SpeakUp ReachOut Expands Offerings in Suicide Prevention & Awareness

Painted lady butterflies launched in memory of the loved ones we have lost to suicide at the 10th Anniversary Celebration and Memorial Butterfly Launch with SpeakUp ReachOut.

SpeakUp ReachOut (SURO) started in 2009 as a group of concerned community members who wanted to make a difference. Over the past 11 years the organization has trained over 8,000 adults and 6,000 youth in suicide prevention with a very small staff.

In 2020, SpeakUp ReachOut is bringing on more team members and new initiatives to further our reach in Eagle County. We will continue to offer prevention programs like Question, Persuade and Refer (QPR), Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST), and Signs of Suicide (SOS) for our youth. SURO will also now be offering START by LivingWorks free to the community, as well as Working Minds to target our workplace population, and we are excited to partner with the Colorado Office of Suicide Prevention to bring the Gun Shop Project to Eagle County. All of these programs allow us to reach community members in a lot of different places and share the warning signs of suicide and how to refer someone to help.

SpeakUp ReachOut launched a Yoga and Meditation for Mental Health series which offers FREE yoga and meditation practices to the community with the intention to take care of our mental health, but also to promote connection with each practice. 

We are not only about prevention, but also support those who have lost a loved one to suicide.  SpeakUp ReachOut offers loss assistance care packages to those who have lost a loved one. Each package includes books, resources and tools to navigate the journey of suicide loss. In 2020, we launched the Suicide Loss Support Group of Eagle County in partnership with a local loss survivor, Kris Miller. This group is open to anyone who has lost a loved one to suicide and is an opportunity to connect with those who really do understand what you may be experiencing. Each year SURO hosts our Community Walk and Memorial Butterfly Launch. This event brings loss survivors together to remember their loved ones, reflect on our lives and revitalize hope in ourselves and our community.

SpeakUp ReachOut looks forward to training and impacting more lives in 2020 than ever before. We have set a bold goal to train 75% of the Eagle County community in suicide prevention and awareness over the next five years. That means in 2020, we are on a mission to train 10,000 people, which leads to the likelihood of 60,000 lives being touched by our programming.

If you are interested in being trained or want to learn more about our programming, please visit our website at www.speakupreachout.org. If you or someone you know is in crisis, please contact Colorado Crisis Services at 844-493-8255 or text TALK to 38255.

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