From Loss to Legislation: How Suicide Prevention Advocacy Saves Lives with Nicole Jones-Vogel

CONNECT WITH JESSI ON LINKEDIN >>> HERE!What does it look like to turn grief into action?In this episode of At Work, Under Pressure, Jessi Beyer sits down with Nicole Jones-Vogel, a suicide prevention advocate, AFSP Washington State board member, policy and veteran subcommittee co-lead, and public servant working in Pierce County.Nicole lost her father to suicide 20 years ago. In this deeply personal conversation, she shares how that loss shaped her life, why suicide grief can be so complex, and how advocacy became part of her healing and purpose.Nicole talks about her work with the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, including community walks, advocacy days, state-level policy work, national advocacy in Washington, D.C., and efforts to advance bridge barrier legislation. She also shares why community matters so much after suicide loss, what she wishes she could tell her younger self, and why suicide prevention must include both personal support and structural change.In this episode, Jessi and Nicole discuss:Nicole’s experience losing her father to suicide 20 years agoWhy suicide grief can feel unpredictable, complicated, and hard to explainThe importance of being gentle with yourself after suicide lossHow AFSP helped Nicole find community without pressure to explain everythingWhy bridge barriers and lethal means restriction are critical suicide prevention toolsHow suicide attempts and crises impact first responders, families, commuters, and communitiesWhat it is like to advocate for suicide prevention legislation in Olympia and Washington, D.C.Why bipartisan suicide prevention policy mattersHow one person’s story can become part of a larger movement to save livesThis episode is for suicide loss survivors, HR leaders, public servants, first responders, policymakers, workplace leaders, and anyone who has been touched by suicide.Because grief does not disappear.But together, we continue.CONNECT WITH NICOLELinkedInAmerican Foundation for Suicide PreventionNicole's Story of LossPierce County Suicide Prevention Summit on September 18, 2026Pierce County Suicide Prevention Walk Fundraiser