Marriage, Eucharistic, and Bereavement Ministries at St. Mark Catholic Church in Warren. He just celebrated his ten year wedding anniversary with Vicki and they love spending time with their two beautiful boys, Alex and Evan.
Nancy Buyle - Nancy has her Master's Degree from Oakland University in Counseling and Post Master's Education in Mental Health. She has been working for the Macomb Intermediate School District since August of 2000. She is a Safe Schools/Student Assistance Specialist. In this role, she leads the county's Student Assistance Network Program (SAP). The SAP is a comprehensive school-based program for students (K-12) designed to identify issues which prevent students from learning and being successful in school. Nancy also works closely with local districts in planning for and responding to crises. She has been instrumental in developing comprehensive crisis management protocol that has been distributed and shared with schools across the nation. She is available to provide support and resources to the local districts in the areas of school safety and student assistance.
Diana Conklin - Diana has a Bachelors Degree in Psychology and Special Education and a Masters Degree in School Counseling. She specializes in Suicide Prevention for the L'Anse Creuse School District. Diana has 3 beautiful children ages 13, 11, and 9, Tyler, Trevor, and Tori - they are very active in sports and school activities, so that keeps her busy! Diana has been working for L'Anse Creuse Schools since 1991 - a Special Ed teacher for 7 years and has been counseling since she began there. Diana is also the Co-Chair for the L'Anse Creuse Community Action Coalition and coaches 8th grade volleyball.
Rosalie Iwig - Rosalie is Dennis' Aunt and Godmother and experienced his tragic loss first hand. His Father was like a Brother to her and she felt a very deep need to be there for Dennis and Jim after he passed. She has supported Dennis from the beginning of his musical ventures and was a founding member of NoResolve.org. Rosalie has had a successful 20-year Real Estate Career as the Broker / Owner of Realty Executives Associates in Utica, MI. Rosalie feels the need to "give back" where-ever she can. She is an Active Member and Parish Council Chairperson at St. Matthias Parish. Rosalie is the proud mother of her 19 year old son Tom and has volunteered at the schools he attended in the Utica Community School District through the years... and she enjoys bowling in her "spare" time!
Steve Jajjo - Steve has been a Macomb County resident for over 20 years and is a founding member of NoResolve.org. Steve's experience includes 18 years as owner of a convenience store and investing in commercial property. Currently he is a sales representative for a local distributor. Steve has a significant amount of business contacts in the community and his networking skills help to provide a lot of exposure for NoResolve.org. Steve lives in Shelby Township with his wife Diana and three children ages 6, 8 and 11. Steve is also an active member in his church and enjoys spending time with his family.
Stephanie Lange - Stephanie has her Masters in Social Work from the University of Michigan and a Bachelor's in Sociology from Oakland University. She also currently holds her Academy of Certified Social Workers credential (ACSW), is a Certified Advanced Addictions Counselor (CAAC), and a Certified Clinical Supervisor for the State of Michigan (CCS-M). She has worked in the field of social work since 1993 in many capacities, including intake, assessment, screening, therapist, supervisor, clinical director, and prevention specialist. Her personal volunteer work has included Hospice of Michigan, Beaumont Hospital Parenting Program, Girl Scouts, and her church. Since 1999, Stephanie has been employed by Dakota High School as the Student Assistance Specialist. She is also currently employed contractually with Macomb County Community Mental Health as the Coordinator for Family Psycho-education. She is on several local Boards for non-profit organizations and is trained in CPR, First Aid, and use of AED machines. She enjoys golfing and spending time with her family.
Jean Larch - Jean is proud to be a founding member of NoResolve.org and has been a Crisis Intervention Specialist at the Macomb County Crisis Center for over 20 years and the Macomb County Survivors of Suicide program coordinator. Jean is also the co-author of the acclaimed book "Dying to be Free, a Healing Guide for Famlies After a Suicide" published by Hazelden in 2006.
Paula Mantay - Paula is the owner of Allied Massage Therapy, Inc., Sterling Heights, MI, a center specializing in Orthopedic, Medical and Wellness Massage. She became a volunteer for NoResolve.Org in 2008, after attending the first NoResolve Benefit Concert in 2007, and having experienced two suicides in her family. Paula has been married to Werner for 23 years, and has two adorable teenagers, Kinsey and Dylan.
