Suicide Postvention
Suicide postvention is done after there has been a death by suicide at the school, and helps to prevent suicide contagion, or the exposure to someone's suicidal behaviors which than increases the likelihood of suicidal behaviors in others. Postvention also helps to provide services and support to those who are suffering as a result of the loss of their friend, peer, or loved one who died by suicide. It also provides a chance for the school to disseminate factual information as deemed appropriate by the family to the students and staff to help prevent rumors. Lastly, the staff can help address social stigma around suicide and mental illness.
Steps to suicide postvention include:
(i.e. death of an elementary student’s sibling who is in high school)
o Witnesses to the suicide
o Physical and emotional proximity
o Children who identify with the victim
o Those who have dealt with other recent deaths by suicide in their family, school or community
o Children with personal vulnerabilities (i.e. those who have had a recent suicide risk assessment, mental illness, or disability)
o Offer drop-in counseling services, as well as crisis counseling rooms for staff and students
o Classroom meetings
o Parent meetings, including psychoeducation and teaching them warning signs and risk factors of suicide
o Referral to outside therapy resources in the community
Steps to suicide postvention include:
- Verification of the facts and determining whether or not the death was by suicide
- Convening the crisis team to determine the extent and impact of the traumatic event
(i.e. death of an elementary student’s sibling who is in high school)
- Deciding if the death will create challenges for the school community and be cognizant of those people who will need the most support. They include:
o Witnesses to the suicide
o Physical and emotional proximity
o Children who identify with the victim
o Those who have dealt with other recent deaths by suicide in their family, school or community
o Children with personal vulnerabilities (i.e. those who have had a recent suicide risk assessment, mental illness, or disability)
- Informing the staff of the death immediately, perhaps through a staff meeting or crisis alert system
- Deciding how to share the news and disseminate information. Most likely you will provide a script to teachers to read in naturally occurring groups to students, as well as have a meeting with staff
- Sending a letter home to parents if the family of the student who died by suicide permits it
- Deciding whether the school needs outside resources, mental health providers, and community liaisons to come provide support to students and staff
- Dealing with the media and letting them know how to share this information appropriately, if at all
- Providing intervention services. This includes:
o Offer drop-in counseling services, as well as crisis counseling rooms for staff and students
o Classroom meetings
o Parent meetings, including psychoeducation and teaching them warning signs and risk factors of suicide
o Referral to outside therapy resources in the community
- Evaluating intervention services and following-up
- Debriefing with the crisis team afterwards to make sure postvention was conducted appropriately, and making sure others on the team are taking care of themselves as well
- Finally, although this is often debated, it is strongly suggested that the school does not have memorial for a student due to suicide contagion. That being stated, do not discourage those who want to go to a funeral and/or memorial held by the family to honor the life of the student.
Resources
After a Suicide - A Toolkit for Schools:
Suicide Postvention for School Personnel:
After a Suicide - Questions from Students:
Suicide Clusters and Contagion:
Sample Announcements to Student and Staff After a Death by Suicide:
Sample Notification Letters to Parents after Confirmed and/or Unconfirmed Death by Suicide:
Feel free to download your own copies of these documents below:
after_a_suicide_toolkit.pdf | |
File Size: | 410 kb |
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suicide_postvention_for_school_personnel.pdf | |
File Size: | 174 kb |
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after_a_suicide_-_questions_from_students.pdf | |
File Size: | 68 kb |
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suicide_clusters_contagion.pdf | |
File Size: | 201 kb |
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sample_announcements_to_students_and_staff.pdf | |
File Size: | 269 kb |
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sample_letters.pdf | |
File Size: | 177 kb |
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