POSTVENTION:

A Guide for Response to
Suicide on College Campuses
A Higher Education Mental
Health Alliance (HEMHA) Project1

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
About the Higher Education Mental Health Alliance (HEMHA)
Envisioned and formed in September 2008 under the leadership of the American College Health Association(ACHA), the Higher Education Mental Health Alliance (HEMHA) is a partnership of organizations dedicatedto advancing college mental health. The Alliance affirms that the issue of college mental health is central tostudent success, and therefore, is the responsibility of higher education.
The following individuals provided valuable input and oversight on the creation of this guide.
The American College Counseling Association (ACCA)

Kathryn P. (Tina) Alessandria, PhD, LPCMH, ACS
Associate Professor, Department of Counselor Education,
West Chester University
Monica Osburn, PhD
Director, Counseling Center, NC State University

The American Psychological Association (APA)/
Society of Counseling Psychology (SCP)

Traci E. Callandrillo, PhD
Assistant Director for Clinical Services, Counseling Center,
American University
The American Psychiatric Association (APA)

The American College Personnel Association (ACPA)

Melissa Bartsch, PhD
Assistant Director/Director of Training, University ofTennessee-Knoxville
Eric Klingensmith, PsyD
Assistant Director, Grand Valley State University
Counseling Center

Leigh White, MD
Chief, Psychiatry Services, Michigan State University
Student Health
The Association for University and College CounselingCenter Directors (AUCCCD)

Dan Jones, PhD, ABPP
Director, Counseling Center, Appalachian State University

The American College Health Association (ACHA)

Chris Brownson, PhD
Director, Counseling and Mental Health Center, Universityof Texas, Austin
John Kolligian, Jr., PhD
Executive Director, University Health Services, Princeton
University

NASPA - Student Affairs Administrators in
Higher Education

Stephanie A. Gordon, EdM
Vice President for Professional Development
The Jed Foundation

The American Psychological Association (APA)

Shari Robinson, PhD
Associate Director for Clinical Services, University of Florida
Jennifer Beard Smulson
Officer, APA
Senior Legislative and Federal Affairs Officer

John MacPhee, MBA, MPH
Executive Director
Jillian Niesley
Program Director
Victor Schwartz, MD
Medical Director
Jenna Scott, PsyD
Postdoctoral Research Fellow
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SUPPORT

This resource was made possible by additional generous support from these HEMHA member organizations:
The American College Counseling Association (ACCA)
The American College Counseling Association, a division of the American Counseling Association, is madeup of diverse mental health professionals from the fields of counseling, psychology, and social work whose
common theme is working within higher education settings.
The American College Health Association (ACHA)
Since 1920, The American College Health Association has linked college health professionals in order toprovide advocacy, education, communications, products, and services, as well as promote research andculturally competent practices to enhance its members’ ability to advance the health of all students andthe campus community.
The American Psychiatric Association (APA)
The American Psychiatric Association, founded in 1844, is the world’s largest psychiatric organization. Its
member physicians work together to ensure humane care and effective treatment for all persons with mental
disorders, including intellectual disabilities and substance use disorders. APA is the voice and conscience ofmodern psychiatry.
The Association for University and College Counseling Center Directors (AUCCCD)
The Association for University and College Counseling Center Directors works to assist college/university
directors in providing effective leadership and management of their centers, in accord with the professional
principles and standards with special attention to issues of diversity and multiculturalism.
The Jed Foundation
The Jed Foundation is the nation’s leading non-profit organization working to promote emotional health andprevent suicide among college and university students.
NASPA - Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education
NASPA is the leading association for the advancement, health, and sustainability of the student affairs
profession, serving a full range of professionals who provide programs, experiences, and services thatcultivate student learning and success in concert with the mission of our colleges and universities.

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PROJECT ADVISORSHEMHA is grateful to the following individuals who provided resources, reviewed materials, and generously
took the time to share their insights and experience.
Moisés Barón, PhD
Assistant Vice President forStudent Affairs, Wellness
University of San Diego
Chris Brownson, PhD
Director, Counseling and Mental
Health Center, University of Texas,
AustinM. Dolores Cimini, PhD
Assistant Director for Prevention
and Program Evaluation
University Counseling Center
University at Albany
Eugene R. Deisinger, PhD
Deputy Chief & Director of
Threat Management
Virginia TechManaging Director
SIGMA Threat Management
Associates

