Postvention

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

  1. Provide support for normal grief process and minimize complicated grief and guilt reactions
  2. Reduce the risk of further suicidal behavior
  3. Connect family and friends to health and mental health providers if needed and to community resources
  4. 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

Also see our Information Library section, titled ,”After a Suicide,” with more information on the topic.