School communities: Suicide postvention
Postvention involves schools "responding to the tragic occurrence of completed, attempted or suspected suicide within their student community, a process known as postvention."
The aim of postvention is "to support communities in grief and to guide schools in recognising and responding to the risk of suicide contagion. Important to achieving both these purposes is the requirement for sensitive sharing of information across government and non government schools, between mental health agencies and schools and between families and schools."
Other resources
Student mental health and suicide response / planning
Department of Education and Early Childhood Development, VIC
These resources promote positive mental health and provide schools with guidelines in responding to a suicide or suicide attempt by a student.
Suicide Postvention Guidelines
Department for Education and Children's Services (SA), Catholic Education (SA), Association of Independent Schools of SA
A framework to assist staff in supporting their school communities at different timeframes. These guidelines provide a checklist of the immediate and longer term steps that should be taken in responding to completed, attempted or suspected suicide.
Links
LIFE - living is for everyone
Suicide and self-harm prevention resources relevant across the lifespan
Lifeline Australia on Suicide Bereavement (Postvention)
Includes resources related to supporting children after a suicide.
