21 February 2025

      StandBy Support After Suicide (StandBy) welcomes the National Suicide Prevention Strategy (the Strategy) released yesterday, and its whole-of-government, whole-of-community approach to suicide prevention. The Strategy recognises suicide postvention as a critical suicide prevention measure and the long-term psychosocial impacts of suicide bereavement on individuals and communities. StandBy reinforces that the need for postvention services is clear – access to timely, responsive and coordinated support can help reduce further suicide loss and support individuals and communities to better navigate the complexity of suicide loss. StandBy is a program of Youturn, and Youturn Chief Executive Officer James Blevin says he’s encouraged by the ambition of this Strategy. “Knowing that the government is committed to both shifting the curve and increasing support during times of distress is enormously encouraging,” Mr Blevin said. “In 2024, Youturn’s submission to the National Suicide Prevention Strategy underscored a crucial truth: the solutions to complex social challenges lie in tackling the root causes. “Housing, economic security, and social connection are all critical to supporting mental health and preventing crises like suicide. A holistic approach, grounded in the lived experiences of those most affected, is the key to creating sustainable, meaningful change. “Youturn and StandBy look […]

19 February 2025

StandBy Support After Suicide (StandBy) PhD Candidate Bess Jackson, publishes second journal article in a series of work cementing Australia’s leading suicide postvention program’s commitment to evidence-based, person-centred approaches, that address the unique needs of those bereaved by suicide. StandBy’s second journal article titled ‘Measuring What Outcomes Matters Most to People When Accessing Suicide Postvention Support: A Qualitative Study,’ provides suicide postvention services, like StandBy, with insights into how to embed a structured approach to monitoring and evaluating the impact of the service. The paper by researchers Bess Jackson, Sarah Wayland, Shelley-Anne Ball & Myfanwy Maple was recently published in Community Mental Health Journal, highlighting the complex context of measuring outcomes in suicide postvention and emphasised the need for flexible approaches to service provision and outcome measurement. The study suggests that the most significant benefits, as perceived by participants, are the ‘flow-on’ effects of postvention. It supports the notion that outcome measures require careful consideration, with trade-offs evaluated to understand what is truly valuable in suicide postvention services. StandBy is a program of Youturn, Youturn’s Program Manager, Clinical and Practice Support, and research supervisor, Shelley-Anne Ball, says StandBy identified critical gaps in the understanding of suicide bereavement and sought to […]

09 September 2023

Sunday September 10, is a day to remember the lives lost to suicide, and to unite in hope, and commitment to working towards a world without suicide. The International Association for Suicide Prevention’s (IASP) triennial World Suicide Prevention Day theme is Creating Hope Through Action. Australia’s leading suicide postvention program, StandBy Support After Suicide (StandBy), is committed to delivering the best postvention support for those bereaved and impacted by suicide in Australia. StandBy General Manager Amanda Glenwright said StandBy is committed to enhancing the work of the national suicide postvention service to better support all Australians bereaved and impacted by suicide. “For each precious, individual life lost to suicide, we know that there may be are up to 135 people impacted, and more than 10 people significantly impacted. This is why StandBy exists,” Ms Glenwright said. “Thanks to additional funding under the bilateral agreements, StandBy is innovating and enhancing our service offerings by adding Specialised Suicide Bereavement Counselling and a Lived Experience Peer Workforce in the States and Territories who co-funded Suicide Postvention: New South Wales, the Northern Territory, Queensland and Victoria. “We’re also exploring ways to better work alongside and support First Nations’ Communities to provide tailored support to suit individual […]

16 May 2023

Suicide Prevention Australia, the peak body for suicide prevention, has announced the recipients of the 20th Annual National LiFE (Living is For Everyone) Awards which celebrate the commitment and determination of those working towards the reduction of suicide within our communities. Last week, the National LiFE Awards were announced during the Gala Dinner at the National Suicide Prevention Conference in Canberra. StandBy Support After Suicide’s former General Manager Karen Phillips was awarded winner of the National Award for Impact alongside the Queensland winner for Outstanding Contribution. Suicide Prevention Australia stated that the recipient for impact, ‘Karen Phillips has made an outstanding contribution to the growth and development of one of the most significant postvention services in Australia. StandBy’s services have grown and matured under Karen’s leadership over the past 10 years from a small pilot service on the Sunshine Coast to a national service across all states and territories.’ Suicide Prevention Australia CEO, Nieves Murray said, “The LiFE Awards honour those who have shown leadership, compassion, and innovation in their efforts to prevent suicide and support to those who are struggling. Each year, we are even more blown away by the calibre of nominations. “We will continue to work together […]

19 May 2022

This week, local Sunshine Coast program StandBy Support After Suicide marks 20 years of service in supporting those bereaved or impacted by suicide loss. StandBy hosted its annual forum ‘StandBy Connect 2022’ at the Novotel Twin Waters Resort with its national workforce, partners and guest speakers from Australia’s suicide prevention sector in attendance to connect and reflect on the 20-year journey in suicide postvention. StandBy was formerly established in 2002 to meet the need for a coordinated response to suicide. The very beginnings of the program were born before then however, from a need to support a local family, after a double suicide occurred on the anniversary of another suicide in the same family. Youturn, being one of very few community agencies at that time, was invited to develop and lead a community-based program dedicated to supporting people and communities following suicides (Noosa Suicide Bereavement Project). Former CEO of Noosa Youth Service and United Synergies (now Youturn) Sue Scheinpflug said the story of how StandBy came to be, and then replicated into other communities, is truly unique. In 2006 the project was renamed to StandBy Response Service and received evaluation funding to ascertain whether it could be replicated across different […]

09 March 2022

StandBy Support After Suicide is proud to be announced as the first suicide prevention program in Australia to be fully accredited against the Suicide Prevention Australia Standards for Quality Improvement, 1st Edition. StandBy is Australia’s national postvention service, supporting people and communities bereaved or impacted by suicide now for twenty years. The announcement marks an important milestone for the delivery of safe, high-quality and effective suicide prevention and postvention programs across Australia.

03 February 2022

This press release was issued by Suicide Prevention Australia 3/02/2022, to see the original release click here. Today marks an important milestone for the delivery of safe, high-quality and effective suicide prevention and postvention programs across Australia. StandBy Support After Suicide, a leading suicide postvention program, has become the first suicide prevention program to be fully accredited against the Suicide Prevention Australia Standards for Quality Improvement, 1st Edition.

01 September 2021

StandBy Support After Suicide has announced a new partnership with Jesuit Social Services  to provide post-suicide support across four new regions in Victoria. The partnership will ensure that all Victorians, throughout metropolitan, rural, and remote areas of the state can now access support for those bereaved or impacted by suicide at no cost.

07 June 2021

StandBy Support After Suicide has announced a new partnership with AnglicareSA to provide state-wide post suicide support across South Australia for the first time. The partnership, beginning 1 July 2021, will ensure all South Australians, throughout metropolitan, rural, and remote areas of the state can access 24/7 support for those bereaved or impacted by suicide.

01 April 2021

Australia’s leading support after suicide program, StandBy – Support After Suicide released their new social media video to send messages of hope to Australian’s bereaved or impacted by suicide, and already it has a ‘reach’ of more than 49,000 on Facebook!