Building a Legacy of Acceptance and Hope

Suicide was the eleventh leading cause of death in the U.S. in 2023 according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It impacts individuals and families of all ages, races, genders, religions, and ethnicities.

Jefferson’s David Farber ASPIRE Center (Advancement of Suicide Prevention, Intervention, Research, and Education) is a pioneer in suicide prevention, leading innovations in mental health research and therapeutic practices to provide a lifesaving resource for patients and their families.

In October, the Center celebrated the endowment of the Evelyn Asplundh Fellowship in Clinical Psychology. The position supports a dedicated clinician who will focus on suicide prevention and intervention at Jefferson Health. It will stand as an ongoing resource for the David Farber ASPIRE Center to provide training for future clinician leaders, improving care and providing hope for individuals and families not only in the Philadelphia region, but also nationwide. The Center’s inaugural fellow is Daria Williams, PsyD.

The fellowship was created in memory of Evelyn Asplundh by the extraordinary generosity of the Asplundh Family. The effort was spearheaded by Evelyn’s niece Meredith and sister Ellen who devoted themselves to ensuring that those struggling with depression are never forgotten, and that help is always within reach.

The fellow will play a critical role in advancing the field by destigmatizing mental health disorders through evidence-based and family-focused treatment approaches for individuals of all ages and their families. They will help patients manage psychiatric illnesses and life challenges that increase the risk for suicidal behavior, helping people overcome the psychological anguish contributing to an increased risk for suicide.

The fellowship will provide each fellow annually with direct clinical work in individual psychotherapy, family therapy, and group therapy, reaching nearly 75 patients each year. They will receive comprehensive training and assessment in SAFETY-A/ the Family Intervention for Suicide Prevention and Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, as well as opportunities to participate in research projects that directly inform interventions in the clinical setting.

“Through this extraordinary gift, we are reminded that one family’s love and one person’s vision can create a legacy of hope, purpose, and promise for so many others,” said Jill Kyle, MBA, CFRE, the Bruce and Judi Goodman Senior Vice President of Regional Advancement. “We are profoundly grateful to Meredith, her mother Ellen, and the Asplundh family for their leadership and compassion — their commitment to helping us advance this critical work — and for turning loss into legacy, compassion into action, and help into hope.”