In light of the recent tragedy reported in your online article "Suicide at North Seattle College," I wanted to offer Crisis Clinic's services as a resource for suicide prevention and grief support.

Crisis Clinic's 24-Hour Crisis Line offers immediate help to anyone in our community experiencing emotional distress, mental health crisis, or considering suicide. Calls are answered by professionally-trained volunteers who will listen to callers' concerns, help them explore coping strategies, and when appropriate, refer callers to mental health or social services for further assistance. All calls are anonymous and confidential. If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health issues or thoughts of suicide, we encourage you to call the 24-Hour Crisis Line at: (206) 461-3222.

In addition to the 24-Hour Crisis Line, Crisis Clinic also offers support groups for people who've lost a loved one to suicide. The grief experienced by Survivors of Suicide is unique and not easily understood by people who have not experienced that type of loss. Crisis Clinic offers a twice-a-month, drop-in Survivors of Suicide Support Group the first and third Monday of each month at 6:30 p.m. at our Northgate office (9725 Third Ave. N.E., Suite 300). For more information or to receive individualized support at any day or hour, call our 24-Hour Crisis Line at (206) 461-3222.

Crisis Clinic has been at the heart of the community safety net for 50 years. For more information about our telephone-based support services, please visit our website at: www.crisisclinic.org.

Kathleen Southwick
Executive Director