Community Assessment

WHY IS IT IMPORTANT?

• A process where both community need and existing resources offered
  in your community are analyzed and documented.
• A community assessment will reveal if a LOSS Team is needed.
• A community assessment will reveal what services are in place to refer the
  newly bereaved to such as grief counseling and support groups.

• Review Suicide Statistics in Your Community
• Determine what qualifies a mental health professional as being effective in working with those experiencing a suicide loss. Examples may include certifications/experience in Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy and Trauma-Informed Care. Ask mental health professionals if they have participated in specific death and grief studies workshops. Additionally, clinicians with experience in EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing), AMSR (Assessing and Managing Suicide Risk), and/or CAMS (Collaborative Assessment and Management of Suicidality) may be helpful.
• Determine what support groups exist in your community. These may be offered at local hospitals, hospice centers, mental health agencies, or within faith communities. Places to search online include the:
  • ​American Foundation for Suicide Prevention
  • Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors
  • The Compassionate Friends

• Postvention
• LOSS Teams
  • Community Assessment
  • Develop Mission Statement
  • Establish Credibility
  • Community Partners
  • Loss Team Resources for Loss Survivors
  • Recruit and Train Volunteers
  • Develop Standard Operating Procedures
  • Determine how to measure Success
  • Develop Delayed Response Process
• Survivorship Support Group
• Media Guidelines
• Resources

Communities can provide hope to people impacted by a suicide loss.

Suicide is a public health issue that deserves to be responded to in proportion to its impact.