A 2018 study found that on average 135 people are exposed to and may be affected by a person’s suicide death. This means that 5.5 million Americans are hit by a suicide loss every year. These findings highlight the importance of broader “postvention”— support for people who may be seriously impacted by grief, guilt, shame, isolation, depression, suicidal thoughts, or other responses to a suicide death.
Volunteers from the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention
The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention provides an online library of resources for coping with suicide loss.
A few examples:
Children, Teens, and Suicide Loss
After a Suicide: A Toolkit for Schools
Postvention: A Guide for Response to Suicide on College Campuses
Personal Support for Survivors of Suicide Loss
In addition, Ithaca’s Suicide Prevention & Crisis Service offers postvention services—click here for more information.
From SPCS’s website:
Trauma is an emotional response to challenging and unexpected events that can cause a great deal of stress, upset everyday routine, and interfere with your ability to function.
After-Trauma Services can help you cope with the stress of these sudden life events.
If you are a resident of Tompkins County in New York State, learn more about services here, or just call at 607-272-1505 to schedule.
Up to 8 free counseling sessions. Client and therapist create an intention for maximizing time together. Included are basic tools for ‘getting grounded’; education on what trauma is and it’s impact on human beings; development of healing plans; support and assistance in referral process.
Support Group for people coping with the loss of a loved one who died by suicide. Meetings are the first and third Tuesday of every month at 6:30pm. Please call 607-272-1505 to express interest in joining this group.
First Monday Group. On the first Monday of each month, at noon, colleagues in the field of mental health meet in the library of SPCS to learn from each other. Readings in between meetings inform the discussion.
Family sessions to process, collectively, traumas that have impacted everyone.
Facilitated workplace group discussions following a tragedy.
For more information or schedule an appointment with Sheila McCue, the director of After-Trauma Services here at SPCS, please email postvention@ithacacrisis.org or call 607-272-1505
To learn more about how Tompkins County is working to prevent suicide, click here.
[If you or someone you know feels the need to speak with a mental health professional, you can contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 or contact the Crisis Text Line by texting HOME to 741-741.]
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