NORWICH – On June 6, community members packed the house at Morrisville Extension in Norwich. They came to discover what can be done to prevent the loss of lives to suicide and how to best support survivors so deeply impacted by the death of a loved one, by suicide.

A panel of speakers included Sam Cattroppa, NYS Office of Mental Health Upstate Suicide Prevention Coordinator; Marion Mossman, Mental Health Association, Ulster County Regional Director; Debra Graham, American Foundation for Suicide Prevention; and community members Sue and John Franco, and Danielle Williamson.

Presenters spoke of the prevalence of suicide in Chenango County, risk factors, the importance of enhancing area interconnectedness and how coming together as a coalition can impact the incidence of fatal and non-fatal suicide in local communities.

Survivors, who have experienced the death of a loved one by suicide, bravely shared the types of support and resources that helped them through the years following their losses. They were also able to shed light on resources that were lacking for themselves and their loved ones regarding prevention and postvention services. A list of training opportunities available to individuals, organizations and school districts includes Safe Talk, ASIST, After a Suicide: toolkit, and Creating Suicide Safety in Schools.