My name is Linda Flatt. I'm a survivor mom, a support group facilitator, the Southern Nevada Field Liaison for SPAN USA (Suicide Prevention Action Network USA), founding member of the Nevada Chapter of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (dissolved in June 2006), and Chair of the Nevada Coalition for Suicide Prevention (established in March 2005).

In June of 1993, my son, Paul, intentionally took his own life - at the age of 25. That event shattered my life and put me on a very dark road with no light and no road map. Because I had no frame of reference for surviving a suicide death, recovery was long and difficult. But with God's help and the support of loving friends and family, I have traveled through the darkest part of my healing journey, and I am at the place where I want to share my experience with other survivors.

In an effort to support other survivors of suicide in my community, I facilitate a bereavement group for adult survivors at Barbara Greenspun WomensCare Center, 100 N. Green Valley Parkway, Suite 330, Henderson, NV 89074 (I-215 & N. Green Valley Pkwy). The group meets on the first and third Tuesday of each month from 6:30 - 8:00 PM. If you are in the Las Vegas area and want further information, please email me or call the WomensCare Center at (702) 616-4900. There is also a group that meets on the second and fourth Monday from 7:00-8:30 PM. It is located at Canyon Ridge Christian Church, 6200 W. Lone Mountain Rd. You may contact the church at (702) 658-2722. Additional information about the two support groups is available for printing (including maps of both locations) by clicking here. For a complete national directory of survivor support groups, please visit: AAS - Support Groups and AFSP Support Groups.

Several years after Paul's death I found that, because of my experience, I was being questioned by others about suicide prevention and intervention. Since I had no answers for these questions, I suddenly found myself on a fork in my recovery road - gathering information about suicide and suicide prevention. As a result of that quest for knowledge (and by divine design) I joined forces with SPAN USA (Suicide Prevention Action Network) - a grass-roots organization founded by survivors and dedicated to the development of a proven, effective national strategy for suicide prevention - and a sustained reduction in the numbers of suicide in the U.S. by the year 2010. The important work that this organization has accomplished in a relatively short span of time is nothing short of miraculous. I encourage you to visit the SPAN USA web site and discover more about this incredible network of empowered and committed survivors.

In 1999, I was involved in the establishment of the Nevada Affiliate Chapter of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. We were a group of devoted folks who worked to increase public awareness and improve suicide prevention programs and education in Nevada. AFSP is dedicated to funding prevention research and offering educational programs and conferences for survivors, mental health professionals, physicians and the public, and we brought those efforts to our community. In June 2006, AFSP-NV was dissolved to allow board members to concentrate their efforts on the community based activities of the Nevada Coalition for Suicide Prevention, which was established in 2005. For more information about AFSP visit the AFSP web site.

Since Paul's death, I have advocated (on Capital Hill and in Carson City) for the improvement of suicide prevention efforts in the US and in my home state of Nevada - a state with one of the highest suicide rates in the nation. In 2005, Governor Kenny Guinn funded the Nevada Office of Suicide Prevention. A Nevada Suicide Prevention Coordinator was selected in December of that year, and in February 2006, I became the Suicide Prevention Trainer and Networking Facilitator - based in Las Vegas. Our web site is: www.suicideprevention.nv.gov.

My recovery journey through the years has been blessed in so many ways. One of those blessings has been a loving husband who encouraged me, after Paul's death, to become (at least semi-) computer literate. He also generously offered me his great gift of web site creation - the results of which you now enjoy. It is our prayer that the information on this web site will bring help, hope, and healing to all who visit here.

This web site is dedicated to my son, Paul, who took his own life on June 29, 1993. He was 25 years old.

You may send e-mail - your comments about this web site, correction of errors, recommendations for additions or improvements, to....  Linda

We Survive - One Day At A Time

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The comments and information contained in this site are a combination of my own ( except where specifically noted) and public information gathered from magazines, newspapers, books, and web site statements. I have no connection with any publication, site, or service mentioned above ( except where specifically noted). I have selected this information solely to guide you in your healing process. I am aware of the fact that our opinions may differ - so I urge you to receive what is helpful to you and discard what is not. Again, I hope that this site has provided some useful resources for recovering from the loss of a loved one by suicide.