Metro Postvention Response Group

What is Suicide Postvention?

Postvention support refers to activities and strategies (interventions) implemented after the tragic event of a death by suicide. It is defined as “intervention efforts for individuals bereaved or impacted by suicide are implemented to support the grieving process and reduce the possibility of imitative suicidal behaviour. These interventions may comprise of school-based, family focused or community-based postvention initiatives.

“World Health Organization (2014) Preventing Suicide A global imperative. Hill NTM, Robinson J, Pirkis J, Andriessen K, Krysinska K, Payne A, Boland A, Clarke A, Milner A, Witt K, Krohn S, Lampit A (2020) Association of Suicidal behavior with exposure to suicide and suicide attempt: A systematic review and multilevel meta-analysis”

What is a Postvention Response Group?

In Perth metropolitan area, if a suicide will impact a large amount of people, we may activate the ‘Metro Postvention Response Group’ (MPVRG). This is a group of support services providers, people with lived experience and cultural representation, who will meet to create a plan to support as many people as possible and/or make them aware of how they can access support if needed. We aim to get the right support to you and the communities, without duplicating services or overwhelming families.  

The MPVRG offers expertise, support and local knowledge to provide critical postvention supports to those bereaved, impacted by or exposed to suicide, including links to holistic community support, in a timely manner. The response group will identify actions already underway and support services to prepare for the potential of increased service demand. 

Who is involved? 

• Western Australian Police Force (WAPOL)
• Anglicare WA (Metro Postvention Coordinator, ARBOR & CYPRESS Team)
• StandBy Support After Suicide
• Mental Health Commission
• Catholic Education of Western Australia
• Department of Education
• Department of Communities
• Be You, headspace Schools and Communities
• Thirrili
• Aboriginal Medical Services - Derbarl Yerrigan
• Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services
• North, South and East Metropolitan Health Services
• Youth Focus

Need Help?

If you are in crisis or immediate danger, please attend your nearest emergency department or call emergency services on 000.

To speak to the Anglicare WA team to access support, call 1300 11 44 46.

For further support contact:

Lifeline - Phone 13 11 14
Suicide call back service - Phone 1300 659 467
Beyond Blue - Phone 1300 22 4636
Beyondnow - Phone 13 11 14
eheadspace - Phone - (03) 9027 0100
Mental Health Emergency Response Line (MHERL)
* Metro region - Phone 1300 555 788 
* Peel region - Phone 1800 676 822

Locations:
StandBy Support After Suicide provides support across all regions of Western Australia, providing outreach to even the most hard-to-reach areas if needed.
Please phone 1300 727 247 to be connected to your local StandBy service for support 24/7.

Resources

Download: Metro Postvention Response Handbook.
Contact us: Metro Postvention Response: metro.postvention@anglicarewa.org.au

The Metro Postvention Response Coordination is funded by the Mental Health Commission until June 2025.