Engaging lived experience in Standby Support After Suicide

*Please note, the recording does not include the content covered in the workshop breakout rooms.

Organisation Involved: StandBy – Support After Suicide
Workshop Facilitators: Jo Langford, Susan Vaughan, Stephen Scott & Trent Harvison
Workshop Duration: 3 hours

This workshop provided an overview of StandBy Support After Suicide, including current lived experience roles and involvement. It covered the orientation and overview of the specific focus areas below (all of which was discussed in facilitated groups):

1. Suicide bereavement workbook / journal – Feedback received from parents, caregivers and stakeholders following the release of StandBy’s activity books for children and young people indicated an interest in a similar resource for ‘adults’. This resource is currently in draft form and has had input from StandBy staff and StandBy’s Lived Experience Advisory group. Additional lived experience expertise from LE Summit attendees will further develop and shape this new resource.
2. StandBy’s engagement with men – StandBy support is available to anyone impacted or bereaved by suicide. However, males account for only 30% of those that they support. Our workforce is predominantly women, and men are also outnumbered on our Lived Experience Advisory Groups. How can we better support men that are impacted and bereaved by suicide, and engage men in our paid and unpaid workforce?
3. Strategies to support peer workers and those with lived experience that support our program – As StandBy develops their peer workforce (both paid and volunteer), they seek input into strategies that could be implemented to support the various lived experience roles.
4. Creative and Innovative Suicide Bereavement Education – StandBy want to create conversations, educate and leave a positive lasting impression on audiences through the use of Creative Arts and Lived Experience to reach more communities and positively impact more audiences. They wish to use this session to capture ideas that can reach their audience through creative means, for example, theatre, sport, art and music.

Workshop Outcomes:

– Participants were involved in shaping current and future StandBy resources, services, and projects.
– Participants gained greater understanding of StandBy and the opportunities for lived experience positions (paid and volunteer).
– Participants received feedback on the progress of the four focus areas as follow-up to their participation.

About the Facilitators:

Jo Langford: As StandBy National’s Lived Experience Coordinator, Jo works collaboratively with the national team to ensure the voice of lived experience is central to the StandBy program. Having worked for four years in the suicide prevention/postvention sector, Jo is passionate about assisting others with lived experience of suicide bereavement to use their expertise within StandBy and the sector.

Susan Vaughan: As StandBy National’s Program and Innovation Manager, Susan oversees the StandBy program to ensure best practice and continuous improvement. Her experience in postvention has been extensive and diverse with over 15 years at StandBy. As a social worker Susan is passionate about making StandBy’s vision a reality, that: Every community in Australia is safe, inclusive, and supportive of those bereaved or impacted by suicide.