postvention

After a Suicide: A Toolkit for Schools, Second Edition

AFSP (American Foundation for Suicide Prevention), Children, Education, Essex County Suicide Prevention Coalition, Family, Postvention, Schools, Suicide Prevention, Suicide Prevention Training, Youth - , , , , , -

After a Suicide: A Toolkit for Schools assists schools in implementing a coordinated response to the suicide death of a student. Originally developed in 2011, the second edition includes new information and tools that middle and high schools can use to help the school community cope and reduce suicide risk. The toolkit was developed in collaboration with the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention and in consultation with national experts, including school-based administrators and staff, clinicians, researchers, and crisis response professionals. It is designed primarily for administrators and staff but can also be useful for parents and communities.

Link to the toolkit HERE.

 

 

Highlights of the second edition include:

  • Updated information on such topics as memorialization, social media, and contagion
  • Updated resource lists
  • A new tool to help with decision-making about memorials
  • New examples of how different communities have addressed specific issues in responding to a suicide death

If you or someone you know may be having thoughts of suicide, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 24/7 at 800-273-TALK.  To reach someone to talk to in Essex County, call the 24-hour Essex County Mental Health Services Crisis Line at 888-854-3773 or the Mental Health Association 24-hour Hopeline at 800-440-8074.  Free and confidental emotional support is always available.  With help, comes hope.

 

Postvention Resources

Education, Essex County Suicide Prevention Coalition, Family, Postvention, Suicide Prevention - , , , , , , , -

 

One of the services provided by the Essex County Suicide Prevention Coalition includes postvention response.

What is Postvention?

Postvention is a term often used in the suicide prevention field. The definition below is from the U.S. national guidelines developed by the Survivors of Suicide Loss Task Force.
Postvention is an organized response in the aftermath of a suicide(or other traumatic loss) to accomplish any one or more of the following:

-To facilitate the healing of individuals from the grief and distress of suicide loss
-To mitigate other negative effects of exposure to suicide
-To prevent suicide among people who are at high risk after exposure to suicide

To contact the Coalition about postvention services, support for family members, co-workers, or friends or others who may be grieving, call the Hopeline at 800-440-8074 or make an online referral here https://mhainessex.wufoo.com/forms/mobile-crisis-referral/.

 

Here are some resources that might be helpful following a suicide or traumatic loss:

Youth Responses to Death and How to Help

Managers-Guidebook-To-Suicide-Postvention

what to say what not to say 2

The Shock of Loss

Social-Work-Tech-Seven-Stages-of-Grief

RX for Recovery

What to tell children

Mourner’s Bill of Rights

Helping Survivor’s of Suicide Loss 

Coping With the Loss of a Loved One

If you or someone you know might be having thoughts of suicide, call the National Suicide Lifeline at 800-273-TALK (8255), Essex County Mental Health Crisis line at 888-854-3773 or the MHA Hopeline at 800-440-8074. All lines are 24/7, free and confidential.