StandBy’s Critical Postvention Response to Prevent Suicide Clusters/Contagion

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‘StandBy’ has recently developed a short term (eight week) model of support for communities that have experienced suicide clusters and/or contagion. This service is aptly referred to as a Critical Postvention Response (CPR). This model is similar to the StandBy Response Service (SRS, which is discussed in detail in a previous post), in that StandBy liaise with a wide range of existing networks/organisations within the community, to help identify those who are able to immediately support the bereaved and ultimately help to reduce the risk of further suicides.  However, the Critical Postvention Response (CPR) differs from the StandBy Response Service (SRS) in that StandBy’s head office  provide additional support as they refer the national StandBy CPR team to also support the community.

Those interested in the StandBy CPR model might also be interested in reading about my meeting with Sandra Palmer from CASA, who provides a Community Postvention Response Service (CPRS) to communities in New Zealand, who experience a suicide cluster or contagion http://www.casa.org.nz/funded-programmes/community-postvention-response

 Training

United Synergies have also developed the StandBy for LiFE training workshops which provides community training in areas of suicide prevention, postvention, traumatic loss and grief.  To my knowledge this is the only organisation that provides community training workshops on postvention.

Click on the following link for more information about StandBy and the postvention services that the provide

http://www.unitedsynergies.com.au/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=39&Itemid=23

Acknowledgements

I would like to thank the following people who spent a considerable amount of time with me to inform me of their role in StandBy and the issues that need to be considered when developing a new site:

•          Christopher John (CEO of United Synergies);

•          Jill Fisher (National StandBy Response Service Coordinator);

•          Susan Vaughan (Expansion National StandBy Response Service Quality Assurance Coordinator);

•          Diana Holmes (CPR Responder);

•          Sandy Lloyod-Jones (National StandBy for LiFE Trainer; and

•          Hanna Raun National StandBy Response Service Office Administrator)