Postvention refers to activities that reduce risk and promote resilience after a suicide. When a patient dies by suicide, staff can be affected by the loss both professionally and personally. This presentation discusses common staff reactions after a suicide and the importance of including postvention in suicide prevention programs, encourages discussion on ways to apply postvention principles, and provides examples of postvention protocols and resources that emphasize self-care, supporting peers, and resiliency.

Educational Objectives

• State the rationale for focusing on postvention and common team member reactions after a patient's death by suicide
• Describe postvention protocols and resources
• Explain how postvention principles and the ACT model can be used by leaders to structure a postvention program

Level: Intermediate