Since its founding in 2013, PVA has supported and represented those bereaved by suicide loss. Over the years the consistent feedback was that many struggle to locate relevant post-suicide support services.
Losing a loved one is hard enough, with the bereaved facing immense feelings of loss and sorrow, accompanied by a rollercoaster of confusion, self-blame, anger and guilt.
The purpose of the directory is to remove one layer of burden in a time of crisis by providing timely and accurate links to the full spectrum of support services available.
PVA Chair, Darrin Larney says "We know there isn't enough help out there. We are specifically wanting to create a clear pathway for people who have been bereaved by suicide".
The directory acts as a referral pathway and informs the bereaved on what post-suicide support services are available in their specific area. Users can filter by location, type of service, age and gender groups, and type of lived experience, while service providers, community organisations and researchers can list and promote their services.
A team of experts, industry professionals and those bereaved by suicide have worked together on the project. The platform is suitable for a diverse range of communities including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, Culturally and Linguistically Diverse communities, Rural and Remote communities, and the LGBTQIA+ community, who are often at higher risk of suicide and therefore experience higher rates of bereavement from suicide loss.
Listed services include practical assistance, national helplines, skilled mental health professionals, peer support, additional support for children and adolescents, and postvention services at each stage of the bereavement process.
A comprehensive, eighty-page Suicide Bereavement Guide has been developed alongside the NSW Service Directory and complements the platform by providing essential information on how to cope with the grief of suicide loss. Both resources have been funded by the NSW Government.
