Panhandle PBS to Premiere Local Documentary on Suicide Loss Survivors

A brother’s suicide led Devin Singleton to discover a world of grief, risk and resources he never knew existed — and ultimately inspired him to create The Space They Left: Grief, Risk, and Postvention for Suicide Loss Survivors, a three-part documentary series premiering this September on Panhandle PBS.

The research-based series takes an unflinching yet compassionate look at suicide as a public health issue through the experiences of suicide loss survivors, whose grief can carry unanswered questions, isolation and an increased risk for suicide.

Singleton began developing the series after attending a LOSS Team Summit in Amarillo and hearing forensic suicidologist Dr. Frank Campbell speak about suicide postvention. For several years after his brother's death, Singleton found himself learning information about suicide that he wished had been more widely available to everyone about suicide.

“The LOSS Team was this quiet resource that I realized no one is going to know exists unless they're in my shoes,” Singleton said. “For us, the fact that we have one here was so valuable. If you can equip communities with this knowledge, a LOSS Team doesn't take a whole lot of resources, and it can end up saving lives overall.”

The Amarillo Area LOSS Team was at Singleton's brother's home the night he died, connecting his family with information and resources at a time when they were facing questions they could not have known to ask. That experience became a central part of Singleton's vision for the series.

The Space They Left brings together personal stories from suicide loss survivors with perspectives from experts in suicide prevention and postvention. Campbell, founder of the LOSS Team model and past president of the American Association of Suicidology, discusses the importance of reaching survivors immediately after a suicide. Dr. Jenna Maynard Baker, CEO of the American Association of Suicidology, addresses suicide prevention, intergenerational trauma and the need for postvention resources.

The series also explores the work of the Amarillo Area LOSS Team and the broader role of postvention in suicide prevention. Episode topics include the unique grief following suicide loss, suicide contagion and connection, and how resources such as LOSS teams can support families while helping address the elevated risk survivors face.

“Stories like these can open doors to conversations that are difficult but necessary,” said Matt Franklin, general manager of Panhandle PBS. “When I learned that suicide was the 10th-leading cause of death in the United States, it reinforced for me that this is an issue we need to understand and talk about more openly.”

In addition to the broadcast series, Panhandle PBS will produce digital content featuring breakout conversations and explanations of terminology, while directing viewers to free resources for suicide loss survivors and those experiencing a mental health crisis.

The first two episodes will be shown during a free public screening and discussion at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 9, at Panhandle PBS Studios, 2408 S. Jackson St., on Amarillo College's Washington Street Campus. Doors open at 6:30 p.m.

The three episodes will air at 7 p.m. on Panhandle PBS consecutive Thursdays:

• Sept. 10: “Crisis and Coping”
• Sept. 17: “Contagion and Connection”
• Sept. 24: “Postvention is Prevention”

Each episode also will be available on the Panhandle PBS YouTube channel.

Funding for The Space They Left was provided in part by the Amarillo Area LOSS Team, Amarillo Public Health and Vibe City, with a program partnership with the Panhandle Behavioral Health Alliance.

“By sharing the experiences of survivors and highlighting the people and organizations working to support them, The Space They Left can help our community better understand the ripple effects of suicide and why support for survivors of suicide loss matters,” Franklin said.

For more information about the series, including resources for suicide loss survivors, visit www.panhandlepbs.org/thespacetheyleft or call (806) 371-5479.

If you or someone you know is in crisis or experiencing thoughts of suicide, call or text 988 or call the local crisis hotline at (806) 359-6699.