responding to suicide and critical incidents

It's common for schools and communities to need support when experiencing a critical event, like a major road accident or sudden death.

Local communities can be rocked by traumatic and critical events. The effects can go beyond those immediately involved and can have long-lasting effects on the mental health and wellbeing of young people and those around them. Although individuals may experience traumatic events in different ways, with timely and appropriate support, the risk of long-term impacts can be significantly reduced.

Programs

For the best long-term outcome for a whole community, it is important to consider the immediate, short-term and longer-term response following a major incident. headspace can assist with practical steps throughout these stages.

What we do:

  • Provide organisations with tailored advice and consultation
  • Provide direct response and recovery support
  • Connect individuals and organisations with services and support

Contact us for immediate assistance

If your school is currently responding to, or recovering from, a suicide or attempted suicide, please contact your Be You state or territory manager.

newWEB HeadspaceEducation PHOEBEPOWELL 90

School and university programs

Be You - mental health in education initiative delivered by Beyond Blue in collaboration with Early Childhood Australia and headspace. Be You provides Australian educators with knowledge, tools, and resources to create positive, inclusive, and responsive learning communities. 

University Support Program – Training and education on mental health and wellbeing to Australian universities, including consultation and review of university suicide prevention and postvention policies and frameworks. Further training and education is available via the responding to suicide toolkit. 

 

Further Information

Alternatively, if you are working in local organisations/councils/schools looking for support on how to manage your response. Get into contact with us via email: schools&communities@headspace.org.au.

newHS COL 1

Support through headspace centres

headspace provides timely capability and support to communities so they can respond, recover from and manage critical incidents. We have centres located throughout Australia staffed with people who are trained and ready to help. 

Find your local centre

Resources

headspace support for students, teachers, and schools following large scale incidents - PDF

 

Be You resources

Suicide response 

Be You suicide response - A coordinated and informed response can help schools address student and staff needs following a suicide, providing support, aiding recovery and reducing the risk of more suicides.

 

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:

 

 For educators and support staff:

 

 Information educators can provide to families and the broader 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:

 

For all educators and support staff: 

 

Information educators can provide to families and the broader community: