Carbon County Survivors of Suicide Loss Support Group close to their one-year anniversary in January 2019. This group was started by Kahli Hicken Quinones who moved back home from Texas. She knew immediately that there was a great need for this type of group in the Castle Country area.
“I was raised in Carbon County, so that’s why it was so important for me, you know to come back to my roots and start this support group after I had lost my mother to suicide. Everybody knows somebody that has fallen victim to suicide,” said Quinones. She has taken a very painful and personal experience of her own to give her the ability to help those loved ones left behind. Before leaving Texas, she worked very closely with her facilitator who guided her to organize all the details and seek online training to conduct a successful support group. Today she continues online training to help facilitate a positive support group on such a very serious issue.
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 ever faced. It can leave many survivors feeling powerless, isolated or judged due to the stigma that is wrongly associated with suicide. Up until January of this year, the closest support group for Carbon and Emery residents could be found in Provo, which is over an hour away.
The Carbon County Survivors of Suicide Loss meetings take place on third Thursdays of the month from 7:00 pm to 8:00 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 support group 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.