Lived Experience Guidelines for Aftercare, Postvention and Distress Brief Support Services
In 2023, Roses in the Ocean collaborated with consultancy group Folk and 260 people with lived experience of suicide throughout Australia to create guidelines for the delivery of key suicide prevention support services around the country.
This project arose from the National Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Agreement between the Commonwealth, state and territory governments which includes commitments to fund:
- Aftercare services for people who have made a suicide attempt or experienced a suicidal crisis,
- Postvention services for people bereaved or impacted by a suicide, and
- Distress Brief Support services for people in the early stages of distress (currently being trialled in the eastern mainland states)
Each service’s guideline has been specifically designed by people who have previously needed or used that type of service, or may use the service in the future.
The guidelines are intended for services, communities and governments involved in the design, commissioning, delivery, monitoring and evaluation of that service.
Funded by the Commonwealth Department of Health, the guidelines have been endorsed by senior representatives from every Australian government’s health department or mental health commission.
