💡 ABOUT THIS EPISODE
If you need support
988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, call or text 988.
Allegheny County Peer Support Warmline: 1-866-661-9276, 9am to 1am daily.
Kelleigh Boland's brother Patrick died in June of 2020. Her family sat outside for four hours while the investigation ran, and what they got afterward was a flyer for biohazard cleanup. She and her mom started Our Black Rose because of it, and they've made nearly 500 care packages by hand since.
Nina Hotkowski is a licensed clinical social worker and DBT clinician who lost her grandparents twenty five years ago and has worked with suicidality her whole career. Both of them serve on the SAFE Task Force of Allegheny County. I lost my 19 year old cousin in 2007 and my ex lost his brother Bryce in 2020.
Three of us, three different points in life, and none of us had anything structured to lean on.
Resources
Our Black Rose, to request a free care package, donate, or partner as a funeral home or police department: https://www.ourblackrose.org
Our Black Rose on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ourblackrose
Kelleigh Boland on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kelleighboland/
Nina Hotkowski, LCSW: https://www.njhotkowski.com
Nina Hotkowski on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nina-hotkowski-9280376/
SAFE Task Force of Allegheny County: https://www.safepgh.org/
Indiana County Suicide Task Force: https://www.stf32.com/
Highmark Caring Place, grief support for children and families: https://www.highmarkcaringplace.com/cp2/index.shtml
American Foundation for Suicide Prevention: https://afsp.org/
AFSP for loss survivors: https://afsp.org/ive-lost-someone/
Out of the Darkness Walk, Pittsburgh, October 4, 2026: https://afspwalks.donordrive.com/Pittsburgh
Find a walk near you: https://afspwalks.donordrive.com/OOTDWalks
Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance: https://www.dbsalliance.org/
DBSA Pittsburgh support groups: https://moodpeerspgh.org/
DBSA 2025 Impact Report: https://www.dbsalliance.org/education/newsletters/2025-impact-report/
Surviving a Suicide Loss, American Association of Suicidology: https://www.suicidology.community/store/viewproduct.aspx?id=13916121
Rethinking Suicide by Craig J. Bryan: https://www.amazon.com/Rethinking-Suicide-Prevention-Fails-Better/dp/B0BSW79QS4
🎯 KEY TAKEAWAYS
🔹 Postvention is what comes after a suicide death, and almost nothing structured exists for it
🔹 Postvention is prevention. Loss survivors are at higher risk themselves
🔹 One death reaches as many as 135 people. Most of them never hear the word survivor
🔹 Our Black Rose gets free care packages to families within days
🔹 Funeral homes and police are the first people a family sees, so that's where the handoff has to happen
🔹 Remembering how someone lived matters more than how they died
TOPICS
MENTAL HEALTH
HEALING & SELF TRUST
COMMUNITY & CONNECTIONS
I📄
Read the Full Transcript
Prefer to read? The complete episode transcript is available here.
