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  • Local Outreach to Suicide Survivors. Crisis response that help those traumatized by the loss of a loved one to suicide immediately following their loss.
  • Ongoing Support for those left behind so no one walks alone.
  • Learn how the Rapid City Suicide Prevention Taskforce is working to reduce youth suicides in the community through education, training, and awareness.
  • For immediate help and to talk to someone, call the National Suicide Prevention Helpline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255)

What We Do

Mission

 

Our mission is to be dedicated to helping those people who have tragically lost someone to suicide while working to reduce the incidence of suicide within our community, through available education, awareness, and prevention services.


Long-term Goal

 

Expand the services and programs provided by the Front Porch Coalition throughout the counties in the Black Hills (Pennington, Meade, Lawrence, Butte, Custer, Fall River) within the next two-three years and throughout Western South Dakota and Eastern Wyoming within the next five years. 

 

Organizational Values

 

The Front Porch Coalition provides services in a manner which are confidential and professional without any form of stigma that still surrounds suicide and mental health.

 

Recent Accomplishments

 

2011 - 36% decrease in the number of suicide deaths in Pennington County compared to an all-time recorded high number in 2012.

 

2011 - Expanded the LOSS Team's outreach to Meade County, providing a dedicated, supportive, and caring volunteer suicide survivor team to Meade and Pennington Counties.

 

2012 - Expanded the organization's services and programs to the Northern Black Hills region (Meade, Lawrence, Butte counties)

 

Upcoming Events

Dear Survivor of Suicide,

We would like to invite you to participate in a research project on suicide bereavement. We understand that suicide bereavement is a difficult journey and that it is unique to everyone who goes through it. In order to find what is most helpful to survivors in coping with their loss, we have developed a series of questions related to what services you may have received immediately or soon after your loss.

The questions also relate to your emotional health following your loss. It is our hope to learn what is and is not most helpful to suicide survivors, and what impact the timing of services received had on your emotional and physical health and wellbeing. The study will involve taking an online survey available at this link here. There, you will find more details of the project, the survey, contact information for the researcher (Dr. Regina T. P. Aguirre), and will be asked if you would like to participate. We appreciate your time and consideration.

 

 

Upcoming Events

 

2nd Annual Mental Health Awareness & Suicide Prevention Day - May 16, 2013 - Main Street Square, Rapid City - 5 PM-7 PM - Listen to people share their personal experiences with mental health disorders, suicidal thoughts, attempts, and loss to suicide, and the struggles and hope that treatment can bring. Free food, entertainment, and mental health resources will be available to everyone. A special balloon release will close the evening at 7PM.

 

For Those Coping with a Loss to Suicide - 8-week Suicide Survivors Support Group Session Starting April 11, 2013 - 6:00 pm-8:00 pm - First Congregational UCC Church, 1200 Clark Street, Rapid City, SD. Please Contact Vicki Buehler at 605-939-8054 or fpc@midconetwork.com for more information needed to attend.

 

11th Annual Suicide Awareness Walk & Fun Run - Thank you to everyone who made this event such a great success and a special day for so many survivors walking in memory of those they have lost to suicide. Over 150 people attended this year's walk and we raised more funds than we have in past years. Next year's walk will be held on

Saturday, May 3, 2014 again at the Old Storybook Island Shelter in Rapid City.

Volunteer

We are volunteers - survivors ourselves of a loss to suicide as well as community caregivers - who have come together to offer support, guidance, comfort, and assistance to those who have lost a loved one to suicide. Our services are free. To be contacted by an advocacy team member from Rapid City, click here.

As with many organizations, the need for volunteers is great. Our organization is currently in need of volunteers to help with the programs and services that we provide. If you would like to volunteer to help our organization, please contact us or click here to send us a message. Someone will contact you to discuss your time and availability to volunteer.

 

 


 

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