Oral Presentation (max 20 mins) National Suicide Prevention Conference 2025

Bereavement following suicide presents unique and profound challenges, particularly for individuals in regional, rural and remote communities. The availability of effective support services is critical for helping those bereaved by suicide navigate their grief. Aligned with the 2025 National Suicide Prevention Conference theme, Together Towards Tomorrow, this presentation focuses on overcoming barriers to delivering suicide bereavement support in under-resourced areas and highlights the collaborative and adaptive strategies employed by StandBy Support After Suicide in South-Eastern NSW. 

Our presentation will explore the role of postvention and what it looks like, and how it plays an important role in suicide prevention. We will talk about how individuals who have lost someone to suicide may face heightened risks of suicidality and post-traumatic stress. However, with timely, coordinated, culturally responsive support, individuals can navigate their grief reducing these risks.  

We will share key learnings, challenges, and successes from our work, and examine the unique issues facing those grieving a suicide in regional and remote communities, including: 

• Stigma surrounding suicide and its impact on help-seeking behaviour 

• Lack of specialised, face-to-face services, which can leave individuals without appropriate support 

• Gaps in clinical understanding of grief and bereavement experiences reported to us by the people we support - health professionals unprepared to address the specific needs of those bereaved by suicide 

Through StandBy’s targeted interventions, we bridge these gaps and offer meaningful, accessible support. Our adaptable approach includes group and individual support tailored to the specific needs of regional and rural communities, ensuring that no one needs to grieve alone. 

Drawing on the voices of those we have supported, we will demonstrate the positive impact of postvention services. One participant shared how a group session provided unparalleled relief: "In all the grief work I have done nothing has felt as helpful as this, it felt very cathartic for me." An individual who received one-on-one support expressed: “I feel really supported and safe with the time both you and K are giving me.  I feel seen and heard by both of you and I am immensely grateful”. 

Through this presentation, we will offer a snapshot of the realities on the ground in regional and rural NSW and share the strategies we have used to overcome these challenges. We will focus on what has worked for us in delivering the service, the ways we have adapted and pivoted to meet challenges and specific individual needs.