By Jodi Flick
Losing a loved one to suicide is an experience that affects many people in our community. Our local Survivors of Suicide Loss Support Group (SOS Group) is the only free and continuously-available resource in the Durham/Chapel Hill area specifically for those who have been through such a tragedy.
Right now, the SOS group is in great need of volunteers to help facilitate our group meetings. We are looking for people who have either experienced a personal loss to suicide or who have professional interest in this area – or someone who has both. No experience is necessary; we have a short DVD/trainer’s manual that anyone who is interested can review.
The SOS group has two facilitators at each meeting and we try to pair a peer facilitator with a professional facilitator. Anyone who is new would be paired with a current facilitator. With enough volunteers, no one would need to facilitate more than a few times a year, although the option is open to facilitate more often if you would like.
Most volunteers serve only twice every few months.
The support group meets on the second and fourth Thursday each month from 7 to 8:30 p.m., at United Church of Chapel Hill, 1321 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Chapel Hill. Volunteers can choose the weeks they would like to participate.
If suicide loss has affected your life personally or professionally, you might be ideally suited to help others by volunteering, because you understand this experience. This is NOT a therapy group, and you would have no billing or documentation responsibilities. The facilitator’s role is simply to help the members of the group build rapport and help each other through sharing their experiences of healing.
For more information or to volunteer, contact Jodi Flick at 919-962-4988 or joflick@email.unc.edu. Please pass this message on to anyone you think might be interested.
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