Portage County will mark the annual International Survivors of Suicide Day with a program sponsored by the Portage County Suicide Prevention Coalition at Coleman Access in Ravenna on Saturday, November 23.The free event is held to support community members who have survived the death of a loved one due to suicide. It will start with registration at 12:45 p.m. at Coleman Access’ Sue Hetrick Building, 3922 Lovers Lane, Ravenna. The program which runs from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., includes an
international broadcast featuring the stories of other survivors, education and a time for support and sharing.
The program is scheduled at sites across the world on the same day. Participants join with others to listen to a diverse group of survivors discuss their losses and how they coped. Participation in the discussion is encouraged but not required. The local program is co-sponsored by the Mental Health & Recovery Board of Portage County and Coleman Professional Services. The international event is a program of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, www.afsp.org. A preview of the
program is available at http://www.afsp.org/coping-with-suicide/international-survivors-of-suicide-day.
To register for the event at Coleman Access, call 330-673-1756, ext. 203, or email joelm@mental-health-recovery.org. Walk-ins are welcome, but pre-registering will help with planning.
Persons who cannot attend can watch the program online at the AFSP website, www.afsp.org,
on Saturday, November 23, from 1–2:30 p.m. Eastern Standard Time along with thousands of other survivors around the world. A live online chat will follow at http://www.pos-ffos.com/chat/AFSP.htm
starting at 2:30 p.m. Karyl Chastain Beal will moderate the chat. Beal is the long-time facilitator of the Parents of Suicide (POS) and Friends and Families of Suicide (FFOS) Internet support communities
which is online at http://www.pos-ffos.com.
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AFSP also shares information and resources by email with a worldwide network comprised of over 55,000 survivors of suicide loss, mental health professionals and many others at the AFSP Survivor e-Network on line at http://www.afsp.org/coping-with-suicide/find-support/join-the-survivor-e-network. There is also a Facebook page for the International Survivors of Suicide Day.