My younger brother committed suicide just a few weeks ago. Our family is having a very difficult time coping. We are new to the St. Louis area and don’t know what services are available. What can you offer or suggest? 

Your brother’s death has made you a ‘survivor of suicide,’ family members, significant others or acquaintances who have experienced the loss of a loved due to suicide. It has been estimated that for each completed suicide, an estimated six people – family members and friends -- are intimately affected by the death. Survivors of suicide frequently find themselves conflicted by the confusion, grief and guilt that death by suicide leaves in its wake. Many survivors agree it would have been helpful to have had the chance to talk with someone who had experienced a similar loss, who might be able to offer comfort and hope that they too can survive their loss.

The St. Louis Area Survivors of Suicide Response Team (SSRT) is available to provide just this type of “peer postvention.”  Members of the SSRT are trained peer survivors, counselors, social workers and community service providers who are available to meet with newly bereaved families and individuals. The goal of the SSRT is threefold: to share the message that surviving the tragedy of suicide is possible; to promote resiliency through caring, availability and understanding; and to explain the grief process, stages of mourning, and what to expect emotionally. SSRT is a collaborative effort by St. Louis area survivors of suicide and mental health service organizations to advance support services for those who have experienced a loss to suicide. SSRT is a free service that can be scheduled at a mutually agreeable time. To request a home visit or to learn more about SSRT, call 314-963-7571 or email admin@kuto.org. 

Elizabeth Makulec
Executive Director, KUTO

I would like to extend my most heartfelt sympathy to you and your family on the loss of your brother. Death by suicide is so tragic in that not only are the survivors left to grieve the tragic loss, but they also face an overwhelming sense of trauma, guilt, self-blame and isolation. A support group that is available for your parents is PALS (Parents Affected by the Loss of a child from Suicide). PALS was formed as an additional resource for parents to come together, share their stories, offer support for one another, and begin the healing process. Part of the healing process includes the ability to “tell your story,” yet parents who lose a child to suicide face such special issues that they are not comfortable sharing in other support groups. Meetings are held at St. Luke’s Hospital on the second Tuesday of the month from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m. and the fourth Saturday from 10:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Meetings are facilitated by other parent survivors and are open to any parent who has lost a child to suicide whether the loss was recent or several years ago. For more information and room location, contact me at 314-853-7925 or lfehrmann@charter.net. 

Linda Fehrmann, Co-Facilitator
PALS Support Group

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