Suicide Bereavement/Postvention

Each year around 20,000 Australians are impacted by the death of a loved one to suicide.

There are a number of resources and websites which might assist people who have experienced the suicide death of a loved one.

The Survivors of Suicide booklet is a compassionate resource developed to support people who have lost a loved one to suicide. The booklet has been written by people bereaved by suicide for other survivors, and provides guidance in coping with the suicide of a loved one. The booklet is available to be downloaded or ordered however, please note that this is a large file download which may not be practical to print. To order a hard copy of the booklet please call Lifeline Australia on 02 6215 9400 or email national@lifeline.org.au

Suicide Bereavement, Grief & Loss Programs

Lifeline Centres run a variety of services designed to support people affected or bereaved by suicide.

While most suicides can be prevented, despite our best efforts, tragically, suicides do still occur. It is important that people feel free to talk about their reactions to suicide openly and honestly and that those affected by suicide reach out to others for support and help.

Support after suicide groups and services are available from many Lifeline Centres around Australia. For those dealing with the suicide of someone they know, it is important to find support to make sense of what has happened, deal with their grief and learn how to live with their loss.

Lifeline Centres currently offering Suicide Bereavement, Grief and Loss Programs include:

•   Lifeline Brisbane
•   Lifeline Gold Coast
•   Lifeline Central Coast (NSW)
•   Lifeline Harbour to Hawkesbury
•   Lifeline Macarthur (NSW)
•   Lifeline Newcastle & Hunter (NSW)
•   Lifeline Mid-Coast (NSW)
•   Lifeline Northern Beaches
•   Lifeline South East SA
•   Lifeline Hobart

 

Commonwealth's Suicide Bereavement Support Group Standards & Practice Project

Lifeline has now completed the Commonwealth project funded under the National Suicide Prevention Strategy – “Suicide Bereavement Support Group Standards & Practice” Project, 2007 - 2009.

This workforce development project was undertaken by Lifeline Australia and a number of collaborating partners to develop Standards and Guidelines for Suicide Bereavement Support Group (SBSG) facilitation. Based on these Standards, the project developed a comprehensive best practice Handbook for SBSG facilitation. An overview of relevant literature and practice in the field provided a framework for the project. A 3.5 day nationally accredited competency based intensive training program was developed by an experienced and skilled team of trainers. Two new units of competency were developed by Lifeline within the Australian Quality Training Framework to guide this new training. This training was offered twice across 2007/8 and included trainee facilitators from 9 different Lifeline Centres. Trainee facilitators ran Suicide Bereavement Support Groups in their local communities in Queensland, NSW, Tasmania and South Australia for a series of 8 fortnightly meetings. Throughout the project an external evaluator worked with Lifeline to ascertain project performance and impact collecting evaluative data for examination and interpretation.

This project is an international first and provides leadership, direction and support for this vital part of the suicide bereavement support continuum. A unique feature of this project has been the combination of locally developed practice wisdom from Lifeline Centres and other currently operating SBSGs being drawn into and supplemented by research and evidence knowledge to create a rich and practical best practice approach to suicide bereavement support groups. This project has demonstrated the value of building on local service initiatives, and the insights of community carers in suicide prevention, while also introducing the rigour of evidence based service development to create a national model for support groups that will support improved outcomes for people bereaved by suicide.

The Executive Summary for this project is available to be viewed.

Resources developed under the project:

Towards Good Practice: Standards & Guidelines for Suicide Bereavement Support Groups and
Practice Handbook - Suicide Bereavement Support Group Facilitation

Testimonial from a SBSG trainee facilitator who participated in the first round of SBSG training:

"Having had no prior experience with Support Group Facilitating, I found the training to be of enormous value. All aspects of the training prepared me to dive headlong into successfully facilitating a group. The training supported me in gaining the confidence and skills needed to create and maintain a "safe space" within which members bereaved by suicide were able to share their grief with others, to acknowledge their own pain and also validate and support others with theirs. Since this is a primary aim of a support group, I have great faith in the fact that this training "works" and those who participate in it can anticipate either deepening their existing knowledge or learning what is required to become a competent Bereaved by Suicide Support Group Facilitator."

Below is some feedback collected by the external evaluators from participants who attended one of the 8 trial Lifeline SBSGs facilitated by trained SBSG facilitators and guided by the Standards & Practice Handbook, on being asked about what they found useful about the group:

"“The group provided a space to share and talk that I have not found anywhere else. As a new survivor (<6 months) I found this to be the only resource that has honestly made a profound difference. I honestly think this group has enabled me to move forward in a positive manner through what have been my darkest days.”

"“Best things?: Being in a safe, non-judgemental environment; the encouragement that facilitators provided. Simply being among others and sharing the same loss and seeing we can go on. Those further along their journey give hope and being able to support those just beginning gives a feeling of helping someone else.”

"“Fantastic. Facilitators were well prepared, trained and selected for roles. These support groups are fantastic and I pray this service continues to allow other people to feel as supported and assisted through grief as I have been.”

"“These support groups are a fantastic initiative and have changed group members’ lives in a monumental way. I would strongly recommend anyone going through similar circumstances to seek such a group”.

 

Contact Details

For further information about this Commonwealth project and the resources available please contact:

Susan Beaton
National Suicide Prevention Coordinator
Lifeline Australia
PO BOX 173
Deakin ACT 2600
susan.beaton@lifeline.org.au