Connecting Loss Survivors With Opportunities for Healing
Each year, suicide impacts millions of people. Through events like International Survivors of Suicide Loss Day and resources such as After a Suicide: Postvention Toolkit for Workplaces, AFSP lets survivors of suicide loss know they are not alone, offering a sense of community and helping them navigate the deeply personal and often complex journey toward healing.
Supporting Loss Survivors Through Real-Time Events
International Survivors of Suicide Loss Day, also known as Survivor Day, takes place every year on the Saturday before American Thanksgiving. The moment offers a unique opportunity for thousands of suicide loss survivors to come together at events across the country, where they find much-needed support, comfort, and healing through shared experience. In addition to in-person events, AFSP also hosts two virtual events: Día de Esperanza (Day of Hope), which offers support for Hispanic and Latinx communities, and Survivor Day Live.
In November 2024, AFSP expanded promotion of Survivor Day programs to reach more diverse audiences, including Black and African American communities, Native American and Indigenous Peoples, Spanish speakers, members of the Deaf Community, as well as veterans, military members, and first responders.
In July of 2024, AFSP also hosted its third Long-Term Survivors of Suicide Loss Summit, held in Austin, Texas. Taking place every two years, this event is the only conference of its kind. It is designed for long-term suicide loss survivors who have found healthy ways to integrate the experience of losing a loved one to suicide into their lives. At this special event, over 200 fellow long-term loss survivors gather for a weekend of connection, understanding, and empowerment. .
Impressions generated across AFSP’s social media channels by our Living With Suicide Loss video series
Programs & Resources Designed to Help Navigate Loss
In addition to in-person and virtual events, AFSP offers evergreen resources and programs — like Healing Conversations and Suicide Bereavement Support Group Facilitator Training — created specifically by and for survivors of suicide loss.
In November 2024, AFSP launched After a Suicide: Postvention Toolkit for Workplaces, an in-depth resource designed for use by organizational leaders and human resource professionals in the aftermath of a suicide death in the workplace. This toolkit has also been tailored for various workplaces, such as the construction and pharmaceutical industries, in order to most effectively meet the unique needs of each.
This year, AFSP also produced insightful new interviews for our Living With Suicide Loss video series, as well as the expansion of its viewership since the initial series launch in 2023. This video library features recorded interviews with survivors of suicide loss, who each share the different ways they have navigated the pain of loss and found pathways toward healing.
