Suicide bereavement support

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What is suicide bereavement support?

If you are impacted by someone’s suicide, you may be feeling grief, sadness, guilt and anger.

The impact of suicide is felt across families and local communities. You might be a:

  • friend or family member
  • witness
  • first responder – police, firefighter, or paramedic.

You can get free support after a suicide, also known as 'postvention'.

How can it help me?

​You can get a range of support and services including:

  • bereavement counselling 
  • peer support from trained peer workers with a lived experience of suicide bereavement 
  • family-based support 
  • support dealing with police, coroners’ investigations, media and other matters 
  • small and large group support sessions for schools, workplaces and community groups 
  • ​resources for adults, young people and workplaces.          ​

Where to get help

​Adults

StandBy Support After Sui​​​cide​​​​ can provide support face-to-face or over the phone. The service is free, and is available  from 6am to 10pm, 7 days a week.

  • Friends, family, witnesses, and first responders can call 1300 727
  • People in the deaf and hard of hearing community can connect by texting 0428 842 041.

Children

Children aged 7 to 18 years old grieving the loss of a family member to suicide can book a free program on Feel the Magic​​​.  

The programs help children to:

  • gain coping skills and tools to understand and manage their grief
  • connect with a community of kids just like them, who understand what they are going through
  • reduce the pain they are experiencing, by knowing they are understood.

 

Get help now

If you or someone you know is in immediate danger, please call Triple Zero 000 or go to your nearest Emergency Department​.

Your can also call Lifeline on 13 11 14, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. 

Or visit Get help now for more crisis services that may be better suited to you.

Learn more about StandBy Support After Suicide services

Suicide bereavement support provided by StandBy in NSW is funded by NSW Health and the Australian Government as part of The National Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Agreement​.

Related article: Standing united to improve bereavement support


Current as at: Tuesday 10 June 2025
Contact page owner: Mental Health