TAPS and Home Base Partner to Provide Intensive Trauma Support to Surviving Military Family Members Who Lost a Loved One to Suicide
Second Cohort Completes Program Designed to Help Stabilize Families, Promote Healing
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - April 18, 2018
ARLINGTON, Va. -- The Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS) recently completed the second of its two-week, intensive outpatient treatment programs to provide trauma therapy for surviving family members whose military loved one died by suicide.
The Home Base program in Boston has developed a best-practice, Intensive Clinical Program (ICP) for veterans and family members who are suffering from trauma. TAPS first partnered with Home Base in the summer of 2017 to offer this treatment to survivors of military suicide and to provide peer-based support to expand the continuum of care.
“After a family experiences a suicide, TAPS offers a three phase model for optimal healing and growth,” said Kim Ruocco, TAPS Vice President of Suicide Prevention and Postvention. “The first phase is to stabilize the family on suicide-specific issues, the second is to engage in a healthy grief process, and the third is to provide opportunities for post-traumatic growth. The TAPS/Home Base partnership is aimed at supporting the first phase of the TAPS postvention model by stabilizing trauma-related issues to in order to lay a foundation for a healthy grief journey.”
In her work with families whose loved one died by suicide, Ruocco realized that trauma is one key factor that if not treated can complicate the grief journey and make it difficult for suicide loss survivors to connect with peers. TAPS relies on partners like Home Base to expand our continuum of care by providing best practice clinical care in addition to TAPS peer-based grief support.
After evaluating the initial offering last year, TAPS and Home Base decided to make future sessions available for families who are in most need of intensive trauma therapy. By offering the intensive clinical program with Home Base, TAPS is now able to provide the full continuum of care for families whose military loved one died by suicide within its Suicide Postvention Program.
ABOUT TAPS
The Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS) is the national organization providing compassionate care for the families of America’s fallen military heroes and has offered support to more than 75,000 surviving family members of our fallen military and their caregivers since 1994. TAPS provides peer-based emotional support, grief and trauma resources, grief seminars and retreats for adults, Good Grief Camps for children, case work assistance, connections to community-based care, online and in-person support groups and a 24/7 resource and information helpline for all who have been affected by a death in the Armed Forces. Services are provided free of charge. For more information go to www.taps.org or call the toll-free TAPS resource and information helpline at 1.800.959.TAPS (8277).
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MEDIA REQUESTS:
Please contact Rita Barry-Corke at rita@taps.org, or call 202-470-5702 to arrange an interview.