| Support After Suicide Loss:
Postvention for Service Members, Veterans, and their Families
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Date: November 4, 2025
Time: 2:00–3:30 p.m. ET
The impact of a death by suicide profoundly affects families, friends, communities, and providers. Postvention is an essential component of suicide prevention—offering timely support, fostering healing, and reducing the risk of further crises.
Suicide loss survivors contend with the same grief and bereavement as others whose loved ones have died. However, there may be additional shame, stigma, and trauma associated with suicide that may not be present with other types of losses. [1] Research has shown that each suicide impacts an estimated 135 [2] people. Service members and Veterans also tend to have higher exposure rates to suicide loss than civilians. Even knowing someone who has died by suicide can increase your risk of suicide. [3] Join us for this impactful webinar as we explore community-driven postvention approaches designed to provide hope and stability after loss. Our expert presenters will share innovative strategies, practical tools, and real-world lessons that organizations and communities can adapt to meet the unique needs of those bereaved by suicide.
This webinar will be followed by a learning community series exploring each of these topics in greater detail. If you are interested, you can receive further information via upcoming issues of our monthly “Topics in the News” or from our Upcoming Events page. [2] Cerel, J., Brown, M. M., Maple, M., Singleton, M., Van de Venne, J., Moore, M., & Flaherty, C. (2019). How many people are exposed to suicide? Not six. Suicide and Life‐Threatening Behavior, 49(2), 529-534.
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Learning Objectives - Understand the role of postvention in reducing risk and supporting recovery after suicide loss or suicide attempt.
- Learn how Local Outreach to Suicide Survivors (LOSS) Teams and other peer-support models provide immediate and ongoing assistance to survivors.
- Explore community-level guides and frameworks that strengthen local postvention responses.
- Identify resources available to military and Veteran families navigating grief, bereavement, and healing.
Presenters - LOSS Teams: Denise Meine-Graham, CT, TRCC, Postvention Consulting, LLC, LOSSTeam.com, Founder and Director Emerita LOSS Community Services
- Community Guide for Postvention: Nicola Winkel, M.P.A., Project Director, Arizona Coalition for Military Families
- Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS): Dr. Carla Stumpf Patton, Ed.D., LMHC, QS, NCC, CT, FT, CCTP, Vice President of Suicide Prevention / Intervention / Postvention, TAPS
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Denise Meine-Graham, CT, TRCC, Postvention Consulting, LLC, LOSSTeam.com, Founder and Director Emerita LOSS Community Services
Ms. Meine-Graham, a former corporate executive, turned tragedy into purpose after losing her son, Drey, to suicide in 2012. She founded LOSS Community Services in Columbus, Ohio, leading until 2022 when she became Director Emerita. That same year, she and her husband launched Postvention Consulting, LLC, helping communities nationwide build LOSS Teams and postvention programs. In 2023, they assumed leadership of expanding the LOSS Team model originally developed by Dr. Frank Campbell.
With her business background, Ms. Meine-Graham created structured approaches to launching LOSS Teams, contributed to national suicide reporting guidelines, testified before legislators, and frequently shares her journey as a loss survivor. She is a certified thanatologist, certified psychological autopsy investigator, and holds a death and grief studies certification. A nationally recognized trainer and speaker, Ms. Meine-Graham has received multiple awards for her leadership, advocacy, and commitment to postvention and healing.
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Nicola Winkel, M.P.A., Project Director, Arizona Coalition for Military Families
Ms. Winkel is the Project Director for the Arizona Coalition for Military Families, a nationally recognized public/private partnership dedicated to supporting service members, Veterans, families, and communities. She played a principal role in creating Arizona’s Be Connected program, which emphasizes upstream prevention to improve social determinants of health and reduce suicide risk. With over 20 years of nonprofit experience, she specializes in program development, project management, communication, and sustainability. Beyond the Coalition, she has consulted on state and national initiatives, including the Arizona National Guard’s Be Resilient program, Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE’s) continuing education efforts, a Department of Defense study adapting Mental Health First Aid for military populations, and the White House’s President's Roadmap to Empower Veterans and End a National Tragedy of Suicide (PREVENTS) Initiative. Ms. Winkel has presented at numerous conferences, holds a master’s in public administration from the University of Illinois and a systems thinking certificate from Cornell, and has been honored with the Adjutant General Medal and as one of Arizona’s 48 Most Intriguing Women.
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Carla Stumpf Patton, Ed.D., LMHC, QS, NCC, CT, FT, CCTP, Vice President of Suicide Prevention / Intervention / Postvention, TAPS
Dr. Stumpf Patton is the Vice President of Suicide Prevention/Intervention/Postvention at TAPS, overseeing suicide-related programs and services, and is the lead contributor to the TAPS Suicide Prevention Model™. As a suicidologist and subject-matter expert in areas of grief, trauma, and suicide, she holds a B.S. in Psychology, an M.A. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling and School Guidance, and an Ed.D. in Counseling Psychology, with her dissertation research focused on military families bereaved by suicide. She is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor and National Board Certified Counselor. She is the surviving spouse of Sergeant Richard Stumpf, an active-duty U.S. Marine Corps Drill Instructor and Gulf War Era Combat Veteran who died by suicide in 1994, several days before their only child was born.
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