We offer support to families immediately after a suicide loss
Losing a loved one to suicide is a profound, heartbreaking experience. Loss survivors are at a higher risk for suicide themselves, yet they often do not reach out for help until years after their loss. Local Outreach to Suicide Survivors (LOSS) Teams are a collaboration between first responders and trained suicide loss survivor volunteers to provide compassionate listening and timely resources to families following a suicide.
Samaritans is aiding local community efforts in Boston and in towns south of Boston to support the launch of LOSS Teams. With this effort, we can ensure that families who experience the pain of a suicide loss have access to grief support and mental health crisis services.
LOSS Team
Beginning in spring 2024, Samaritans is partnering with police departments in four towns south of Boston – Sharon, Norwood, Canton, Westwood, and Walpole – to launch a LOSS Team.
We are currently seeking loss survivors and community volunteers to join our LOSS Team.
Loss Survivor Volunteers
If you have been affected by suicide, you may be interested in using your grief journey to help others. Talking about such a tremendous loss can be overwhelming. For many people, having the ability to speak with another loss survivor who understands and has experienced the nuances in this situation is a great comfort. You can be that comfort for a family who has recently lost a loved one. Anyone who has lost someone to suicide is welcome to apply to volunteer for our Loss Team.
Community Volunteers
We are seeking people experienced in crisis services – first responders, nurses, EMTs, therapists, social workers, etc. – to join our LOSS Team. Apply to join our LOSS Team as a community volunteer if you are committed to helping those who have experienced a suicide loss.
Boston LOSS Team
Samaritans is an advisory partner to DeeDee’s Cry, a local prevention organization that is leading the development of a LOSS Team for families in Roxbury, Dorchester, and Mattapan with funding from the Boston Public Health Commission.
DeeDee’s Cry is currently recruiting volunteers who are suicide loss survivors to be trained in the LOSS Team model. Reach out to DeeDee’s Cry to join the Boston LOSS Team.
The LOSS Team Model
The LOSS team model was developed in 1997 by Dr. Frank Campbell to eliminate barriers people might face in obtaining resources after a suicide. Dr. Campbell’s research found that reaching survivors of suicide loss immediately after their loss shortened the amount of time they took to reach out for help from about 4.5 years to about 6 weeks.
What Should LOSS Team Volunteers Expect?
Volunteers for our LOSS Team will go through a rigorous training program to learn how to support those grieving a suicide loss. We intend to begin training in the summer of 2024.
Once training is complete, volunteers will begin providing support following suicides in Sharon, Norwood, Canton, Westwood, and Walpole. A loss survivor and trained clinician team would be on-call and available to respond to a suicide loss as needed. When called upon by the local police department and with family consent, the two-person team would either travel directly to the suicide scene or meet with the family later to provide resources and referrals.
LOSS Team Inquiry Form
Please complete the form below to indicate your interest in applying to be a loss survivor volunteer or community volunteer for our LOSS Team. Our Grief Support Services team will follow up with more information in Spring 2024.