Greg Eells, PhD
Associate Director of Gannett
Health Services,
Director of Counseling andPsychological Services (CAPS)
Cornell University
Dan Jones, PhD, ABPP
Director, Counseling Center,
Appalachian State University
Phil Meilman, PhD
Director
Georgetown University
Counseling Center
Brian Mistler, PhD
Associate Dean of Students
Health Services Director
Ringling College of Art and Design
Monica Osburn, PhD
Director, Counseling Center
NC State University

Eric Owens, PhD
Assistant Professor, Counselor
Education
West Chester University
Kerri Smith, LCSW, MPH
Senior Campus Prevention Specialist
Suicide Prevention Resource Center
Steve Sprinkle, PhD
Director
University of San DiegoCounseling Center
Cory Wallack, PhD
Director
Syracuse University CounselingCenterJane Wiggins, PhD
Director, Campus Suicide
Prevention Center of Virginia
James Madison University

This resource guide has drawn heavily on the writings of Dolores Cimini, PhD, Phil Meilman, PhD, Cory Wallack,
PhD and their colleagues. Particularly:
Dolores Cimini & Estela Rivero’s – Postsuicide Intervention as a Prevention Tool: Developing a Comprehensive
Campus Response to Suicide and Related Risk in Preventing College Student Suicide, 2013
Phil Meilman & Tanni Hall’s – Aftermath of tragic events: The development and use of community support
meetings on a University Campus in Journal of American College Health, 2006
We would like to thank Jenna Scott, PsyD, Postdoctoral Research Fellow at The Jed Foundation, for her majorrole in preparing this document.

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INTRODUCTION
This resource is intended for use by colleges anduniversities that are affected by and/or want
to be prepared for campus crises and campus
deaths. Suicide postvention efforts address theneed for predetermined strategies to effectively
and sensitively respond to campus deaths after
they occur. We believe that it is important to notethat a good postvention plan can have a positive
impact on prevention, as well. This resource defines
specific areas of consideration and planning andoffers suggestions for best practices. Planning andimplementation of postvention efforts rely heavily on
using an interdisciplinary approach that utilizes the
skills and resources of administrators, practitioners
and the greater campus community. These disciplines
will ideally collaborate in the postvention planningand coordination, implementation of postvention

efforts, clinical services, communication efforts, anddecisions about holding memorials and other related
events with the goal of helping the community return
to a normal routine.
It is our hope in developing this guide that schools will
be better prepared to manage the painful challenge
of a student suicide death. While our hope is that
schools will use this guide to help with planning sothat systems are in place to respond, we have tried
to make this guide sufficiently concise to be valuable
also when a school has not engaged in planning but
is faced with a student suicide and needs to rapidly
develop and implement a response plan. We have
tried to develop guidance that is adaptable to the fullrange of institutions of higher education. ■5

DEFINING POSTVENTION
Suicide postvention involves a series of plannedinterventions with those affected by a campus suicidewith the intention to:• Facilitate the grieving or adjustment process,• Stabilize the environment,• Reduce the risk of negative behaviors,• Limit the risk of further suicides through contagion
College and university postvention is the provision of
psychological support, crisis intervention and otherforms of assistance to those affected by a campus
suicide. The structure of the suicide postvention
program should fit with the specific needs of thecampus community. ■GOALS OF POSTVENTION
In the aftermath of a suicide on campus, postvention
efforts are directed towards helping the campus
community get back to their pre-crisis level offunctioning and even to develop new skills for dealing
with challenges in the future. Postvention efforts
should effectively:✔✔ help those impacted by suicide deal with thecurrent trauma and grief and reduce the intensityof an individual’s or group’s emotional, mental,
physical and behavioral reactions to a crisis✔✔ stabilize the campus community, restore somesemblance of order and routine, and help thecommunity return to their pre-crisis level offunctioning✔✔ prevent (or at least limit the risk of) further
suicides and imitative suicidal behavior throughcontagion, as other students in the community
who are struggling with psychological pain may

be influenced to act in a similar way. After hearing
about a suicide death, those who are already atrisk for suicide may develop a greater sense that
suicide is a viable option✔✔ help students, faculty and staff solve problems
as this may help to enhance independentfunctioning✔✔ facilitate understanding and help the campus
community:• process what has happened• encourage the expression of difficult emotions• help individuals understand the impact of
the event✔✔ avoid institutionalizing grief (i.e., when thememory of a campus suicide becomes ingrainedin the institution to the point that it becomesdifficult to remember the community as safe orwithout grief)✔✔ allow for learning from current postvention
efforts to improve future prevention, postvention
and response efforts ■PLANNING
Postvention planning should ideally be done inadvance and be specific enough to be useful, while
flexible enough to apply to different circumstances.
This pre-crisis planning is important because in theaftermath of a campus suicide, when emotions andtensions are high, it is very difficult to respond without
having guidelines or plans in place.
• Timing is crucial when responding to a campus
suicide. The best way to assure that a coordinatedresponse will be rapid is to have it planned out
ahead of time.
• A small amount of help given quickly will be more6

