Support After Suicide provides free support to improve the lives of children, young people and adults bereaved by suicide. The program offers counselling, support groups and online resources to support those who have lost a loved one. We also deliver training to health, welfare and education professionals. Jesuit Social Services has delivered Support After Suicide throughout Melbourne and regional Victoria since 2004.
The experience of losing a loved one to suicide for many people is overwhelming and intense. Even the most resilient of people will find it challenging and complex to manage and understand.
Support After Suicide was established to assist people to find their way through and reduce the impact of grief and trauma. The team at Support After Suicide have many years’ experience in working with people and have specialist expertise in bereavement, trauma and suicide. Given the intensity of this experience, it can be helpful to speak with someone who has this expertise and who understands the complexity of the experience.
We offer counselling and support groups for people bereaved by suicide.
Support After Suicide provides free individual and family counselling to people bereaved by suicide.
Our experienced counsellors have particular expertise and knowledge about suicide, grief and trauma.
By speaking with a counsellor, participants learn how to manage the intense and complex experience of losing a loved one to suicide.
Support After Suicide runs a number of support groups throughout the year. There are professionally facilitated groups and peer support groups.
We provide specific group programs for parents, partners, siblings, adult children, and a men’s program. We also run programs for children and young people.
Our support groups offer people bereaved by suicide the opportunity to:
Support After Suicide has a comprehensive range of resources to assist individuals and families bereaved by suicide, including:
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:
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.
For more information about Support After Suicide
Visit the Support After Suicide website.
Support is available to individuals, couples and families who are bereaved by suicide.
Counselling is available in metropolitan Melbourne (Dandenong, Frankston, Richmond, Brunswick, Sunshine and the CBD) and regional Victoria (Geelong, Gippsland and Bacchus Marsh). As well as in-person, counselling is also available online and by phone.
In Victoria, most groups are available in Richmond and online. There are peer support groups in Macedon Ranges and West Gippsland.
To access support or speak about our program, please contact aftersuicide@jss.org.au or call 1800 943 415.
We are not able to offer 24 hour crisis support. Crisis numbers are available on the Support After Suicide website.
