A newly forming group in Carbon County needs the community’s help to help others with “LOSS” following a loved one’s suicide.

Last week, Larissa Kimmel, systems of care coordinator for Carbon-Monroe-Pike Mental Health/Developmental Services, updated the Carbon County Collaborative on the Local Outreach of Suicide Survivors or LOSS team.

She said that they are currently looking for people willing to help others.

“One thing that is extremely important to us is that we are looking for volunteers to be part of this time,” Kimmel said. “We are specifically looking for individuals who have a similar lived experience. Perhaps you have lost someone in that manner and you want to be that support to others.”

She said the LOSS team should be made up of a variety of volunteers to make the team work.

“What makes this type of team work so well is when you have people who understand a little bit about what that can do to a person because of this traumatic loss,” Kimmel said. “... I want to stress the important of this because our numbers have risen. We know that we are losing veterans to suicide. Carbon County has such a high rate for that, so if there is a way that we can provide that layer of support after a loss to prevent additional losses, we would like to try to do that.”

Kimmel partnered with Carbon County Coroner Mark Smith last September to announced this new outreach team.

At the time, she explained the LOSS team provides trained volunteers to survivors and connect them with resources and a way to grieve.

For more information on the LOSS team or to become a volunteer, email Kimmel at larissa.kimmel@cmpsystemsofcare.org or call 570-350-0585.

Volunteers complete specific trainings for this team before they are deployed to a case.

Trauma support

In other matters, Kimmel announced that there are several free trauma-informed trainings for professionals being offered by Carbon-Monroe-Pike System of Care. Most trainings are offered at Christian Life Assembly, second building, 2209 W. Main St., Stroudsburg; while a few will take place via Zoom. Continuing Education Credits are offered for some of these courses.

Upcoming courses are:

• Trauma 107: Trauma-informed cultural sensitivity takes place at 8:30 a.m. on April 29.

• Trauma 108: The trauma of racism, followed at 1:30 p.m. on April 29. It is recommended that a person take Trauma 107 before 108.

• Trauma 110: Impact of Social Media: 9 a.m. on May 20 in-person; or 9 a.m. July 15 via Zoom.

• Trauma 104: Grief and Trauma: 9 a.m. on June 17.

• Trauma 109: Trauma in a pandemic: 9 a.m. Sept. 16 via Zoom.

Additional trauma-informed courses will take place in the fall or by request.