LOSS Team: Local Outreach to Suicide Survivors

Here at The Kim Foundation, we have a group of not only phenomenal but fundamentally crucial volunteers: The Metro Area Local Outreach to Suicide Survivors Team, otherwise known as the LOSS Team. These individuals have had someone they love die by suicide, and in turn, these volunteers reach out to the newly bereaved who experienced the loss of a loved one to death by suicide. The LOSS Team visits the suicide survivors to offer hope and support while they grieve the unimaginable, a death that ended tragically. This team is comprised of about 20 active members who serve the Metro Omaha area. All members are crucial components in helping us fulfill our mission of serving as a supportive resource and compassionate voice for lives touched by mental illness and suicide.

After local law enforcement notifies The Kim Foundation of a suicide, a packet of material is sent to the next-of-kin, and a phone call is made to offer an in-person visit by the LOSS Team. A small group comprised of volunteers and a clinician go on a “call-out” to offer, as Dr. Frank Campbell, the originator of LOSS Team describes, “support to the bereaved after the traumatic event of suicide.” In the meeting with loved ones, which lasts about 60-90 minutes, the team offers peer grief support in the form of hope, coping strategies, resources, sometimes just listening. This visit is just an introduction to healing and is not meant to be counseling, and we always encourage our survivors to join support groups.

The LOSS Team continues to change and morph with the times, and we are always looking for additional volunteers. A member needs to be either a suicide survivor (i.e., lost someone in their life to death by suicide) and/or a Licensed Mental Health Practitioner. The time commitment is minimal as there is an hour-and-a-half meeting once a month where we provide updates, and members can self-select to go on callouts depending on availability or appropriateness of timing.

Our LOSS Team members create meaningful change in the lives of their peers, and all of us at The Kim Foundation are so grateful that they willingly donate their time and effort. If you are interested in joining the efforts of postvention-healing, please contact Colleen Eusterwiemann at: 402.891.6960, colleen@thekimfoundation.org, http://www.thekimfoundation.org/the-metro-area-loss-team.html. 

Sources:
https://losscs.org/mission-vision/ 

Colleen Eusterwiemann, Suicide Pre & Postvention Coordinator for
The Kim Foundation

Colleen earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology and Sociology from Northwest Missouri State University and her Master’s Degree in Public Administration from the University of Nebraska at Omaha. Colleen has previous experience working for local non-profits focusing on consulting, coordinating, planning, and providing direct care. Colleen joined The Kim Foundation in January of 2022.