Indiana LOSS Team
Losing a loved one or friend to suicide is life changing. It is likely one of the most difficult losses a person can experience. A suicide loss can leave people feeling overwhelmed, angry, or numb. Many loss survivors talk about it feeling surreal. These feeling can last for weeks, months, or longer.
What is a L.O.S.S. Team?
When activated by a Coroner, Medical Examiner, or Law Enforcement agency, a Local Outreach to Suicide Survivor (L.O.S.S.) Team goes to the scene of a suicide to support those who are left behind. A L.O.S.S. Team response usually consists of two or three trained volunteers – many of whom have lost someone close to them to suicide. L.O.S.S. Team volunteers are present to those left behind in a nonintrusive manner. L.O.S.S. Team volunteers provide support, resources, and understanding.
Why are L.O.S.S. Teams Important?
A L.O.S.S. Team can provide a lifeline to the newly bereaved. Having a person who has lost someone to suicide present in the immediate aftermath can provide an instillation of hope. Through shared understanding and experience, L.O.S.S. Team volunteers can be a calming and reassuring presence. They do this by holding space for despair, anger, or shock. By listening. By providing practical support. By providing resources so when the newly bereaved are ready, they know what options they can turn to for support. L.O.S.S. Team volunteers who have lost someone special to suicide can provide a sense of normalcy and hope simply by introducing themselves as someone who has also been impacted by a suicide death.
Loss Survivors
Loss survivors is a term used to describe people impacted by a suicide death. It refers to those people who are left behind. Loss survivors may include family members, friends, neighbors, co-workers, teachers, classmates, therapists, clients, first responders, and many others. Loss survivors may experience a wide range of personal impact intensity and for varying durations. Those people who were emotionally close to the person who died may have especially intense and long lasting reactions.