Postvention is defined as actions taken after a death by suicide. This section contains many best practice resources and information for use in a variety of environments to ensure careful and sensitive care for families and communities impacted by a death by suicide.
Postvention Goals for Family and Friends
- Provide support for normal grief process and minimize complicated grief and guilt reactions
- Reduce the risk of further suicidal behavior
- Connect family and friends to health and mental health providers if needed and to community resources
- Education and information about steps family and friends can take to help prevent suicide clusters and contagion in the immediate aftermath of a suicide in the way that they approach funerals and memorial services and long term in community suicide prevention and postvention activities
After a Suicide: Toolkit for Schools
http://www.sprc.org/library/AfteraSuicideToolkitforSchools.pdf
The Role of Survivors in Preventing Suicide
http://www.sprc.org/sites/sprc.org/files/Survivors.pdf
More Information
- Postvention in Schools
- For more information on postvention for family and friends, see Part 3B in “Coming Together to Care, A Suicide Prevention and Postvention Toolkit for Texas Communities,” https://texassuicideprevention.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/24215-Mental_Health_09_Suicide_Prev_Book_Complete_FINAL.pdf
- SPRC offers a number of resources for survivors of suicide loss at this link: http://www.sprc.org/library_resources/listing/search?tid_3=All&tid_2=All&tid_1=All&tid=254
Also see our Information Library section, titled ,”After a Suicide,” with more information on the topic.