Postvention

Provide immediate and long-term postvention

• A postvention plan is a set of protocols to help your organization or community respond effectively and compassionately to a suicide death.

Immediate responses focus on supporting those affected by the suicide death and reducing the risk to other vulnerable individuals. Postvention efforts should also include intermediate and long-term support for people bereaved by suicide.

Provider actions

The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention is a valuable resource for postvention including a program where a survivor can be connected to another survivor for support. You could refer to this program. AFSP website also lists support groups (some are online) for referrals for survivors. Some communities have local chapters where teams of survivors can respond.

Actions in practice

• Recommendations from the Suicide Prevention Resource Center include:
• Immediately following a suicide, work with the news media to encourage safe reporting.
• Work with those affected by the suicide death to aid mourning in ways that avoid increasing the risk of contagion.
• Build capacity for ongoing support and treatment, including professional and peer-support options, for those who need it.
• Provide support and guidance for friends and family members of the bereaved to help them provide effective ongoing support.