Debra Santi - Debra has her Licensed Master Degree in Social Work for Macro and Clinical Practice. She currently operates a private practice (Life Possibilities) in Clinton Township, MI specializing in Grief and loss, depression, anxiety, communication and relationship work with teens and adults. She is also a Military and Family Life Consultant providing brief solution focused problem solving to soldiers and their families to posts around the world. Debra is also an online faculty member for the University of Phoenix / Axia College. Debra's past experience includes being a Hospice Social Worker for the Henry Ford Health System. Her professional volunteer experience includes: Red Cross (Disaster Mental Health Professional) for the New Orleans Katrina Disaster, Education Chair for the MHSWA and Grief Support for children with Sandcastles.
Nancy Shiver - Nancy has her Licensed Master Degree in Social Work for Macro and Clinical Practice. She currently practices as a Military and Family Life Consultant. Providing brief solution focused problem solving to soldiers and their families at posts around the world. Nancy's past experience includes being a Hospice Social Worker for the Henry Ford Health System. Her professional volunteer experience includes: Chair person for the MHSWA, providing grief support for children through Sandcastles and conducting Grief Support groups at Christ the Redeemer Church.
Leann Steffes - (Bio Coming Soon)
Timothy Steffes - Timothy is one of the founding members of NoResolve.org. He plays lead guitar and sings backup for Student Driver Band. Timothy is the official web guru for NoResolve.org and provided all coding and programming for this website. His work as a programmer for The Epitec Group and acting Director of Web Development for AdInk Design keeps him on the cutting edge of the latest programming trends. A family man at heart, Timothy loves spending time with his wife Leann and two daughters.
Dr. Lawrence Wentworth - Dr. Wentworth is a Certified Advanced Addictions Counselor and a Quality Management and Recipient Rights Advisor. Dr. Wentworth has met stringent practice standards and criteria to be deemed a specialist in the following areas: Anxiety Disorders, Sexual Disorders, Hypnotherapy, EMDR, Trauma, Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender, (GLBT). Michigan Certification Board of Addiction Professionals certifies that he has met the requirements for the Certified Advanced Addictions Counselor. Cert# C-02027. Dr. Wentworth has more than 25 years of experience as a therapist in Macomb County. He owns and runs a group counseling practice (Wentworth and Associates) with a holistic perspective. Most insurances are accepted and there are interns to see people who do not have insurance. Dr. Wentworth is Board Certified in Clinical Psychology and is a graduate of the University of Michigan and Wayne State University.
What does "NoResolve.org" mean?
The name NoResolve.org was inspired by the song Dennis wrote for his father called "No Resolve". Dennis was 14 when he lost his Dad to suicide.
How did NoResolve.org begin?
It all started with a benefit concert / fundraiser in Clinton Township,
MI on November 17, 2007. Our initial idea was to hold a benefit concert
once a year to raise awareness in our community. 500 people showed up
for that first event and we knew that night that we had to do more.
Since then, we have spoken to over 14,000 students and counting about
risk factors, warning signs and what to do in crisis - promoting the
message that we do not have to suffer silently, that there is help, and
there is hope.
Is NoResolve.org a non-profit organization?
Yes. NoResolve.org is a registered 501(c)(3) not-for-profit public charity, registered in the State of Michigan and with the IRS. Download our determination letter from the IRS HERE.
What can I do to help, or how can I get involved?
- Join the conversation by participating in The Detour Project.
- Inquire about setting up a presentation at your school or in your community.
- Join our mailing list and receive monthly updates from us!
- Make a Donation (below), or purchase merchandise through our online store.
(secure online donations through PayPal)
- OR - your tax-deductible donations can be mailed to:
NoResolve.org
P.O. Box 380435
Clinton Township, MI 48035
(download donation form)
Where does the money go?
NoResolve.org is a grass roots 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, and we rely on donations and fundraising events to carry out our programs and presentations. 100% of your contribution helps us educate, reduce stigma, and save lives.
You can contact us at info@noresolve.org or you can call us at 1-877-228-9550.
