Suicide Education & Support Services (SESS) of Weld County was founded in 1987 as the Weld County Suicide Prevention Coalition, a group of lay persons and professionals who met regularly under the wing of the Weld County Department of Public Health. We incorporated as a private nonprofit organization under our current name in 1995.
Our first service was Heartbeat, which has been offered continually for seventeen years. Heart to Heart support groups began in 1996, as did our partnership with the Greeley Police Department's Victim Assistance division. Public awareness activities have been conducted throughout our history, but received tremendous boost with the award of a $25,000 contract with the Weld County Department of Public Health in 1999.
That year also saw the debut of the Adolescent Suicide Awareness Program (ASAP), a successful school-based prevention program developed in the 1980's by then SESS Board Member Diane Ryerson-Peake. ASAP has been updated and rename SAFE: TEEN. Special Heartbeat groups, which are offered in the immediate aftermath of suicide, also began in 1999. The following year saw the debut of Hear to Heart groups for child survivors. We introduced the Hispanic Youth Suicide Prevention Project in 2003, currently completing its final year of a three year grant. Our newest project is the introduction of QPR gatekeeper training which began early in 2006 through a grant by the Colorado Office of Suicide Prevention.
Our office is currently located in the Jack Meakins Resource Center in Evans.
For comments on this website please email kristen.jernigan@northrange.org . Suicide Education & Support Services (SESS) of Weld County, a program of North Range Behavioral Health, 1260 H. Street, Greeley, CO 80631, 970-313-1151. All rights reserved 2009.