Responding After Suicide: A Practical Guide to Immediate Postvention

This practical guide about what first responders should do after a suicide, offers advice onidentifying and recording a death as suicide, breaking the bad news and dealing with theimpact of suicide in the short, middle and long term.Drawing on her own experience as a first responder and trainer, the author providesguidance and tips for best practice when responding to a suicide. These include what canhappen to the body in the immediate aftermath, how to talk to the bereaved to limit orprevent secondary trauma, and how to manage suicide in public arenas such as schools.The scenarios covered include detailed scripts of how to deal with difficult situations.There are also sections that tackle complex issues such as religious or cultural customs,and unusual cases of suicide which can pose extra challenges.Straightforward and full of sage advice, each chapter includes real-world examples fromthe author's many years working as a first responder which highlight how suicidepostvention techniques can be applied.