StandBy
When someone dies by suicide
When someone dies by suicide, grief can come tangled up with things that aren’t always there after other deaths: shock, anger, confusion, guilt, questions that may never be answered, or not knowing what to say to anyone.
You might be grieving someone you loved. You might have witnessed what happened. You might be a friend, family member, first responder, colleague or teacher. Whatever your connection, you don’t have to work it all out on your own.
StandBy – Support After Suicide is an Australian service specifically for people and communities who have been bereaved or affected by suicide.
Who can use StandBy?
StandBy supports people at any stage of life who have been bereaved or impacted by suicide, including:
- individuals
- families and friends
- witnesses
- first responders
- service providers
- schools, workplaces and community groups affected by a suicide
You don’t have to be the closest person to the one who died. If the death has affected you, StandBy can help you work out what support is available.
What support is available?
StandBy provides free face-to-face and telephone support. It’s individualised, so there’s no set program to work through. They’ll listen to what’s happening for you, give you information and connect you with local services and other support. If you stay in touch with them, support can continue for up to two years.
StandBy also offers peer support and suicide bereavement counselling in Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria and the Northern Territory, along with resources on suicide bereavement and support packs and toolkits for workplaces, schools and communities.
You don’t have to know what to ask for
After a suicide, it can be hard to know what help you need. You might want to talk to someone who understands this particular kind of loss. You might need help supporting children or other family members, or getting back to work or school. You might be part of a workplace, sporting club or community that’s suddenly been hit by a death. Or you might not know what you need at all.
That’s okay. Contact StandBy, tell them what’s happened, and they’ll help you work out what might be useful.
How to contact StandBy
Call 1300 727 247. StandBy’s national service is available 6am to 10pm, seven days a week, and their website can help you find the local service for your area.
If you’re Deaf or hard of hearing, StandBy offers SMS support on 0428 842 041, also 6am to 10pm, seven days a week.
If you need immediate help
StandBy is a bereavement and postvention service. It isn’t an emergency service.
If you or someone with you is in immediate danger, call 000.
If you’re having thoughts of suicide or need immediate emotional support, contact Lifeline on 13 11 14.
You don’t have to go through this alone
There’s no simple way through the death of someone by suicide. There may be good days and terrible days, and questions that never get answered. The grief may change as time goes on.
You don’t need to have it all figured out before you ask for help. StandBy exists specifically for people living with this kind of loss, and it can be a place to start.
This page is provided by Rest as a starting point, not as a substitute for professional or crisis support. Services and operating hours can change, so check StandBy’s current information before relying on a particular service.