Tonie Long, the Local Outreach to Survivors of Suicide (LOSS) team coordinator, will talk about suicide prevention and family follow-up at the Tuesday, March 7 NAMI Four County meeting. The meeting, which is open to the public, starts at 7 p.m. and will be held at the ADAMhs Board office, T-761 State Route 66, south of Archbold (across from Four County Career Center).

Her presentation will include current statistics on suicide rates in the area and what the Four County Suicide Prevention Coalition is doing to raise awareness of suicide. Long is the ADAMhs Board representative to the suicide coaltion.

She will also talk about a program that she coordinates called Local Outreach to Survivors of Suicide or LOSS teams. Long, who is also a LOSS team member, will explain how members are trained to respond immediately when they receive a call from law enforcement after a completed suicide. They go directly to the family’s home to offer support and resources to family members and friends of the person who completed the suicide.

NAMI Four County is an affiliate of the National Alliance on Mental Illness, the nation’s largest mental health advocacy group. It is comprised largely of family members and friends who have a loved one with a diagnosed or undiagnosed mental illness; however, persons with a mental illness are also welcome to join.

The group meets at 7 p.m. the first Tuesday of the month to hear a 45 to 60 minute educational program on a mental health-related topic. NAMI also offers free public mental health education classes, trainings and support groups.

For more information on NAMI Four County, its meetings, classes, support groups, local service providers and more, please visit its website at www.namifourcounty.org

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