Building Hope Together Conference
 
WORKSHOP SUMMARIES


KEN NORTON


EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR,NAMI NH
The Role of Faith Leaders in Suicide Bereavement: Postvention Guidelines and Training
 
Thursday half-day 8:30am-12:30pm
 
SUICIDE POSTVENTION TRAINING FOR FAITH LEADERS
 Faith leaders are often the first people a family will call after a suicide. They need to be prepared to support the family, faith community, and other community members in the aftermath of a suicide. Since knowing someone who has died by suicide is one of the highest risk factors for suicide, taking steps to reduce risk and promote healing after a suicide (postvention) becomes an important part of prevention efforts.Postvention is a proactive planning tool to respond effectively in the event of a suicide death. Using National Best Practice protocols, participants will learn how to reduce the risk of contagion and create a comprehensive response plan in the event of a suicide. The training includes interactive case scenarios, discussion, exercises, PowerPoint and printed materials.Ideally, postvention training is provided in advance to prepare faith leaders to respond to a suicide and to enable faith communities to incorporate postvention protocols into their policies and procedures. Training and/or technical assistance can also be provided following a suicide death.

SUICIDE POSTVENTION TRAINING HIGHLIGHTS 
 • Skills and knowledge to coordinate a safe and supportive faith community response to a suicide death, based on National Best Practice protocols
 
• The role of faith leaders when responding to a suicide death, including recommendations for obituaries and death notices, memorial services and funerals, and safe messaging in response to media inquiries
 
• The complexity of suicide-related grief and cultural considerations regarding suicide
 
• Resources to assist the family and other survivors in the aftermath of suicide, including emotional support and cleaning options
 
• Strategies to encourage help-seeking, reduce stigma and promote healing for survivors
 
• The dynamics of contagion (pacts, clusters, copycat suicides) and strategies for reducing this risk in the faith community
 
• Recognizing warning signs for suicide in those who may be at risk after a suicide death
 
• Engaging faith communities as on-going support for the family
 
• The benefits of an integrated community-based model for responding to a suicide death






CHIEF INSPECTOR GARY RAYMOND APM, OAM (retired)


The Challenges confronting First Responders & Caring Professions at the Scene of a Suicide & Afterwards

Thursday half-day 1:30pm-5:30pm

BIOGRAPHY
 Gary performed 5 years as an Ambulance Officer then 37 years as a Police Officer. He performed duty as a Police Rescue Suicide Crisis Negotiator & Police Peer Support Officer. Gary now works with the Police Post Trauma Support Groups NSW & Welfare Officer Retired Police Association Parramatta/The Hills Branch NSW.
 
As a former serving Ambulance Officer, Police Officer, Police Rescue Suicide Crisis Negotiator, Detective & Police Peer Support Officer, he has experienced firsthand the aftermath on Police after they attend the scene of a suicide. Every suicide scene is different. They are often very confronting suicide methodology, sensory stimuli, investigative challenges and submitting final reports. Dealing with those bereaved is a very deep challenge for First Responders. We will unpack the aftermath on the cognitive, emotional, physical and behavioural short- term & long-term effects on First Responders & the Caring Professions. We will then explore & present postvention strategies which support First Responders & the Caring Professions (along with their families) who are impacted after such a challenging duty.

INVITED WORKSHOP PARTICIPANTS 
Police (AFP & NSW), Ambulance, St John Ambulance, Red Cross, Fire, Rural Fire, SES, VRA, Corrective Services, Juvenile Justice, Coroner, Border Force, Immigration, Lifeline, Church Caring agencies, NSW Health, Police Legacy, Police Association NSW, Therapy, Counselling/Welfare practitioners & Helicopter Rescue Services 
THEMES TO BE EXPLORED 
  • Exploring the preparedness strategies for First Responders before attending scenes.
  • Understanding the cognitive, emotional, physical & behavioural impacts affecting First Responders at & after attending a suicide scene. 
  • Understanding the impact of the sensory stimuli at the scene of a suicide
  • Understanding flashbacks, dreams & nightmares that may affect First Responders after attending a suicide scene. 
  • Understanding grief within themselves & others.
  • Understanding the ability of First Responders to deal with those at the scene bereaving. 
  • Understanding First Responders attending the scene of a suicide who may have been or are suicidal themselves. 
  • Understanding First Responders attending the scene of a suicide who may have been bereaved themselves by a loved one or workmate taking their life in the past. 
  • Overall wellbeing strategies & resources for First Responders after a suicide scene. Community coalitions



ASSOC. PROF. JUDITH MURRAY

ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR IN COUNSELLING AND COUNSELLING PSYCHOLOGY, UNIVERSITY OF QUEENSLAND


 Building and Enhancing Care across the Community: Postvention Care in the Context of Broader Therapy Processes

PRESENTATION SUMMARY
There is the tendency in our current mental health system toward increasing specialisation of care for particular clients, ‘problems’ and techniques. But yet suicide bereavement is not confined to geographical locations or social groups where expertise in postvention is available. And few institutions actually offer specialist training in such care. If we are going to enhance and build the capacity of our mental health system to offer effective care across the community we will need to build care for postvention into broader principles of care. This workshop will consider the embedding of postvention care into a broader approach to therapy in general.
 