effective and efficacious than a large amount ofhelp given later when the individual’s/survivor’s/
campus’s receptivity has lessened.
Various offices, faculty, and community members
will be responsible for deploying aspects of the
postvention plan. Postvention planning shouldemphasize the importance of interdisciplinary
communication and coordination. ■FORMING A POSTVENTIONCOMMITTEE
A key consideration in postvention planning includes
the identification of stakeholders who will act as the
postvention coordinators and also develop intervention
guidelines that meet campus needs. This is a wayof establishing a team of people who will deploy
postvention plans in the event of a suicide. In addition
to the postvention coordinators, other individuals andoffices on campus should be informed of their possibleroles in postvention tasks. Effective interdisciplinary
coordination and communication after a campus
suicide can streamline postvention efforts, reduce
errors and provide comprehensive support to thecommunity.
• Campuses should identify individuals responsible
for postvention planning and implementation
BEFORE a suicide occurs.
• The postvention committee members could overlap
with other campus teams or function as a subcommittee of previously established campus teams(e.g. the campus Behavioral Intervention Team
– BIT or crisis management committee could havea sub-committee to address postvention). Keepin mind that, in addition to the campus Behavioral
Intervention Team, postvention stakeholders may also

include staff from the communications department,
legal department and campus chaplaincy.
• A Chair (or lead coordinator) should be appointed
to the committee and a “point person(s)” should
be identified to respond to all questions about
the protocol. The committee chair and the point
person may be the same individual. Examples offaculty/staff who might fill these positions include:the Dean or VP of Student Affairs, the counselingcenter director, or a public safety leader. Campus
faculty and/or staff who hold these positions should
do their best to educate themselves about suicide
postvention.
• The Committee Chair should have experiencemanaging student deaths or suicide response
processes, have influence and be a trusted figure in
the campus community.
EXAMPLE:The College of Holy Cross identifies an individual as
the Postvention Coordinator (PVC). The PVC has
general responsibility for the overall management of thecampus’s response to a catastrophic emergency. This
individual determines if a given event is to be classified
as “catastrophic,” and if it is, calls meetings, assigns
responsibilities and monitors, conducts and manages
the organization of the tasks (see The College of Holy
Cross Postvention Manual).
Other relevant offices and individuals that may haveroles in suicide postvention include:• student affairs leadership – for involvement indisseminating information to campus community andcommunicating with the family of the deceased• counseling and psychological services andleadership – discussed in greater detail in thefollowing pages

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When there is no campus counseling center, amental health consultant must be enlisted toensure that all elements of the response processaddress the many complex mental health issues
that may arise after a student death or crisis. If
an outside mental health consultant is enlisted
in this case, they should also be a part of theplanning, training and tabletop exercises sothat they are aware of the systems in place.
• health center – may be involved with making thefirst contact with the family of the deceased• disability office – may have important information
about students who are at risk and be an importantresource for connecting these students with othersupport services• campus security/police – may coordinate withlocal law enforcement and medical examiner andmanage unsafe areas on campus• financial aid/registrar or enrollment
management – to coordinate and appropriately
communicate with family after student death (e.g.
make deceased student’s and surviving family’s e-mailaddress inactive to prevent further communication
regarding enrollment and/or tuition payment)• campus media relations/public relations office– to aid with internal and external communications
flow, discussed in greater detail in the following pages• residence hall leadership - to assist with anything
related to the deceased student’s residence, theirpersonal effects, and connecting with students inresidence halls• legal affairs/risk management office – may
be a consultative resource for other postvention
stakeholders• chaplaincy – because of the likelihood that they willmeet with students in the campus community who
are grieving and for their contribution to coordinating
appropriate messaging to the community• Fraternity and Sorority Life - because of thesource of connection to students• international student office – to collaborate
after the death of an international student and also
to develop protocols for a student suicide which may
occur while a student is studying abroad• campus office of environmental safety/local
department of health – should be included indecisions around safe handling of remains and clean
up after a suicide• information technology (IT) department –to assist with ease of communication needs (e.g.
enabling computer, internet and/or intranet access tostaff who need to work remotely on campus in order
to be more accessible to affected students)
The postvention leaders/implementers and on-theground responders will have significant overlap but are
not necessarily identical individuals. A postvention
leader is likely organizing implementation efforts
in each area of the postvention protocol but will
also enlist clinical and functional staff members tocarry out implementation and dissemination. For
example, the director of counseling services will
likely be a member of the postvention committee but
counseling service staff will be involved in on-theground postvention interventions.
Each office may have an identified postvention
liaison and should consider educating several otherstakeholders in their department about postvention
protocol responsibilities (including what information
can and cannot be released to the community) in theevent that the liaison is unavailable at the time of a crisis.

