SUICIDE POSTVENTION:

why

organizations

should develop

protocols

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April 25, 2023

San Diego

Suicide Prevention Council

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Emily Duval, Psy.D., Organization Development

LPCC, California

MBACP, Accred., U.K.

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Duval 2023

Postvention:�Care and support after suicide for those impacted by the loss

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LANGUAGE GRID FOR�SENSITIVE PHRASING

“Workplaces are often not well-prepared to respond with a compassionate, long-term strategy of grief and trauma support to employees and surviving family in the aftermath of suicide impacting the workforce”

(Spencer-Thomas and Stohlmann-Rainey, 2017)

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Speaking from experience

“The immediate aftermath of a suspected employee suicide is characterized by confusion, emotions, and the potential for miscommunication. Keeping a cool head is essential… Protocols, agreed templates for communications and a lead member of staff who can take the strain off operational managers are key elements in handling a difficult situation effectively.”

-Dr. P. Litchfield, Chief Medical Officer and Director of Health, Safety & Wellbeing

“Suicide is an extreme event and requires careful management to help prevent consequences, such as worsening mental health of those affected… and the risk of another suicide” -T. Vickers Byrne, Director of Human Resources

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“Suicide is the most difficult subject to bring into a discussion at work…Suicide Postvention is a crucial element of a responsible policy on mental health and wellbeing at work.”

• T. Cates, Head of International Markets

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“My manager had no clue how to support us after telling us about our colleague’s suicide…. We just walked outside to our cars in shock”

-Anonymous warehouse worker

High risk industries & Recession

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No industry is immune

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• Veterinary, farming, artists, entertainers, nursing, dentistry and construction identified as higher risk industries for suicide
• All types of business and organizations are impacted by suicide

Higher suicide rates in recession

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• Late 1920’s – early 1930s higher rates of suicide in unemployed males
• 1997-98 recession in Asia
• 2008 excess numbers across Europe and US
• COVID – 19 PHE - overall increase and widening disparities in 2021

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This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND

Economic Cost of Suicide

Australian study

• A leading cause of death in working age adults
• Human capital costs
• Production disturbance
• Medical & administrative costs
• Economic burden over $6 billion in 2014
• Avoidable through multi-faceted approaches

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• Kinchin & Doran (2017)

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International Workplace Response to Suicide: Recovery Aims

• Resume functional operations for staff to feel productive, engaged, belonging
• Commemorate the deceased and continue postvention efforts
• Leadership to encourage healthy grieving and reduce stigma
• Human Resources (HR) involvement in trainings, referrals
• ACT Model for recovery
• Acknowledge the trauma affects all levels
• Communicate compassion and competence
• Transition workforce

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VandePol, B. (2003)

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ThiPhoto by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY

�Leadership Responsibilities�Acute, short- and long-term�

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Continuum of care

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Legacy planning

• Prepare for anniversary of death; significant dates, milestones or events
• Safe memorialization

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Reflection time, Postvention protocol review

• Supporting mental health at work
• Training managers in awareness for risks of suicide
• Share knowledge with other organizations

Crisis Management in the event of suicide. Public Health England (2017).

Case study: Nursing environments and proactive Occupational Health Managers

• Shockwaves of sudden, suicide death of a colleague
• Co-workers spend 8-12 hours a day together
• Management, administration, peer staff profoundly impacted
• Responses varied due to cultural paradigms and personal experiences
• Community Meetings for all staff members, a platform for exploration and expression
• Validate confusion and shock related to the death
• Referrals to Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
• Unit developed continuing education modules on stages of grief, prevention planning, and identifying maladaptive grief, fitness to practice
• Collective postvention response

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Clements, DeRanieri, Fay-Hillier, and Henry (2003), & Lynn (2008)

The Role of the EAP: Employee Assistance Programs�

• Developed in the 1930’s for employees struggling with alcohol use
• Evolved as a benefit of confidential services to staff and immediate families
• Contracted with a broad range of organizations across industry sectors
• Similar to internal Occupational Health

