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Tara Sirmans Survivor HOPE Program Launch

CrisisLink launched the Tara Sirmans Survivor HOPE (Help and Outreach for Prevention and Education) Program on September 6, 2006 at UVA's and Virginia Tech's Northern Virginia Center. Over 40 guests attended the breakfast launch and over 40 community members participated in the full-day Postvention Hope & Healing Workshop.

Through a generous donation from the Tara Sirmans Foundation and other gifts, CrisisLink has raised almost $14,000 so far in support of this new program.

HOPE Program founder Bob Sirmans, along with Fairfax County Police Detective Rick Netherton, Fairfax County Police Detective Chester Toney, and Fairfax/Falls Church Community Services Board Mental Health Director John DeFee, spoke about their personal experiences with suicide, the need for collaboration, mental health services, and the importance of this new comprehensive postvention program for the community.

Past CrisisLink Board President Jean Falvey kicked off the breakfast with an appeal to the community to support the program through further donations. CrisisLinks's Director of Community Education and Crisis Reponse Mary Azoy introduced the LOSS Team members and presented the full-day postvention workshop.

Carol Loftur-Thun, CrisisLink's Executive Director, spoke about how CrisisLink's Tara Sirmans Survivor HOPE Program is part of an international pilot and innovative postvention programs launched in Baton Rouge, Louisiana; Rapid City, South Dakota; Dublin, Ireland; Newfoundland, Canada; Singapore; New Zealand, and Australia.

For information on the Tara Sirmans Survivor HOPE Program, please click here

HOPE Launch Photos

CrisisLink's Executive Director Carol Loftur-Thun and Tara Sirmans Survivor HOPE Program Founder Bob Sirmans Bob Sirmans presenting a Tara Sirmans Foundation check to CrisisLink Executive Director Carol Loftur-Thun and Past President Jean Falvey to help launch the Tara Sirmans Survivor HOPE ProgramCrisisLink's President-Elect Suzanne Wheeler Klein, Past President Jean Falvey, Tara Sirmans Survivor HOPE Program Founder Bob Sirmans, and Board Member Tom DoneganTara Sirmans Survivor HOPE Program Founder Bob Sirmans and Jean Falvey talked about the need for this comprehensive program to support survivors and prevent suicide in Northern VirginiaCrisisLink's Executive Director Carol Loftur-Thun, Fairfax County Police Detective Rick Netherton, Fairfax County Police Detective Chester Toney, and CrisisLink's Director of Community Education and Crisis Response Mary Azoy at the Tara Sirmans SurvivThe Hope & Healing Workshop at the Tara Sirmans Survivor HOPE Program launch at the University of Virginia's Northern Virginia Center with over 40 participants in this full-day training.The Tara Sirmans Survivor HOPE Program was launched on September 6th to help provide postvention to support survivors today and prevent future tragedies, and over 40 volunteers and community members attended the eventCrisisLink volunteer Trainer Dale Gardner and Hotline Listener L'Adair Langley with Training Coordinator Gihea Gallagher at the HOPE Breakfast registration tableFCPD Detective Chester Toney on the left and Detective Rick Netherton on the right with CrisisLink LOSS Team trainees Tova Jacobs, Carole Chandler, Margaret Mathis, Emily Allen, Mary Azoy, Dale Gardner, and Jamie CarterFairfax Partnership for Youth's Susan Lydick and CrisisLink Board Member John Neumann with Seth Ensign from George Mason High School on the electric piano.