Support After Suicide

1. Project Profile

Project Name(s)	Support After Suicide
Funded Organisation	Jesuit Social Services Ltd
Geographical Area	Local
State/Territory	Victoria
Approach(es)	Universal and Selected
Individual/Group	Individual and Group
LIFE Action Areas	Building individual resilience and the capacity for self-help Improving community strength, resilience and capacity in suicide prevention Implementing standards and quality in suicide prevention
Target Groups	People bereaved by suicide

2. Project Description

The Support After Suicide (SAS) project aims to support those bereaved by suicide by building the capacity of the community and existing services to respond effectively and appropriately to suicide bereaved people. This involves the provision of training and education to health, welfare and education professionals on the issues experienced by suicide bereaved people and also, in particular, in how to provide effective counselling and group support. There is an emphasis on children, young people and families, and the project includes the further development and dissemination of information and materials, including the development of a web site for the bereaved and professionals.

The project also involves providing education, training and secondary consultation to rural and regional Victoria and a direct service component in the provision of counselling and group support to children, young people and families in metropolitan Melbourne.

The objectives of the project are to:

• Build the capacity of the community and existing services to respond effectively and appropriately to those bereaved by suicide
• Further develop information and resources for the bereaved and other professionals providing support to the bereaved
• Provide counselling and group work support to suicide bereaved people with a particular emphasis on children, young people and families
• Promote understanding and awareness about suicide to the community, professionals and the bereaved

3. Activities

The key activities undertaken by Support after Suicide are:

• Providing education and training to health, welfare and education professionals from metropolitan and rural Victoria on the unique issues and experiences of the suicide bereaved and how to effectively support them
• Training workers in existing agencies to facilitate group work programs in metropolitan and rural Victoria
• Providing secondary consultation, information and written resources to health, welfare and education professionals across Victoria
• Developing partnerships with appropriate community agencies
• Development of a website with information and resources for the bereaved and professionals who are working with the bereaved
• Updating the current Information Sheets and developing new Information Sheets for dissemination
• Facilitating support groups for suicide bereaved adults
• Developing and facilitating support groups for suicide bereaved children and young people
• Developing and facilitating a support program for parents of suicide bereaved children
• Providing information about suicide, suicide bereavement, prevalence and risk factors to the community, professionals and the bereaved Top of page

4. Funding

• Round 1
  • NSPP funding
    • 2006/07 - $450,082
    • 2007/08 - $388,800
    • 2008/09 - $398,618
  • % project funding - 100%
• Round 2
  • NSPP funding
    • 2009/10 - $471,960
    • 2010/11 - $625,979
  • % project funding - 100%
• Round 3
  • NSPP funding
    • 2011/12 - $537,272
    • 2012/13 - $546,943
  • % project funding - 100%

5. Staffing

• Round 1 (2006/07, 2007/08, 2008/09)
  • Number staff positions funded (FTE) - 2.5
  • Number staff positions filled (FTE) - 2.5
• Round 2 (2009/10, 2010/11)
  • Number staff positions funded (FTE) - 4
  • Number staff positions filled (FTE) - 4
• Round 3 (2011/12, 2012/13)
  • Number staff positions funded (FTE) - 4.8
  • Number staff positions filled (FTE) - 4.8