Workplace Considerations After a Suicide or Other Unexpected Death
Professions such as Social Services, Mental Health, and Law Enforcement are well known as “helping professions,” but everyone has a role in suicide prevention. Even if you think you work in a field that is not related to suicide prevention at all, in the course of your duties as a Workplace Supervisor, you are in a position to be interacting with people affected by suicide in one of the places they spend most of their time – the work site. In addition, no field or company is immune to the risk of suicide among employees or employee family members.
Postvention protocols are applied in two situations
- Attempted suicide
- Suicide death or other unexpected death
What is Postvention?
Postvention is the organized response after a suicide or other unexpected death has occurred that aims to facilitate healing from grief and distress, mitigate the negative effects of exposure to suicide, and prevent suicide among those who are at high risk. It is best practice for postvention to occur within the week following a death.
Maintaining protocols on what to do under stressful circumstances helps us to respond quickly, appropriately, and effectively. Clear, specific protocols provide you with the steps to take and also build your knowledge of why these evidence-based steps are the recommended best practices.