Free books to support children and teens after suicide
Talking to children and teenagers about suicide can be difficult. That’s why StandBy has written two activity books called:
- “A book About Me – a grief journal” for children under 12 – activities include colouring in and ways to help children identify their feelings
- “For Grieving Teens – a grief journal” – activities include what they would say to the deceased, making a playlist of music to express their feelings and ways to accept that they may never know why it happened.
Suicide can impact people in very different ways. Losing someone to suicide can be overwhelming and confusing and can present a wide range of emotions.
Find support in your local area or browse the site for information and resources.
Who we support
We support anyone who has been impacted by suicide at any stage in their life, including:
- Individuals, families and friends
- Witnesses
- Schools, workplaces and community groups
- Frontline responders and service providers
If you are currently having suicidal thoughts, please seek immediate assistance by calling Lifeline on 13 11 14. If you or someone you are with is in need of immediate support please call an ambulance or Police on 000.
What we do
- We provide free face-to-face and telephone support at a time and place that is best for you
- The service is accessible 24/7, providing direct and coordinated support from local services and groups in your area
- We offer expertise, understanding and resources for your particular situation
- Follow up contact is continued for up to 1 year to ensure you are not alone and receive any ongoing support you may need
Find Support
StandBy provides support services all around Australia.
Click on the map or name of region below to find support in your area.
- ACT
- Brisbane North & South
- Central QLD, Wide Bay & Sunshine Coast
- Country SA
- Kimberley
- Murray
- Pilbara
- North Coast NSW
- Northern Queensland
- Northern Territory
- North West Central QLD
- Tasmania
- MATES StandBy
- OTHER
- ACT
- Brisbane North & South
- Central QLD, Wide Bay & Sunshine Coast
- Country SA
- Kimberley
- Murray
- Pilbara
- North Coast NSW
- Northern Queensland
- Northern Territory
- North West Central QLD
- Tasmania
- MATES StandBy
- OTHER
- ACT
- Brisbane North & South
- Central QLD, Wide Bay & Sunshine Coast
- Country SA
- Kimberley
- Murray
- Pilbara
- North Coast NSW
- Northern Queensland
- Northern Territory
- North West Central QLD
- Tasmania
- MATES StandBy
- OTHER
Resources
View our Resource Library for:
- Helpful information sheets
- Brochures in other languages
- Useful books and websites
- Ideas for support
- Ideas for self care
- Links for Professionals
- Other services for support nationally
What Happens Now?
The days following a suicide can be overwhelming, read about what you may be involved with in the coming days to help you prepare.
Unanswered Questions
There is no simple answer to why someone ends their own life. Our help sheet may help with understanding how the person was feeling.
Supporting Children
Suicide impacts the whole family and younger members can be particularly vulnerable. Read our tips for helping children cope and understand.
Witnessing a Suicide
Anyone who has witnessed a suicide can experience stress and trauma, read about how you may be impacted and ways to help you cope and recover.
About Us
StandBy – Support after Suicide is a program of United Synergies, established in 2002 to meet the need for a coordinated community response to suicide. StandBy is now recognised as Australia’s leading suicide postvention program dedicated to assisting people and communities impacted by suicide.
A recent independent evaluation of the program found that StandBy’s Support After Suicide service helps to significantly lower the risk of suicidality, mental health concerns, and social isolation following a loss of a loved one. Read more…
In Australia, more than 2,800 people take their own life each year. Research indicates that for every death through suicide 135 people are impacted and ten or more are significantly impacted. StandBy provides free telephone or face-to-face support by local caring staff, committed to the wellbeing of the person or group impacted. The program provides a central point of coordination, connecting people to the various supports they may need through referrals to services, groups and organisations within their local area.
StandBy operates nationally by partnering with local organisations, engaging their expertise within the community to deliver the most effective and culturally suitable support for each individual circumstance. Locally tailored community workshops and education programs are provided to increase awareness of suicide and suicide bereavement to help enable communities to support one another.
For more information please contact our StandBy Office.
We promote respect, equality and the inclusion of all members of the community. We value the experiences and courage of people bereaved or impacted by suicide, and the willingness of local communities to support them. May we all work together towards a shared vision of hope and unity.
Support
We support individuals, families, friends, witnesses, schools, workplaces, frontline responders, communities and service providers who have been bereaved or impacted by suicide.
Contactable
We offer telephone or face-to-face support, at a time and place that is best for you. Follow up calls are continued for up to 12 months. There is no charge for this service.
Info + Links
Depending on need, we are able to arrange follow-on support from existing local services and groups, or simply provides information and links to other available services.
