Carbon and Emery counties have both seen more than their fair share of lives lost to suicide in recent years. When family and friends lose someone to suicide often times the grief can be one of the most challenging experiences they have every faced. It can leave many survivors feeling powerless, isolated or judged due to the stigma that is wrongly associated with suicide. Until now, the closest support group for Carbon and Emery counties could be found in Provo, which is over an hour away.
Kahli Hicken Quinones recently return home from Texas and knew immediately that she needed to form a support group for survivors in the area. She has worked very closely with her facilitator in Texas who has guided her to organize all the details and seek online training to conduct a successful support group.
She has taken a very painful and personal experience of her own to give her the ability to help those loved ones left behind. “I actually have lost a loved one to suicide. My mother fell victim of it almost two years ago. I went online, I was looking for something, I needed somewhere to go. So, while living in Texas I attended a support group there and it just got the ball rolling. I knew that when I wanted to move back to Carbon County, I needed to do this for our community and our people here,” explained Quinones. Every now and then the support and understanding that is needed can be found from a group of total strangers who have faced the same type of devastating loss.
The Carbon County Survivors of Suicide Loss meetings take place on the first and third Thursdays of the month from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm. “I like to keep the location private and confidential just so the members of the group can feel like they can share and the right people are there. Just shoot me a quick email, say that you’re interested in attending the group and we’ll go from there,” she said. The email address for the support group is carboncountysos@gmail.com
The CCSOS is an open, free group for survivors trying to understand the complex feelings associated with suicide. “I think people feel safe coming to this type of group knowing that they can share their story and they are not going to be judged, they’re not going to feel embarrassed or shamed by their loss to suicide because we’re all there for the exact same reason,” stated Quinones. Participants will not be forced to speak until they’re comfortable to share their own story and feelings.
Details of the group can be found on the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention website, as well as, useful tools to bring awareness and learn more about prevention through their various resources.