Sisters Taking On the Prevention Of Suicide (STOPS)

STOP Suicide Through E.R.I.C.

Sisters Taking On the Prevention of Suicide (STOPS) was founded in May 2015 by Andrea Mustin, a wife whose former husband, Eric D. Wright, lived with bipolar disorder, major depressive disorder, and anxiety. The man who was her soul mate of 20 years died by suicide on December 2, 2013, and she didn’t see it coming.

Who We Are 

For women who have friends and/or loved ones living with a mental illness, Sisters Taking On the Prevention of Suicide (STOPS) is a mental health awareness organization that inspires and gives hope through Education, Resources, Inspiration (Advocacy), and Community – through E.R.I.C.

Our vision is to create a world that is knowledgeable, compassionate, and supportive of all persons living with mental illnesses and thus put a stop to suicide.

Our mission is to reduce suicide rates by delivering mental health awareness training and support to women who have friends and/or loved ones living with a mental illness.

By December 2, 2024, our goal is to build an empowered sisterhood of more than one million informed, engaged, and connected women who will act as Mental Health Champions and commit to fighting the battle against suicide.

Our Programs 

Two of our key approaches for raising awareness are our Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) course and Sisters Helping Each Other (SHE), our peer-to-peer support group. In our MFHA classroom training, our goal is to equip 20 women per year with the skills to identify and respond to those exhibiting signs of mental illnesses or substance abuse, and through SHE, our goal is to offer monthly meetings for caregiving women interested in receiving information and sisterly support to cope with their circumstances.

At STOPS, we believe a single flame can light one thousand candles. With our programs, our goal is to ignite each woman to fight the battle against suicide, so that she may in turn ignite her community, and in conjunction with other women, the entire world.

Our Core Values

• Accountability:  He is the one to whom we are accountable. –  Hebrew 4:13
• Service:  We provide compassionate and attentive support services in a manner that inspires confidence.
• Awareness:  We provide education that generates awareness, understanding, and acceptance of people living with mental illness.
• Stewardship:  We take personal responsibility for the efficient and effective accomplishment of our mission.
• Generosity:  We acknowledge that our time, talents, and treasures are gifts from God and are meant to be shared.

Our Certifications and Affiliations

• Certified Mental Health First Aid Instructor, National Council for Behavior Heath
• Member and Advocate, National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI)
• Volunteer Field Advocate, American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP)
• Volunteer Advocate, Mental Health America (MHA)

“We exist to help prevent suicide by arming every person living with a mental illness with a STOPS Champion who advocates for their success.” ~ Andrea Mustin, Sisters Taking On the Prevention of Suicide (STOPS) Founder & President