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You are not alone.

You are not along when experiencing a loss due to suicide. Postvention is a collaborative approach to support individuals who have experienced a loss due to suicide.

What is postvention?
Postvention is the support and help given after a suicide has happened. It focuses on assisting people who are affected by the death, such as family, friends, coworkers, and communities. The main goal of postvention is to reduce the risk of more suicides, help people deal with their grief and pain, and support healing in a healthy way. Postvention is considered an important part of suicide prevention efforts. To be most effective, postvention strategies and procedures should be proactive, collaborative, and reflect the context of the community.

Special focus should be given to:
- Support for Grieving Individuals and Communities: Offering emotional support to people who have lost a loved one to suicide through counseling, support groups, collective healing practices, and other resources.
- Crisis Intervention: Providing immediate help to those close to the person who died, as they may be at higher risk for suicide themselves.
- Education and Awareness: Teaching the community, friends, and family about warning signs of mental health crises and suicide to help them support themselves and others.
- Reducing Stigma: Addressing the stigma around suicide and mental health by encouraging open conversations and providing safe spaces for people to share their feelings.
- Contagion Prevention: Preventing suicide contagion, or the risk of others attempting suicide after exposure to it, through responsible media reporting and offering resources to those at risk.

Proactive Support: MKE Local Outreach to Suicide Survivors (MKE L.O.S.S.)
The MKE L.O.S.S. Postvention Program is based on a nationally recognized effort to bring grief and bereavement support to survivors of suicide loss. The team is present to offer comfort, resources, and hope to anyone impacted by suicide loss. Team members offer contact with others who have experienced a loss while helping to coordinate services and support within the community that is culturally responsive and ultimately healing.

 

Postvention Intro Component

What is MKE L.O.S.S.?

What is it?

Active: Direct outreach to offer grief and bereavement support to suicide loss survivors
Supportive: For suicide loss survivors
Navigation: Referral to therapeutic services and psychoeducation
Consistent: Initial contact with follow-up for at least 2 years

What it is not

Passive: Individuals seek resources and support on their own

Support for attempt survivors

Therapeutic services

One-time support

“I was surprised to hear from the postvention coordinator, in a delightful way, almost magic. ”

- MKE L.O.S.S. Postvention recipient

Why postvention?

How many?

For one suicide, it is estimated that 135 people are impacted.

Over 50% of the US population has been bereaved by a single suicide.

Impact of Loss

Suicide loss survivors may experience:

Higher rates of anxiety, depression, suicidal thinking & behavior

Prolonged grief

Increased stigma & guilt

Grief & Bereavement

Because of stigma and other factors, individuals typically do not receive the care and support they need to process this type of loss.

Effects of trauma can also contribute to a delay in processing grief.

Healing

When support & resources are actively provided to individuals, positive things happen:

>Average time to receive mental health services decrease from about 4.5 years to about 34 days.

>Decrease in suicidal thoughts & behavior.

>Potential for post-traumatic growth (positive psychological changes)

Research

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Manuscripts (under review)
Monroe, P., Ruediger, A., & Kohlbeck, S. A “safety net” for survivors of suicide loss: Implementation and evaluation of a longitudinal active postvention program in an urban setting

Resources

Resources for Suicide Loss Survivors



Resources to Start Postvention in Your Community


Contact the Division of Suicide Research and Healing

We would love to chat with you about any of our research or programming! Contact us using the information below.

Sara Kohlbeck, PhD, MPH

Director

skohlbeck@mcw.edu
(414) 955-7667

Tricia Monroe, MEd, MCHES

Postvention Program Manager

Jacey Kant, BS

Research Program Coordinator