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The planning phase may include table-top exercisesand defining specific postvention terminology
to prepare and practice for fluid communicationand coordination between those with postvention
responsibilities. Tabletop exercises should include
immediate responses to crises and continued
recovery and postvention efforts for the following
several weeks. This provides an opportunity forcommittee members to walk through their roles inthe event of a suicide and in the weeks that follow asuicide. It is also important to keep in mind that reallife events are often far more complex than tabletop practice exercises and that crises/tragedies are
dynamic – they unfold over time.

•• Other campus services (e.g., throughacademic departments such as social work,
psychology, nursing, Health Promotion,
medical school or counselor education)? How
might they be coordinated as part of a unified
response to the campus community?
•• Community resources (e.g., community
mental health agencies, crisis response
teams, and other local campuses with similar
postvention teams)?
•• Religious/spiritual resources?
✔✔ With whom do you have off-campus partnerships? With whom do you need to develop offcampus partnerships?

COORDINATION•• local law enforcement

It is essential for postvention coordinators andteam members to have a clear identification andunderstanding of the duties assigned to their
postvention counterparts internally in various
departments and externally, off-campus in the local
community. It is also important for the connections
to off-campus resources/partners to have been
considered and to the extent possible, have preexisting relationships with these offices and agencies(e.g., health and mental health resources, local law
enforcement, local news and media). As much as
possible, there should be an identified contact for theoff-campus offices/agencies•• hospital/emergency room

QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER WHILE
DEVELOPING A POSTVENTION PROTOCOLIn the beginning phases of postvention planning it
is important to ask questions about your campus’s
unique needs and resources. For example:•• fire department•• psychiatric center/mental health clinics/
medical examiner✔✔ What postvention protocols are you currently
using? For example:•• Do you have a media communication strategy
that you use in the event of a suicide on campus?
•• Do you have a protocol for identifying at-risk
students after a campus suicide?
✔✔ Are there any system-wide issues that may affectefficient implementation of the protocol?
✔✔ What are some practical considerations toaddress? For example, who packs up a deceased
student’s room?
✔✔ Check-in with your staff about how the campus’s
current response to student death/suicide isworking through a review process. Where were
the gaps? What were the challenges? Learn fromyour mistakes. ■✔✔ How do you hear about and track campus suicides?
✔✔ What support resources do you have?
•• In counseling services?
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POSTVENTION PROTOCOLS SHOULD:✔✔ quickly mobilize and organize resources✔✔ provide both immediate (i.e., within 72 hours of event) and long-term plans (e.g., anniversaries)✔✔ set up communication channels on campus and with relevant off campus offices and agencies✔✔ secure campus safety✔✔ establish clear procedures✔✔ include a broad base of campus representatives and delegate responsibilities✔✔ be specific enough to be useful✔✔ be flexible enough to apply to different circumstances✔✔ be sustainable (tied to positions rather than specific individuals)✔✔ be free of bias, consider the ethnic, racial, cultural and spiritual, sexual orientation/identity andother diversity aspects of your student body✔✔ address the complex mental health issues for individuals and groups that may arise after a student suicide✔✔ avoid jargon and be understandable to the diverse group of professionals who are
involved in postvention

IMPLEMENTATION
Once key postvention stakeholders are established,
and the specific needs of the campus have been
determined, these individuals should outline anddocument postvention procedures and protocols thatclearly describe how the campus will provide support
and assistance to students after a campus suicide.
The campus postvention leaders should address thefollowing in postvention protocols:•

How will information about a campus suicide becommunicated to the campus community? Thisshould include campus media and social media.

•

What clinical services are available and appropriate following a campus suicide?

•

How will the campus handle memorials andrelated events?

The postvention committee should meet briefly atscheduled intervals during postvention deployment
to assess implementation and effectiveness of efforts.
During the implementation phase, it may be helpful
for postvention committee members to keep notes
or a diary on actions taken (keeping notes during
postvention deployment should also be discussedwith the university’s legal counsel). This can be
helpful in reviewing specific postvention efforts

10afterwards. Throughout the implementation phase,
postvention efforts should also highlight self-care of
responders as postvention and interventions unfold.
More information about self-care and support for
responders and those directly involved with thedeceased student are discussed below in the section
on Self-care for responders and When the student
who died by suicide was a counseling center client. ■Alcohol and Drug Related Deaths
When a student dies of an alcohol, prescription
or illicit drug overdose it may be unknown
whether the death was intentional or accidental.
In this circumstance it is advisable to implement
suicide postvention plans.

