Survivor Voices

A common thread among those who have lost a loved one or friend to suicide is a desire to help and support other survivors and also to prevent future suicides. Survivor Voices is a two-day training designed to teach those bereaved by suicide how to speak safely and effectively about their experience and loss. Through the sharing of personal stories, survivors of suicide loss provide insight that goes beyond traditional suicide prevention training. These insights can promote healing for those who are newly bereaved, educate the public about how to support survivors of suicide loss, and increase awareness and understanding of risk factors and warning signs for suicide. The training prepares each participant to tell his or her story safely and effectively to various audiences, enhances public speaking skills and the ability to respond safely to audience and media questions, and provides education about suicide prevention and resources for survivors of suicide loss. The process of sharing stories and messages is very personal and intense, and the training encourages and promotes mutual support and healing among participants. The small group size is intended to allow time for sharing and caring. Participants are selected through an application/interview process by Helpline staff to ensure they are emotionally ready to tell their story without having a setback in their own healing.

The objectives of the two-day Survivor’s Voices training are: 1. Greater knowledge of how to safely and effectively tell one’s story of loss publicly. 2. Greater ability to hone one’s message for a general or specific audience. 3. Greater ability to safely respond to questions from audience members or media. 4. Greater ability to familiarize others with suicide prevention resources and resources for survivors of suicide loss. 5. Greater comfort with telling one’s story after having practiced it in a safe environment. 6. Greater ability to connect survivors of suicide loss to each other and to resources.

We recently completed a Survivor Voices training in October and there will be opportunities for this training in the future.  if you’re interested in learning more, please contact Sheri Nelson, Suicide Prevention Director at (605) 274-1406 or by email at sheri@helplinecenter.org.