Suicide postvention, as a strategic intervention point for prevention, is an emerging narrative in the field. Postvention protocol groups are one of the most powerful means of collectively contributing to suicide prevention.
A recommendation from the Royal Commission into Victoria’s Mental Health system was for the establishment of ‘suicide prevention local alert systems that bring local stakeholders together and use real-time data to trigger a service response.’
In addition to providing support to those bereaved by suicide and mitigating immediate risk, postvention protocols and associated governance groups have been identified as one of the most effective platforms to act as a strategic intervention point for preventative activities.
Postvention protocol response groups are well-placed to identify, map and monitor emerging risk in real time at local place-based levels. These platforms can be central to accessing granular data at the community level through a targeted whole of service systems approach, providing a more comprehensive and expedient picture of emerging vulnerability. In effect they can play a data surveillance role, maximising opportunities for cross sector collaboration to identify emerging risk, then subsequently directing resources to respond to such risk.
This presentation will map a 12 year journey of postvention development:
Participants will hear from a panel presentation detailing this journey, with opportunity for audience interaction and questions. We will then transition to a dedicated codesign workshop. Drawing on the diverse participant experience and knowledge in the room, the workshop will develop shared learnings related to strengthening the capacity of postvention protocols to monitor risk. The strategic aim is the development of an integrated service system that operates more seamlessly and ensures more timely responses to suicidal distress, with reduced fragmentation leading to greater system effectiveness and efficiency.
Workshop areas of discussion may include: