Suicide response

Responding to a suicide

Experiencing the death of someone to suicide can have a devastating effect on individuals and communities. 

If your secondary school is currently responding to, or recovering from, a suicide or attempted suicide, contact your Be You state or territory manager on the numbers below. Our Be You Consultants can support your school as you care for the affected students, staff and families.

• ACT: 0475 838 049
• NSW: 0475 838 049
• NT: 0484 269 957
• QLD: 0455 079 803
• SA: 0448 381 280
• TAS: 0458 559 736 
• VIC: 0458 559 736
• WA: 0477 769 352

Be You Consultants are available during the hours of 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday.

It's important for schools to follow immediate risk management processes and emergency management protocols and contact your relevant department or school authority before contacting Be You.

Be You Suicide Postvention Toolkit

Suicide postvention relates to a school’s response to suicide. This Toolkit offers practical guidance on responding to a suicide and managing the impact on a school community.

The toolkit is divided into three sections for easy reference. Each section outlines the key considerations and actions for schools responding to and recovering from a death by suicide:

• immediately 
• in the short-term 
• in the longer term.

You can also download the Be You Suicide Postvention: Complete Toolkit (PDF, 14.9 MB)

Be You Fact Sheets

The toolkit is supported by Fact Sheets providing guidance on some of the key activities that occur after a suicide.

For Emergency Response Team members, leaders and wellbeing staff:

• Managing language and consent about using the word 'suicide'
• Speaking with the bereaved family after a suicide
• Supporting young people after a suicide
• Funerals and memorials
• Media and social media
• Boarding schools: What to do after a suicide

 For educators and support staff:

• Staff grief after a suicide
• Staff wellbeing

 Information educators can provide to families and the broader community:

• Suicide in schools: Information for families
• Understanding suicide: Information for the community

If there are Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students or staff members at your school, these Fact Sheets can support your learning community with a culturally respectful response to suicide. 

For Emergency Response Team members, leaders and wellbeing staff:

• Remembering a young person: Memorials and important events in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities
• Suicide contagion for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people 

For all educators and support staff: 

• Grief: How Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people might respond to suicide
• Self-care for school staff working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people in remote areas 

Information educators can provide to families and the broader community:

• Suicide in schools: information for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families

Be You also acknowledges Thirrili, the national provider for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander postvention support and assistance, for providing insights and expertise for these Fact Sheets.
 

Resources

These resources help you to plan your school's response or respond to a suicide:

• Be You Immediate Suicide Response: Emergency Response Team Checklist (PDF, 730 KB)
• Be You Suicide Response Plan template (PDF, 892 KB)
• Be You Best Practice Model (PDF, 528 KB)
• My Return to School Support Plan (PDF, 816 KB)