Suicide prevention coalitions play a critical role in addressing the devastating impact of suicide on individuals, families, and communities. These coalitions are dedicated to raising awareness, providing support, and fostering collaboration among community members, organizations, and stakeholders to prevent suicide and promote mental health and well-being. By working together, suicide prevention coalitions can save lives and create lasting change in the communities they serve.

• Licking County LOSS Team Contact Information: Colleen Hendon (740) 522-1341
• Licking County Coalition Contact Information: Emily Morrison 740-522-1234
• Knox County LOSS Team Contact Information: Kathy Wantland 740-397-5188
• Knox County Coalition Contact Information: Emily Morrison 740-522-1234

Suicide LOSS teams provide compassionate support and guidance to individuals who have lost a loved one to suicide. Through emotional support, crisis intervention, grief education, peer support, and resources and referrals, these dedicated professionals and volunteers help survivors navigate the complex and painful emotions that follow a suicide. By offering understanding, validation, and connection, suicide loss teams contribute to the healing process and foster resilience and hope in the lives of those they serve.

Role of a Suicide LOSS Team:

1. Emotional Support: In the wake of suicide, survivors often experience a unique and complicated form of grief. Suicide LOSS teams are composed of trained professionals and volunteers, sometimes including individuals who have experienced suicide loss themselves, who can offer empathetic and understanding emotional support to those who are grieving.
2. Crisis Intervention: Suicide LOSS teams are trained to recognize the signs of distress and risk among survivors and can provide immediate crisis intervention if needed. They can assess the needs of survivors, offer appropriate resources, and make referrals to mental health services when necessary.
3. Grief Education: Understanding the complex emotions and reactions that follow a suicide can be challenging for survivors. Suicide LOSS teams help to educate survivors about the grieving process, validating their feelings and helping them to better understand and cope with their emotions.
4. Peer Support: Suicide LOSS teams often facilitate support groups for survivors, providing a safe and confidential space for individuals to share their experiences, connect with others who have faced similar losses, and find solace in the knowledge that they are not alone in their journey.
5. Resources and Referrals: Suicide LOSS teams maintain a comprehensive list of resources and services available to survivors, including mental health professionals, support groups, and community organizations. They can provide referrals and guidance in connecting survivors with the appropriate resources to meet their unique needs.
6. Outreach and Follow-Up: Recognizing that the grieving process can be long and challenging, suicide loss teams may conduct outreach and follow-up with survivors to ensure they have the support they need as they navigate their healing journey.

• Knox Substance Abuse Action Team (KSAAT)
• Drug Overdose Prevention Program through the Licking County Health Department

Peer support is a powerful and essential component of the recovery process for individuals facing mental health or substance use challenges. It involves people with shared experiences offering guidance, understanding, and encouragement to one another, fostering a sense of camaraderie and mutual empathy. Peer support can take various forms, including support groups, one-on-one peer mentoring, or participation in a structured peer support program. By connecting individuals who have faced similar challenges, peer support helps to break down the isolation often experienced in recovery and creates an environment where individuals can learn from each other’s experiences and insights.

The importance of peer support in the recovery community cannot be overstated. It has been shown to contribute significantly to improved mental health, increased self-esteem, and a stronger sense of belonging. Peer support also promotes the development of healthy coping strategies and practical life skills, empowering individuals to take charge of their own recovery journey. Moreover, it encourages the growth of a strong support network, which has been identified as a crucial factor in long-term recovery success. By fostering connection, understanding, and resilience, peer support plays a vital role in helping individuals overcome their challenges and embrace a fulfilling life in recovery.

If you have an interest in obtaining a peer support certification send an email to info@mhrlk.org to get on the notification list for the next class.

The Quick Response Team (Licking County) and the Overdose Response Team (Knox County) is a collaborative effort between local law enforcement, treatment providers, and peer support to respond to non-fatal opioid overdoses in an effort to save lives, reduce harm, and increase hope for recovery for individuals struggling with opioid addiction in our service area.

The intend of QRT/ORT is to outreach individuals in the critical hours of need following an overdose to provide compassionate and non-judgmental support to the individual and their family by connecting them to resources and treatment options. WE recognize addiction is a painful disease and that not all those struggling with this disease are ready to make the changes needed.

The QRT/ORT program is designed to support individuals and families in a way that reduces harm and increases safety, while bridging the gap from active addiction to recovery.

To access this team, individuals and family members should call 211.

Licking County Drop-Off Locations

• Licking County Sheriff’s Office, 155 E Main Street, Newark, Ohio 43055
• Newark Police Department, 39 S. 4th Street, Newark, Ohio 43055
• Pataskala Police Department, 430 S. Main Street, Pataskala, Ohio 43062
• Johnstown Police Department, 599 D. Main St., Johnstown, Ohio 43031
• Hebron Police Department, 934 W. Main St., Hebron, Ohio 43025
• Granville Police Department, 141 E. Broadway, Granville, Ohio 43023
• Heath Police Department, 1287 Hebron Rd., Heath, Ohio 43056

Knox County Drop-Off Locations

• Fredericktown Police Department, 182 South Main Street, Fredericktown
• Knox County Sheriff’s Office, 11540 Upper Gilchrist Road, Mount Vernon
• Mount Vernon Police Department, 5 North Gay Street, Mount Vernon