TAPS — Free Suicide Loss Support for Military Families
TAPS — the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors — is a national nonprofit that has provided compassionate care to families grieving the death of a military or veteran loved one since 1994. TAPS’s Suicide Loss Survivor Assistance program is specifically designed for the families and loved ones of service members and veterans who died by suicide, recognizing that military suicide loss often carries layers of grief, complicated questions, and a need for community with others who share both the military and the suicide-loss experience.
What to Expect
TAPS suicide loss programs include the Peer Mentor Program (which pairs survivors more than 18 months past their loss with newly bereaved survivors), regional gatherings, retreats, virtual support groups, an annual Suicide Survivors Seminar, and the National Military Survivor Helpline available 24/7 at 800-959-TAPS (8277). Peer mentors are themselves military suicide loss survivors who have been trained to support others — they understand both the unique aspects of military life and the particular shape of grief after suicide. Programs are confidential and welcoming, designed around what survivors actually need at different stages of grief.
Who This Group Is For
TAPS serves anyone grieving the death of a service member or veteran — spouses, partners, parents, children, siblings, extended family, fellow service members, and close friends. The suicide loss program specifically supports those whose loved one died by suicide. There’s no time limit on eligibility — survivors are welcomed whether the death was last month or twenty years ago. Programs are open to families of all military branches, all eras of service, active duty and veteran status alike.
Why Peer Support Works
Military suicide loss often combines grief, anger, questions about military culture and care, and the particular kind of community a military family belongs to. Talking with another military suicide loss survivor — someone who knows both the military context and the suicide-loss experience — gives survivors a kind of recognition that’s hard to find elsewhere. TAPS has built decades of trust and a deep peer network around exactly that.
How to Join
TAPS services are free for all eligible survivors. Visit taps.org/suicideloss to learn about specific suicide loss programs, register for upcoming events, or request a peer mentor match. The National Military Survivor Helpline at 800-959-TAPS (8277) is available 24/7 and connects survivors with TAPS staff who can guide them to the right combination of programs and resources.