The Tompkins County LOSS (Local Outreach to Suicide Survivors) Team is an evidence-informed suicide postvention program that provides immediate support to individuals, families, schools and businesses within Tompkins County who have been affected by a suicide loss.
The LOSS Team volunteers can provide a lifeline to the newly bereaved. Having a person who has lost someone to suicide present in the immediate aftermath can provide an instillation of hope. Through shared understanding and experience, LOSS Team volunteers can be a
calming and reassuring presence. Those who have lost someone special to suicide can provide a sense of normalcy and hope simply by introducing themselves as someone who has also been impacted by a suicide death.
by Dr. Frank Campbell
Suicide prevention is the collective effort to reduce suicide deaths and attempts by identifying risk early, providing crisis intervention, offering treatment, and making broader community and societal changes.
Intervention is a set of strategies and actions aimed at helping individuals experiencing suicidal thoughts or behaviors to access support, reduce immediate risk, and connect with ongoing care.
Interested in making a difference after suicide loss? Join the Tompkins County LOSS (Local Outreach to Suicide Survivors) Team as a volunteer.
LOSS Team volunteers provide compassionate, immediate support to individuals and families in the aftermath of a suicide. Volunteers receive specialized training and become part of a dedicated team committed to offering hope, connection, and support during one of life’s most difficult moments.
If you are compassionate, a good listener, and interested in serving your community, we encourage you to learn more about becoming a Tompkins County LOSS Team volunteer.
For more information or to begin the volunteer application process, contact the Tompkins County LOSS Team at 607.272.1505 ext. 107 or howserj@ithacacrisis.org
Reach out to loved ones, friends and spiritual leaders for comfort, understanding and healing. Surround yourself with people who are willing to listen when you need to talk, as well as those who’ll simply offer a shoulder to lean on when you’d rather be silent.
Do what’s right for you, not necessarily someone else. There is no single “right” way to grieve. If you find it too painful to visit your loved one’s gravesite or share the details of your loved one’s death, wait until you’re ready.
Anniversaries, holidays and other special occasions can be painful reminders of your loved one’s suicide. Don’t chide yourself for being sad or mournful. Instead, consider changing or suspending family traditions that are too painful to continue.
Losing someone to suicide is a tremendous blow, and healing must occur at its own pace. Don’t be hurried by anyone else’s expectations that it’s been “long enough.”
Some days will be better than others, even years after the suicide — and that’s OK. Healing doesn’t often happen in a straight line.
Sharing your story with others who are experiencing the same type of grief might help you find a sense of purpose or strength. However, if you find going to these groups keeps you ruminating on your loved one’s death, seek out other methods of support.
If you experience intense or unrelenting anguish or physical problems, ask your doctor or mental health provider for help. Seeking professional help is especially important if you think you might be depressed or you have recurring thoughts of suicide. Unresolved grief can turn into complicated grief, where painful emotions are so long lasting and severe that you have trouble resuming your own life.
If you think you may hurt yourself or attempt suicide, get support right away. Call or text 988 to reach the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, or use the Lifeline Chat.