BIOGRAPHY
Judith is currently an Associate Professor in Counselling and Counselling Psychology at The University of Queensland Australia. Judith has been the Director of the Master of Counselling Program from 2003-2010 and since 2015. She also assisted in the establishment of the Master of Applied Psychology (Counselling) at UQ. Previous to this position she was responsible for the establishment of a Loss and Grief Unit in the Centre for Primary Health Care in the School of Population Health. Judith is also a registered nurse having worked part time from 2010-2016 in Haematology and Oncology at The Princess Alexandra Hospital, Brisbane, Queensland.
Judith is a qualified secondary school teacher, psychologist, and nurse. She is the author of numerous papers, and resource packages and books. She has served on a number of national consultations for bereavement, postvention and children’s grief and is on the Board of a national aid organization. Judith has worked consistently to further the use of loss as an integrative concept within the health, welfare and education sectors which is articulated in the book “Understanding Loss: A Guide for Caring for Those Facing Adversity” (Routledge). ” (Routledge).




KEN NORTON


EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR,NAMI NH
Engaging Communities in a Coordinated Response to Suicide
 
Thursday half-day 1:30pm-5:30pm
 
ENGAGING COMMUNITIES IN A COORDINATED RESPONSE TO SUICIDE
 This workshop familiarizes participants with nationally recognized best practices for responding to a suicide, examines the risk of contagion and strategies for reducing this risk, explores concepts and strategies to promote healing for survivors and communities, and identifies the roles of key service providers in a coordinated community response to a suicide. Utilizing NAMI NH’s Connect Postvention Planning process as a model and drawing from the National Action Alliance On Suicide Prevention Survivor of Suicide Loss Task Force recommendations as well as using case examples, the workshop will demonstrate how Best Practice Protocols/training with key service providers can be done proactively to reduce risk and promote healing after a suicide death. Strategies are identified for engaging key stakeholders/service providers to incorporate postvention protocols into suicide response plans and establish relationships and memos of understanding prior to crisis situations to ensure seamless communication and interface when a traumatic incident occurs.

OBJECTIVES 
  • Discuss how effective postvention response reduces risk for suicide
  • Explore a wider definition of who is bereaved by a suicide death
  • Consider the emotional dynamics related to grief and ways to engage members of the community to guide safe communication and memorials to promote healing and reduce risk
  • Utilize the Connect Suicide Postvention program as an example of how to develop an effective community postvention response 
TARGET AUDIENCE 
  • Community coalitions
  • Suicide prevention leaders
  • First responders, educators, law enforcement, faith leaders, mental health providers,
  • Individuals bereaved by suicide
  • Other key stakeholders
OUTCOMES
By the end of the workshop participants will be able to;
  • Recognize that a suicide death impacts well beyond the immediate family and can include friends, colleagues, first responders, faith communities, and others
  • Describe how to implement an integrated community-based model for suicide postvention
  • Understand how training and best practice protocols can clarify roles and expectations and improve postvention response among service providers 



KEN NORTON


EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR,NAMI NH
Providers As Survivors of Suicide Loss
Saturday 1.5 hour workshop
SUMMARY
 The impact of a suicide death reaches well beyond the family and friends of the deceased and includes service providers, first responders and other individuals who may have had a professional relationship with the person. Likewise the death of a family member, friend or colleague can also take an emotional and professional toll on key service providers in a community. Too often providers receive inadequate support in navigating the difficult legal, ethical, personal and performance related issues which can occur in the aftermath of a suicide death. This workshop will explore these difficult challenges and will include a panel of providers who will discuss how suicide has impacted them.



MORE WORKSHOPS 


MORE INFORMATION COMING SOON
  • "Giving a Voice to Those Bereaved by Suicide and Those Responsible for Their Care" by Sharon McDonnell
  • Support Group Facilitator Workshop 
  • Workshops by Adele Cox and colleagues at Thirrili
  • Workshop by Julie Cerel