Friends for Survival — Free Suicide Loss Survivor Peer Support
Friends for Survival has provided free peer support to people grieving a suicide loss since 1983. Founded by survivors for survivors, the organization runs in-person support groups in Northern California, a national suicide loss helpline available to callers nationwide, a monthly newsletter sent to thousands of survivors, and educational outreach. Every Friends for Survival staff member and volunteer has been directly impacted by a suicide death — meaning the work is led, top to bottom, by people who understand.
What to Expect
Friends for Survival’s in-person support groups meet in cities across Sacramento and Northern California. Each group is small, peer-led, and confidential — members share what’s happening for them, listen to others, and trade the kind of practical and emotional knowledge that only other suicide loss survivors can offer. The national Suicide Loss Helpline at 1-800-646-7322 is staffed by trained survivor volunteers and is open to callers anywhere in the United States who want to talk with someone who understands. The Friends for Survival monthly newsletter, distributed for over 40 years, features reflections from survivors, anniversaries and remembrances, and ongoing support resources.
Who This Group Is For
Friends for Survival welcomes anyone who has lost a loved one to suicide — parents, partners, children, siblings, friends, coworkers, and extended family. The in-person support groups primarily serve Northern California, while the helpline and newsletter extend the organization’s reach across the country. Survivors of all ages and backgrounds are welcome. There is no time limit on when someone can join; many members come to Friends for Survival years after their loss when they’re ready for community.
Why Peer Support Works
Suicide loss carries a particular kind of grief — often complicated by stigma, by unanswered questions, by the social discomfort others bring to the topic. Spending time with other survivors, in person or by phone or through a newsletter, normalizes the experience and gives survivors language for what they’re going through. Friends for Survival’s 40+ year history means the peer network is deep — many members have been part of the community for years and become the volunteers who answer the helpline for the next wave of survivors.
How to Join
All Friends for Survival programs are free. Visit friendsforsurvival.org for the current schedule of support groups in Northern California, to subscribe to the monthly newsletter (open to survivors anywhere), and to learn more about the organization’s outreach work. The Suicide Loss Helpline at 1-800-646-7322 is available to callers anywhere in the United States during posted hours.