Crawford County Suicide Task Force

Crawford County
Suicide Task Force

Growing Connections for Life

Photo: Louis Dallara

Promoting individual, family and community connectedness to prevent suicidal behavior.

Find information

Learn how to recognize the signs of suicidal thought and start a conversation with a loved one.

Find support

If you’re a survivor, we offer support to help you through all the stages of your recovery.

Find resources

Additional information on prevention and resources for survivors.

Prevent Suicide

Call the Suicide Prevention Lifeline (800-273-TALK (8255)) immediately, if someone has…

  • talked about wanting to be dead or wanting to kill themself
  • been looking for information or a means to kill themself
  • talked about feeling hopeless or having no reason to live

The lifeline is free, confidential, and open 24/7/365. A trained counselor will answer. You can call about any issue you’re facing or if you’re concerned about a friend or family member. No call is too small. No call is unimportant.

For emergencies, call 9-1-1.

“Pain isn’t always obvious, but most suicidal people show some signs that they are thinking about suicide. If you see even one warning sign, step in or speak up. Take the time to learn what to do now, so you’re ready to be there for a friend or loved one when it matters most.”

www.suicideispreventable.org

For information on recognizing the signs of suicidal thought and starting a conversation with a loved one, visit Know the Signs.

Support for Survivors

“Hope is faith holding out its hand in the dark.”

— George Iles

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Support for Survivors of Suicide

An open-ended support group guided by the needs of the group. New members are welcome to join at any time.

Date and Time: On the 2nd Tuesday of each month from 7 to 8 PM.

Location: Active Aging Inc. (inside the Lew Davies Community Center, 1034 Park Avenue, Meadville, PA)

Facilitator: A peer who has experienced loss by suicide and wants to help others cope with the loss of loved ones.

814-566-9902 Vera Lobdell

814-795-1277 Rose Hilliard

For more information, please, contact the facilitator.

Morning Joy Counseling

814-282-0478

Fran Stone, LPC, Licensed Grief Counselor

763 North Street
Meadville, PA 16335

Hospice of Crawford County

814-333-5403

“Our goal is to help you live as fully as possible in the comfort of wherever you call home - close to family and friends.”

Resources

“Hope begins in the dark, the stubborn hope that if you just show up and try to do the right thing, the dawn will come. You wait and watch and work: you don’t give up.”

— Anne Lamott

Survivors

Alliance of Hope for Suicide Survivors

www.allianceofhope.org

This organization for survivors of suicide loss provides information sheets, a blog, a community forum. Through the forum, survivors can contact others with similar losses, share their stories, and discuss healing from a loss by suicide. The forum operates like a 24/7 support group with a team of trained moderators and a mental health clinician that contributes regularly.

Friends for Survival

www.friendsforsurvival.org

This organization is for people who have lost family or friends to suicide and professionals work with people who have been touched by suicide. All of the staff and volunteers have been directly impacted by a suicide death. The organization produces a monthly newsletter and runs the Suicide Loss Helpline1-800-646-7322, which is available 9 a.m. - 9 p.m., seven days a week. It has also published the guide Pathways to Purpose and Hope, which provides comprehensive information on building a community-based suicide survivor support program.

Parents of Suicides and Friends & Families of Suicides (POS-FFOS)

www.pos-ffos.com

This website provides a public message board called Suicide Grief Support Forum, a listserv for parents, a separate listserv for others, and an online chat room for an international community of survivors of suicide loss.

Suicide: Finding Hope

www.suicidefindinghope.com

This website provides information sheets, a resource list, and a few brief videos for survivors of suicide loss and also for suicide attempt survivors.

After a Suicide: Recommendations for Religious Services and Other Public Memorial Observances

www.sprc.org/sites/sprc.org/files/library/aftersuicide.pdf

This booklet helps community and faith leaders plan memorial observances and provide support for survivors

SOS: A Handbook For Survivors of Suicide

www.suicidology.org/c/document_library

This is a brief handbook to help people who have experienced a loss by suicide cope with their emotions and questions.

Suicide: Coping with the Loss of a Friend or Loved One

www.save.org

This is a brief guide to understanding and coping with emotions and questions that arise from losing a friend or loved one to suicide.

Surviving a Suicide Loss: A Resource and Healing Guide

www.afsp.org/coping-with-suicide/where-do-i-begin/resource-and-healing-guide

This is a brief guide to help people cope with a loss by suicide. It includes information on several different ways to connect with other survivors of suicide loss.

Prevention

Suicide Prevention Resource Center (SPRC)

www.sprc.org

This SAMHSA-funded center serves primarily State-level agencies and coalitions, as well as State, tribal, and campus grantees, working on suicide prevention. It provides technical assistance, training, and a variety of resource material. Among the useful resources are State pages, which can alert schools to current State-sponsored plans, programs, and legislation; the American Indian/Alaska Native Suicide Prevention pages; the Weekly Spark, a current awareness newsletter that summarizes significant research findings and local , State, national, and international news concerning suicide; and the SPRC Online Library, which includes collection of resources focused on youth (Youth Link) and schools (School Link).

Customized information pages outline roles of specific populations in preventing suicide and include teens, teachers, and school health providers. In partnership with the American Foundation for Suicide prevention, SPRC also co-produces the Best Practices Registry for Suicide Prevention.