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• EAP professionals often licensed mental health practitioners
• Serve as incident responders
• Providing crisis support
• Assessment and short-term counseling
• Management consultation
• Training facilitation on organizational matters

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POSTVENTION PLANNING & APPLICATION TO

ORGANIZATION DEVELOPMENT

Toolkits

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 References and Toolkit Links

• Alliance of Hope http://www.allianceofhope.org
•  Carson J. Spencer Foundation (2013). A Manager’s Guide to Suicide Postvention in the Workplace. Retrieved from https://suicidology.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/Managers-Guidebook-To-Suicide-Postvention.pdf
• Coalition of Clinician-Survivors (CCS) (cliniciansurvivor.org)
• Crisis Management in the event of suicide. Public Health England (2017). bitc-wellbeing-toolkit-suicidepostventioncrisismanagement-mar2017.pdf
• The Economic Cost of Suicide and Non-Fatal Suicide Behavior in the Australian Workforce and the Potential Impact of a Workplace Suicide Prevention Strategy 2017 Mar 27;14(4):347.doi: 10.3390/ijerph14040347
• Employee Well-being Support: A Workplace Resource. Kinder, Hughes, Cooper. (2008) Amazon.com: Employee Well-being Support: A Workplace Resource: 9780470058992: Kinder, Andrew, Hughes, Rick, Cooper, Cary L.: Books
• International Critical Incident Stress Foundation, Inc. ICISF
• Marshall, D., Moutier, C., Rosenblum, L., Miara, C. and Posner, M.,(2018). After a Suicide: a toolkit for schools. AFSP https://afsp.org/our-work/education/after-a-suicide-a-toolkit-for-schools/)
• Sobreviviendo una perdido por suicide. Spanish version of Resource and Healing Guide. AFSP. Sobreviviendo una perdida por suicidio (aws-fetch.s3.amazonaws.com)
• Suicide and Language. R. Olson (2011). Suicide and Language - Centre for Suicide Prevention (suicideinfo.ca)
• Survivors of Suicide Loss Task Force. (2015). Responding to grief, trauma and distress after a suicide: US National Guidelines. Washington DC: National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention. Retrieved from https://theactionalliance.org/resource/responding-grief-trauma-and-distress-after-suicide-us-national-guidelines
• Workplace Suicides Are on the Rise. The Atlantic (2015). Workplace Suicides Are on the Rise - The Atlantic
• San Diego Count Suicide Prevention Council https://www.sdchip.org/initiatives/suicide-prevention-council/subcommittees/postvention-subcommittee/

“Because you never know when the day before …

Is the day before.

Prepare for tomorrow.”�― B. Akart

About me

• EMILY M. DUVAL, PSY,.D, LPCC, M.A., MBACP (ACCRED).
• DOCTORATE IN PSYCHOLOGY OF ORGANIZATION DEVELOPMENT, 2020
• Dissertation subject: Postvention in Organizations: Preparing Leaders for the Aftermath of Suicide
• MASTER OF PSYCHOLOGY, 2004
• CERTIFIED GRIEF COUNSELOR, 1998
• CERTIFIED IN SUICIDE INTERVENTION, 1994
• LICENSED PROFESSIONAL CLINICAL COUNSELOR, (LPCC) CALIFORNIA
• ACCREDITED BY THE BRITISH ASSOCIATION OF COUNSELING AND PSYCHOTHERAPY
• CO-CHAIR OF THE SAN DIEGO SPC POSTVENTION SUBCOMMITTEE
• EMPLOYER HIGHLIGHTS: COUNTY OF SAN DIEGO, BRITISH NHS, EAP, HIGHER EDUCATION, MANAGED CARE, PRIVATE THERAPY PRACTICE, OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH
• GROUP FACILITATOR, POSTVENTION CONSULTANT, CRITICAL INCIDENT RESPONDER, WORKSHOP TRAINER, CO-AUTHOR, KEYNOTE SPEAKER 1998-2018

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• Slides may be used with written permission. Contact emd@expattherapy.com OR duvalrosser@gmail.com

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