Suicide can impact entire workplaces, especially in high-stress environments like 911 centers. In this deeply personal panel, colleagues discuss how they worked together to manage their professional obligations while experiencing immediate grief when a teammate who had recently moved on to a different job died by suicide within their jurisdiction. Panelists will discuss how they’ve navigated grief, supported one another, and learned to be more intentional in creating safe, emotionally open spaces at work. Topics include recognizing warning signs without overstepping, the power of check-ins from both peers and law enforcement, embracing vulnerability, and the importance of simply being present. This session will explore how we move beyond passive concern to active compassion—meeting people where they are, and learning to ask “How are you?” with care and follow-through.

Empower Panel: When Suicide Happens at Work - Honoring, Healing, and Holding Space