StandBy
When someone dies by suicide
When someone dies by suicide, the grief can be complicated by things that aren’t always present after other kinds of death.
There can be shock, anger, confusion, guilt, unanswered questions, or a feeling that you don’t know what to say to anyone.
You may be grieving someone you loved. You may have witnessed what happened. You may be a friend, family member, first responder, colleague, teacher or someone else affected by the death.
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.
That includes:
- 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 person 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 support, including face-to-face and telephone support.
The support is individualised, which means there isn’t a set program you have to work your way through. They can listen to what is happening for you, provide information, and connect you with local services and other forms of support.
For people who engage with the service, support can continue for up to two years.
StandBy also provides peer support and suicide bereavement counselling in Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria and the Northern Territory.
There are also resources for people who want to understand more about suicide bereavement, as well as 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 difficult to know what kind of help you need.
You might simply want to talk to someone who understands this particular kind of loss.
You might need help supporting children or other family members.
You might be trying to return to work or school.
You might be part of a workplace, sporting club, school or community that has suddenly been affected by a death.
Or you might not know what you need at all.
That’s okay.
You can contact StandBy and explain what’s happened. They can help you work out what support might be useful.
How to contact StandBy
Call 1300 727 247.
StandBy’s national service is available 6am to 10pm, seven days a week.
You can also use StandBy’s website to find the local service for your area.
For people who are Deaf or hard of hearing, StandBy provides SMS support on 0428 842 041, also from 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 are having suicidal thoughts or need immediate emotional support, you can contact Lifeline on 13 11 14.
You don’t have to go through this alone
There is no simple way through the death of someone by suicide.
You may have good days and terrible days. You may have questions that never have answers. You may find that grief changes as time passes.
You don’t need to have everything 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.