Canberra Standby Suicide Bereavement Response ServiceOur VisionCommunity respect, understanding and support for the health and well-being of people bereaved by suicide. About the ProgramCanberra StandBy Suicide Bereavement Response Service, managed by supportLink IT, is a coordinated community crisis response service for families, friends and associates who have been bereaved through suicide. Suicide is a time of immense crisis and the tragedy of suicide loss can create trauma, deeply affecting individuals, families and entire communities. For individuals the loss can be painful and affect them in profound ways. They can feel isolated in their grief and can become vulnerable themselves of engaging in suicidal ideation and behaviour. In many cases those bereaved by suicide simply do not know where to turn for help or how to search for support. The StandBy Response Service provides a reliable single point of contact and support. As one of the key services provided by supportLink IT, the StandBy Response Service works to provide people bereaved by suicide with timely support and clear pathways for additional assistance. This highly acclaimed service provides an immediate response to people bereaved by suicide via its 24-hour crisis response telephone number. From there, those bereaved can receive face-to-face outreach service provided by a skilled Trauma Response Team and/or assistance in engaging other support services matched to their needs. StandBy services are provided by a Program Coordinator and a professional, specialist Trauma Response Team who all receive professional supervision. Client BaseCanberra StandBy supports local residents bereaved through a local suicide or a suicide occurring elsewhere as well as non-local residents bereaved through local suicide. No time limit is placed on the length of bereavement for access to the StandBy Service and clients may seek assistance many years after the suicide has occurred. Through the StandBy model the community also benefits via an increased capacity to respond to those in crisis and enhanced community linkages, collaboration and working partnerships. Program ObjectivesThe aim of the StandBy Response Service is to reduce potential adverse health outcomes and assist in addressing further suicide potential and other vulnerabilities specifically faced by bereaved family members, friends and associates. StandBy does this by providing an integrated and comprehensive response using existing emergency and community support mechanisms such as police, ambulance, coronial services, community groups and health services. FeedbackFeedback from StandBy clients indicates the Service is effective in areas such as:
For emergency services StandBy provides better networking and cooperation, clearer demarcation of roles and responsibilities, and a reliable single point of contact that allows them to get on with their job. Operation AreaThe Canberra Standby Suicide Bereavement Response Service operates in one of nine sites across Australia. The StandBy service is also available in North Queensland, Brisbane, the Sunshine and Cooloola Coasts, Pilbara Region, East Kimberley, West Kimberley, Southern Tasmania and N/NW Tasmania. CostThe StandBy Response Service is provided free to people bereaved by suicide and is funded by the Australian Government, Department of Health and Ageing. DownloadsStandBy Fact Sheet: StandBy Response Service - Improving our capacity to respond to and support people bereaved by suicide StandBy Information Brochure for clients: Download StandBy Information Brochure for support agencies: Download Contact StandByPhone: 1300 656 200 Fax: 1300 656 200 Postal: PO Box 508, Erindale Centre ACT 2903 Email: |
 The StandBy Response Service provides a reliable single point of contact and support for individuals and families bereaved by suicide. |
