Support After Suicide

What is Support After Suicide?

Support After Suicide assists children, young people and adults bereaved by suicide.

The program provides counselling, support groups and online resources to those bereaved by suicide

We also deliver training to health, welfare and education professionals.

We’ve delivered Support After Suicide throughout Melbourne and regional Victoria since 2004.

How does Support After Suicide work?

1. We offer counselling and support groups for people bereaved by suicide

Counselling

Support After Suicide provides free individual and family counselling to people bereaved by suicide.

Our experienced counsellors have particular expertise and knowledge around suicide and grief.

By speaking with a counsellor, participants learn how to manage the intense and complex experience of losing a loved one to suicide.

We provide counselling in metropolitan Melbourne (Lalor, Dandenong, Ferntree Gully, Greensborough and the CBD), regional Victoria (Bacchus Marsh and Gippsland), and in other areas by phone or Skype.

Support groups

Support After Suicide runs a number of support groups each year for those recently bereaved.

We also provide specific activities for children, young people, parents, partners, siblings, adult children, men and people who are longer-term bereaved.

When there is a need, we conduct a parent support program for people who find themselves bringing up children following a suicide.

Our support groups offer people bereaved by suicide the opportunity to:

• meet together in a group setting
• spend time with others bereaved by suicide
• communicate with others bereaved by suicide
• better understand their situation.

2. We provide resources to help people better understand their situation

Support After Suicide has a comprehensive range of resources to assist individuals and families bereaved by suicide, including:

• a series of books
• fact sheets about grief, responding to trauma and supporting a person bereaved by suicide
• a recommended reading list
• a dedicated Support After Suicide website, which offers immediate practical information, material to help people understand grief and suicide, descriptions of support services, and stories by others bereaved by suicide
• a secure and private online community, where people bereaved by suicide can share stories, ask advice and support others who have lost someone to suicide.

3. We educate and train professionals to support those who are bereaved

Many people working in health, welfare and education come into contact with people who are bereaved by suicide.

Our training empowers professionals in these roles to:

• understand suicide bereavement issues
• respond effectively and sensitively to people bereaved by suicide.

Topics we cover include current bereavement theory, the unique issues in suicide bereavement, trauma, and providing effective care and support to people bereaved by suicide.

Training for health, welfare and education professionals can be arranged across Victoria and is free of charge.

How can I refer people to Support After Suicide?

Please contact our program staff directly by mail, phone or email:

PO Box 271 Richmond VIC 3121 | Phone: (03) 9421 7640 | Email: aftersuicide@jss.org.au

We are not able to offer 24 hour crisis support. Crisis numbers are available on the Support After Suicide ebsite.

Related media

• Like our Support After Suicide Facebook page to receive news and events.
• Listen to an interview with the Support After Suicide manager.