Bringing Compassion, Connection & Hope to Survivors of Suicide Loss

What Is a LOSS Team?

The Local Outreach to Suicide Survivors (L.O.S.S.) Team model was developed by Dr. Frank Campbell in 1998, originating at the Baton Rouge Crisis and Trauma Center This active postvention model brings trained volunteers—often including individuals who have personally lost someone to suicide—to the scene of or shortly after a suicide, to connect with survivors in real time and offer support .

 

Why It Matters for Survivors

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Immediate compassionate response:

LOSS Team members are typically dispatched by the Trumbull County Coroner’s Office or local authorities, arriving as early as possible after a loss to ensure survivors don’t feel alone at a vulnerable moment.

 

Peer-based connection: At least one responder is a suicide loss survivor themselves—someone who understands grief from lived experience. Simply hearing “I lost someone to suicide too” often makes it easier for survivors to say the word “suicide,” begin asking questions, and start to feel understood.

 

Hope and normalcy: LOSS volunteers can model functioning after loss—dressing, speaking, and carrying forward—and this visible hope helps survivors sense the possibility of rebuilding life again.

 

How the Trumbull County LOSS Team Works

Operated by the nonprofit Grief and Loss In Motion (501(c)(3)), the program responds to referrals from the Coroner’s Office to offer immediate outreach to survivors in Trumbull County and surrounding areas.

 

Volunteers provide practical support (e.g., information on local counseling, grief groups) and initial companionship, often followed by connections to ongoing support programs Grief and Loss.

 

Support services—including peer grief support groups—are offered free of charge, thanks to grants and donations from the Trumbull County Mental Health & Recovery Board

 

What Survivors Can Expect

Step                                            What Happens

Notification                  Coroner’s or law enforcement contacts LOSS Team after a  suspected suicide

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Initial Contact              Team reaches out to survivors as soon as possible—sometimes in person,                                             sometimes by phone

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Connection                 At least one volunteer shares their own suicide loss experience, offering                                               understanding and empathy

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Resource Sharing       Team provides referrals to local grief groups, mental health providers, and                                             support resources

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Ongoing Care             Survivors may join weekly support groups (e.g. curriculum-based group                                               mindful meditation group, etc.) or community events hosted by                                                                 Grief and Loss In Motion

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Our Mission & Vision

 

To be an installation of hope by offering not just empathy, but affirmation: grief survivors can rebuild and find meaningful life again.

 

To reduce the shame and stigma often surrounding suicide by empowering survivors to tell their story at their own pace.To provide a bridge—from the moment of crisis into ongoing support—helping survivors access resources, support groups, and connection.

 

Resources & Support

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Grief and Loss In Motion / Trumbull County LOSS Team: Serving Northeast Ohio and

                                           Western PA. Email: tclossteam@gmail.com

Trumbull County Mental Health & Recovery Board: as a funding partner and community           

                                           lifeline 

Ohio Suicide Prevention Foundation (OSPF):  for state-wide LOSS Team standards and

                                           directories

 

Crisis Lines:  Dial 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline Or call 1–800–273‑TALK (8255)

                                            and press 1 for Veterans Crisis Line

 

Words of Support

 

If you’ve experienced the loss of someone to suicide, please know:

You do not have to face this grief alone. LOSS Team members have walked this path—so you won’t walk it alone. Even small gestures—a shared conversation, a note, a resource—can plant the seeds of hope. Strong support networks and understanding peers can profoundly change the course of grief and healing over time.

 

Want to Help or Learn More?

 

If you’d like to volunteer, share funding, or arrange a training for your organization, LOSS Team partners welcome your connection. Email tclossteam@gmail.com to learn how you can help support survivors in Trumbull County and surrounding communities.Together, we can honor those lost—and support those left behind—by offering presence, empathy, and a path forward filled with possibility.