Metro Area LOSS Team Monthly Update

After a very difficult month of January, our team was pleased to see our suicide calls drop over recent weeks. While the numbers have dropped a bit, we still had two local suicide losses which is two too many.

This month we welcomed Sarah Voss, Director of Children Services Behavioral Health Programs at Lutheran Family Services, to come and speak to our team. She presented on Question, Persuade, and Refer: Ask A Question Save A Life (QPR). QPR is a nationally recognized, evidence based, suicide prevention training. It covers risks factors, warning signs, how to approach someone who may be suicidal, questions to ask, and how to refer them to help.

Tips on how to save a life:
o Realize someone might be suicidal.
o Reach out. Asking the suicide question DOES NOT increase risk.
o Listen. Talking things out can save a life.
o Don’t try to do everything yourself. Get others involved.
o Don’t promise secrecy and don’t worry about being disloyal.
o If persuasion fails, call you mental health center, local hotline, or emergency services.

QPR is a life-saving process that everyone should know. If you are interested in attending a free training, or hosting an hour-long QPR training session at your work, school, or church, please contact, Sarah Voss at svoss@lfsneb.org. These free trainings were made possible through the Garrett Lee Smith Grant.

We will be hosting a new LOSS Team member orientation training on March 15 at 6:30pm. If you have an interest in applying to become a volunteer, please contact me at jhamilton@thekimfoundation.org today!

Our 24/7 LOSS phone is to be used only by Sheriffs, Chaplains, and any other first responders responding to a suicide call. It is not a suicide prevention hotline. If you or someone you know is having suicidal thoughts, please call 1(800)273-TALK (8255) or 911 if it is an emergency. If you or someone you know has recently lost someone to suicide and would like to schedule a meeting with the on-call LOSS team, please contact The Kim Foundation at (402)891-6911.

Jill Hamilton, Project Coordinator, The Kim Foundation

Jill Hamilton has been the Project Coordinator at The Kim Foundation since 2014. She graduated with a bachelor’s degree in journalism and public relations from The University of Nebraska at Omaha in 2009. Since working at the foundation, she has become an active member of the Nebraska State Suicide Prevention Coalition, Nebraska LOSS Advisory Committee, The Omaha Metro Hoarding Taskforce, The Early Childhood Mental Health Coalition, Nebraska State Conference Planning Committee; she is a volunteer mentor with Y.E.S., and serves as the Outreach Coordinator for the Metro Area LOSS Team.