NAMI NH

By Amy Cook In September 2025, I had the opportunity to travel from New Hampshire to Gray, Tennessee to provide Connect Postvention Training, facilitated postvention response planning, and a Postvention Train-the-Trainer program for Frontier Health. By the end of the week, 30 clinical staff and social workers had completed the training, and four new Connect trainers were prepared to bring this important work to others throughout the region. While every Connect training experience is unique, this one reinforced an important lesson: the principles of postvention and community healing extend far beyond suicide loss. They can help communities respond to many types of trauma and adversity. A Community Defined by Resilience Northeast Tennessee is a beautiful part of the country. Nestled in the Great Smoky Mountains, the region is characterized by rolling farmland, winding backroads, steep hills, and small rural communities. Each morning, a dense fog settled over the landscape, often limiting visibility to just a few feet and creating an almost surreal start to the day. The training took place at Frontier Health’s main office in Gray, a small rural community that serves as a hub for behavioral health services across portions of Tennessee and Virginia. What struck me most, however, was not the scenery—it was the people. From the moment I arrived at the airport, I was met with warmth and hospitality. People smiled, greeted one another, and took time to connect. As a New Englander accustomed to a faster pace, I quickly noticed the difference. Even my morning trips to Dunkin’ became a lesson in community. Conversations flowed freely among customers and staff, and no one seemed particularly concerned about how long the line took. Participants later told me that spending time on the porch with neighbors, sipping sweet tea and watching the horizon, remains a common and valued part of daily life. That sense of connection and community became a powerful backdrop for the work we were doing together. Building Capacity Through Training Frontier Health provides a comprehensive range of mental health and substance use services across the region. Their staff work with individuals and families throughout the lifespan, including youth and schools, placing them in a unique position to strengthen suicide prevention and postvention efforts across multiple communities. Throughout the training, I was impressed by both the expertise and passion of the participants. They immediately recognized how Connect’s postvention principles could be applied not only within their organization, but also throughout the communities they serve. As discussions unfolded, participants began identifying practical ways to strengthen their response to suicide loss, support grieving individuals, and improve organizational readiness. The energy in the room was palpable. It was clear that participants were not simply learning new information—they were envisioning how to use it to create meaningful change. When Postvention Supports More Than Suicide Loss One of the most powerful discussions centered on the lasting impact of Hurricane Helene, which had caused significant destruction in the region approximately one year before the training. Many participants worked closely with schools and children who were still experiencing the effects of that trauma. As we explored concepts related to postvention, grief, trauma, communication, and healing, participants began drawing connections between suicide postvention and broader community recovery efforts. They recognized that many of the same principles that help communities heal after a suicide death can also support recovery following a natural disaster or other traumatic event. The training provided a framework for understanding trauma’s impact on individuals and communities while offering practical strategies for fostering connection, resilience, and healing. This realization became one of the week’s most meaningful takeaways. Connect’s principles were helping participants think beyond a single event and consider how they could support healing across an entire community. A New Perspective on a Family’s Grief Another powerful moment came during the “S-Word” activity, which explores the many reasons people may struggle to talk openly about suicide. One participant shared concerns about a student whose older brother had died by suicide. The family had become reluctant to engage with school staff and would not discuss either the suicide or the younger child’s mental health needs. Prior to the training, she and her colleagues had interpreted the family’s reluctance as resistance or avoidance. Through the activity and discussion, however, she began to see the situation differently. She recognized that grief, trauma, fear, guilt, stigma, and many other factors could be influencing the family’s response. Rather than viewing the parents as unwilling to engage, she developed a deeper understanding of what they might be experiencing and gained new ideas for approaching the family with greater empathy and support. For me, this moment captured one of the most important goals of Connect training: helping people move from assumptions to understanding and from judgment to compassion. Renewing Purpose At the conclusion of the training, one participant’s feedback struck me. She shared that participating in the training helped her reconnect with why she entered the field in the first place and gave her a renewed sense of purpose. Suicide prevention and postvention work is not easy. The topics we address are often painful and complex. Yet there is something incredibly rewarding about watching people discover new ways they can make a difference in the lives of others. Seeing participants leave with renewed energy, practical tools, and a commitment to helping their communities heal is one of the most meaningful parts of this work. Why This Matters This experience in Tennessee demonstrates how Connect training can be adapted to meet the needs of diverse communities and organizations. Whether working with schools, behavioral health providers, hospitals, crisis teams, faith communities, or community coalitions, Connect helps participants build skills that strengthen prevention, intervention, postvention, and long-term community healing. The participants at Frontier Health left with concrete action steps to continue developing their postvention response plan, a deeper understanding of community trauma, and increased confidence in their ability to support those affected by loss. Most importantly, they left empowered to take action. As I reflect on my time in northeast