Community
StandBy works with the community to deliver workshops and education programs to encourage and enable increased knowledge and awareness of suicide and suicide bereavement.
Lived Experience
StandBy’s National Lived Experience Advisory Group
Those with lived experience of suicide bereavement bring wisdom and perspective that is critical to informing StandBy activities. StandBy National has developed a National Lived Experience Advisory Group with a diverse representation of members (picture of group below). Training and ongoing mentoring is provided by ‘Roses in the Ocean’.
Stories of Lived Experience
The following brave and wonderful people have chosen to share their personal experience of suicide bereavement and we thank them for their generous gift. These stories give insight into personal experience of suicide loss and grief and you may find the content upsetting. We recommend you have someone to talk over any feelings that it may bring.
If you are currently having suicidal thoughts, please seek immediate assistance by calling Lifeline on 13 11 14. If you or someone you are with is in need of immediate support please call 000.
Your Stories
My life changed dramatically the day my youngest daughter Shelley took her own life. 7th December 2015. The date is scorched into my brain. I am now 2 years down the track from that awful, soul destroying day. But I couldn’t have done it without some help.
The amazing people from StandBy came to visit my family & I in the very early days. Our minds were muddled and confused. What to do first? Where to turn? The beautiful ladies arrived armed with Teddy Bears, comfort and knowledge. They guided us through each step with compassion and understanding. They knew our hurt and helped us progress through the next couple of weeks. They suggested we attend a monthly support group that was close to our home.
As I’m sure you can imagine. None of us were feeling remotely social. But let me tell you now. We walked around the corner of the building, to find 20 pairs of eyes looking at us. Kind eyes. Sad eyes. Knowledgeable eyes. This amazing group of people knew just how I felt without me even speaking. I cried for the first year at each meeting. But I have learned so many coping tools through listening to others stories. I have gained strength from the compassion given to me by other people with the same experiences. And I can proudly say, that 2 years on. I too can now offer a shoulder to lean on. An ear to listen with. Arms to give hugs with and experiences to learn from. I am now part of that group with their kind, sad & all knowing eyes. They saved my sanity when I thought I would never ever gain clarity in my thoughts again.
On the cloudiest of days in our lives there is always a silver lining. Trust me.
Karen from Sunshine Coast Qld
After the deaths by suicide of our youngest daughter Angela and our only son Stuart just one month apart I was understandably devastated. If felt that I was the only mother to have lost two children to suicide and spent countless hours questioning where we had gone wrong. I knew that if I had to live through this experience, I would need to learn from it. I spent many sessions in counselling and put in hours of very hard work making some sense of our tragedy.
After a few years, I realized that others could learn from my experience too. I began to advocate for others, and spoke at forums and information sessions about suicide prevention.
I find this work very rewarding and see it as a way to honour both Angela and Stuart.
Alannah from Victoria
It is important to keep things a normal as possible for children, particularly routines and expectations. Children need predictability and boundaries. These should be adhered to as much as possible to create a secure environment within the uncertainty and chaos.
Judith from South Australia
Support Us
Your Support Will Make a Difference
Volunteer
- Events StandBy is hosting
- Practical needs of others impacted by suicide
- Telling others you know about what StandBy does
Please ring your closest StandBy site to speak with the Coordinator about possibilities.
If you live in other areas you may like to assist by
- Providing quotes and tips we can use in resources, training and the media
- Providing feedback on information we have developed and our service to help us improve
Please ring 0429 147 491 to speak with a member of our National StandBy Team about possibilities.
Donate
In Memoria
A thoughtful way to pay tribute to the life of a loved one or friend is to provide a donation that StandBy can use to help others impacted by suicide. This could include leaving a gift in your will. Your generosity will help us support others at such a tragic time in their lives.
Contact Us
For general enquiries please use the contact form below. For support, contact your local support site here.
StandBy acknowledges the traditional custodians of the land on which we work and live. We recognise the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community and their continuing connection to land and water. We pay respects to Elders past, present and future.
TO FIND SUPPORT IN YOUR AREA
Contact your local StandBy Coordinator here
IN AN EMERGENCY
Call the Ambulance or Police on 000.
If you are having suicidal thoughts, please seek immediate assistance by calling Lifeline on 13 11 14
FOR ADMINISTRATION ENQUIRIES
Call our National office during Queensland business hours.
M: 0429 147 491
E: standbynational@unitedsynergies.com.au
Mail: StandBy Support After Suicide – PO Box 365, Tewantin, QLD 4565
FOR MEDIA ENQUIRIES
Louise Pemble, lpemble@unitedsynergies.com.au, 0418 782 734
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