The Suicide Prevention Resource Center (SPRC) is supported by a grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) under Grant No. 5U79SM059945

AEVIDUM

www.aevidum.com

Aevidum’s goal is to create a positive mental health environment, a culture of “I Got Your Back” in schools and communities across the nation by forming Aevidum chapters and by empowering youth. The Aevidum message is delivered creatively through a series of student-generated materials, interactive displays, high-energy assemblies, community events, music, artwork, stories, and PSAs, etc.

The Jason Foundation

www.jasonfoundation.com

The Jason Foundation, Inc. (JFI) is dedicated to the prevention of the “Silent Epidemic” of youth suicide though educational and awareness programs that equip young people, educators/youth workers and parents with the tools and resources to help identify and assist at-risk youth.

NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness)

www.nami.org

NAMI offers resources to those in need insists that mental illness become a high national priority engages in a variety of activities to create awareness and promote the promise of recovery. They also offer peer education and training programs, initiatives, and services for individuals, family members, health care providers, and the general public

American Association of Suicidology (AAS)

www.suicidology.org

AAS promotes research, public awareness programs, public education, and training for professionals and volunteers, and serves as a national clearinghouse for information on suicide, publishing and disseminating statistics, and suicide prevention resources. AAS hosts national annual conferences for professionals and survivors and serves as an accrediting body for crisis intervention programs. Its School Suicide Accreditation Program prepares school psychologist, social workers, counselors, nurses, and other school professionals to select and implement evidence-based programs in their schools.

American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP)

www.afsp.org

AFSP funds research to advance understanding of suicide and suicide prevention and pilot programs to prevent suicide. It offers educational resources and materials such as More Than Sad: Suicide Prevention Education for Teachers and Other School Personnel. With the Suicide Prevention Resource Center (SPRC), AFSP co-produces the Suicide Prevention Best Practices Registry (BPR), which examines the effectiveness of suicide prevention programs, including school-based prevention programs. AFSP’s network of local chapters can provide connections to local resources and services addressing suicide prevention as we as organizing awareness events such as “Out-of-the-Darkness” walks. AFSP’s Public Policy Division, SPAN USA, keeps track of State legislation related to suicide prevention training for school personnel.

Indian Health Service (HIS)

www.ihs.gov/NonMedicalPrograms/nspn

HIS’ Community Suicide Prevention Web site provides American Indian and Alaska Native communities with culturally appropriate information about best and promising practices, training opportunities, ongoing activities, potential partnerships, and other information regarding suicide prevention and intervention. This information can help communities and schools create or adapt suicide prevention programs that are tailored to their needs.

National Association of School Psychologists (NASP)

www.nasponline.org/index.aspx

In addition to serving as the accrediting body for school psychologist and graduate education school psychology programs, NASP offers continuing education and has an extensive library of resources for school psychologists. A resource page for educators and school administrators includes helpful publications and links to organizations and products to promote mental wellness in students. NASP also has a National Emergency Assistance Team that provides consultation to school and, in some cases, makes site visits.

National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)

www.nimh.nih.gov

The NIMH Web site has a section on suicide prevention that includes information and resources useful for a variety of audiences, including researchers, healthcare professionals, and consumers (see www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/suicide-prevention/index.shtml). NIMH also conducts research on youth suicide and youth suicide prevention. Updates on the research can be found through News from the Field: Research Findings of NIMH-funded investigators, from EurekAlert! at search.eurekalert.org/e3/query.html?qt=youth+suicide+prevention.

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline

www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org/default.aspx

The lifeline is a 24-hours, toll-free suicide prevention service available to anyone in suicidal crisis. Call 1-800-273-TALK (8255). Callers are routed to the closest possible crisis center in their area. With a network of more than 140 crisis centers across the country, the Lifeline’s mission is to provide immediate assistance to anyone seeking mental health services. The Lifeline Web site features the Lifeline Gallery where survivors and attempt survivors can tell their personal stories of recovery, emphasizing that suicide is preventable and help is available. Lifeline informational materials, such as broachers, wallet cards, posters, and booklets featuring the Lifeline number, can make help accessible to troubled teens in moment of crisis and should be part of any school-based prevention program.

The Trevor Project

www.thetrevorproject.org

The Trevor Project is a national organization focused on crisis and suicide prevention efforts among lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning (LGBTQ) youth. It provides a nationwide 24-hour, toll-free, crisis intervention telephone lifeline (1-866-488-7386); an online, social networking community for LGBTQ youth ages 13 through 24 and their friends and allies; age-appropriate educational programs for schools; and advocacy initiatives at local, State and Federal levels. It also is a partner in the It Gets Better Project, which is a place where LGBT adults can share videos they make to help LGBT youth see how “happiness can be a reality in their future” (see www.itgetsbetterproject.com). All of the Trevor Project’s programs aim to provide a safe, supportive, and positive environment for everyone.

For more, see our complete guide: Crawford County Human Services Program and Resource Directory

About Us

Our Mission

The Crawford County Suicide Task Force is committed to helping children, teens and adults at risk for suicide, as well as families and communities affected by suicide, through education, advocacy and support.

Our Vision

We envision a community where, through compassion, open discussion, education, collaboration and support, suicide is prevented and help is available to those in need.

Our Core Values

News

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Contact

For emergencies, call 9-1-1.

For more information about the Crawford County Suicide Task Force, please, contact us during business hours or leave a message.

Email

Phone

814-724-8380