The Suicide Prevention Alliance of Chautauqua County is proud to announce the upcoming launch of the Sudden Loss Care Team (SLCT), a volunteer-based postvention program designed to provide immediate emotional support to families and individuals grieving the loss of a loved one to suicide.

The SLCT will officially begin operations in January 2026, made possible through grant funding from the Suicide Prevention Center of New York and fully supported by the Chautauqua County Department of Mental Hygiene, Coroner and Sheriff’s Office.

A stabilizing presence in times of crisis, the SLCT offers in-person or phone-based support in the early stages of loss. Volunteers are trained in trauma-informed care and suicide-specific grief and will only respond with the full consent of the family. This is not a crisis intervention or therapy service; it is peer-to-peer emotional support from individuals who understand the pain of sudden loss.

“The moments and days following a suicide can be overwhelming, traumatic, and deeply isolating,” said Carri Raynor, Director of the Suicide Prevention Alliance of Chautauqua County. “The Sudden Loss Care Team will ensure that survivors have access to compassionate, peer-informed support when they need it most.”

These individuals are carefully vetted and trained to walk alongside survivors during these difficult moments, helping to reduce trauma and connect them with critical mental health and grief support resources.

Compassionate volunteers are being recruited now. The team is comprised entirely of trained volunteers with lived or professional experience related to suicide loss. This includes:

Peer suicide loss survivors

Licensed clinicians

First responders (active or retired)

Upcoming training sessions will be held in August, September, November, and December 2025. For more information about the Sudden Loss Care Team, upcoming volunteer training opportunities, or suicide loss support services, please contact Carri Raynor at raynorc@chqgov.com. To learn more about the Suicide Prevention Alliance of Chautauqua County, visit preventsuicidechq.com.