COMMUNICATIONS
Postvention protocols should address how to bestcommunicate information to the campus andcommunity after a suicide. It is important that thedeath be addressed openly and directly. After asuicide, once the basic facts are known, any attempt
to delay informing students will only encourage rumors.
How this information is conveyed is very important.
If communication efforts are not carried out in an
effective manner the rest of the postvention execution
will suffer and community anxiety will increase.
Because of today’s immediate communication culture
and the speed at which information spreads via social
media, the postvention committee needs to be readyto communicate quickly to affected students and thecampus community. Further, postvention leaders may
also encourage surviving roommates and friends tolimit their social media communication until official
death notifications are made to the surviving family andcommunity (more on the effects of social media below).

At the same time, efforts need to be made toensure accuracy of information reported. Criticalto communicating about suicide, in general, is theuse of safe messaging and understanding how communicating about suicide can influence contagion.
Although no single approach to communications
is adequate for every school and community, we dobelieve in following certain messaging considerations
in supporting schools through the tragedy as well
as reducing the risk of contagion for those at risk
for suicidal behavior. The communication processneeds to be dynamic and nimble. There is no exact
protocol or process for carrying out postvention
communications. The process will depend on how
information unfolds over time. The committee must
be prepared for change as information changes.
Crisis communication in postvention addresses bothinformation that comes into the school system andalso the dissemination of information that goes fromthe school system to the community/public.

GENERAL COMMUNICATIONCONSIDERATIONS• The committee needs to decide on levels andplatforms for communication with students,
campus faculty and staff, and outside media.
Determine who will write and who will signnotes to the community: University president?
VP of student affairs? How are these notes
disseminated? It is important to consider how
these communications would change dependingon time of year (e.g. if a student died during thesummer) or if the deceased student was not wellconnected to the campus community, etc. (SeeSample Announcement, Figure 1).
• The type of information shared will depend on thesetting, what is known and what the desires areof the survivors (See Communicating with thefamily of the deceased).
11• Effective communication requires careful
coordination between media office, student
affairs, and counseling leadership and review ofsafe messaging about suicide (See Figure 2 for
Recommendations for Reporting on Suicide).
• When communicating about suicide, community
anxiety may increase if information is too vague
or limited. Risk for copycats is enhanced when
details (such as method of suicide) are highlighted
or suicide is “dramatized/romanticized” (Refer to
the National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention
Framework for Successful Messaging).
• Communication should also balance students’desire for information about funeral arrangementswith parents’ wishes around privacy (e.g., family
may want a small, intimate funeral service). Whenthe family wishes to keep funeral arrangements
private, students who want to remember thedeceased can do so in other ways – more information on this is provided under Memorials andRelated Events.
• The campus media office, the counseling director andthe legal affairs office should educate the postvention
committee about safety and privacy concerns.
The most efficient strategy for providing details of thedeath is a written statement that can be distributed
to everyone in the campus community, usually via
campus-wide e-mail. All electronic messages tothe community should be written and shared withthe assumption that the media may access anduse the information. The postvention coordinators
should determine the most appropriate mode ofcommunication. At a large university, communication
about a student death may be to a school within theuniversity that the student was a part of. For example,
if a student at the university dental school, which islocated on a separate campus from the main university
campus, dies by suicide, the decision could be tocommunicate only to students on that campus or only
to dental students. The postvention coordinators may
also provide different levels of information to different
sub-groups within the community. Statements should
generally include:• condolences to family and friends• plans to provide support to those impacted• any changes in school or work schedule during theupcoming days
Statements about a student suicide that are
disseminated to the campus community should
only offer confirmation of a suicide in specificcircumstances:
1. if the family approves and2. the postvention coordinators decide that it would
be disingenuous to leave out this information(particularly if it was very public or if factual
information about the suicide is already known inthe community)
Below is a sample campus communication acknowledging the student death. Wording options
are presented for instances when the postvention
coordinators agree that acknowledging the suicide isan appropriate course of action. Alternative wordings
are presented in the event it is decided it is NOT
appropriate to acknowledge the death was a suicide:

Figure 1
Sample Announcement
AS NOTED ABOVE: The release of a student name orcause of death in an announcement, as illustrated
in the example on the next page, should only bemade when such information has become public.

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Dear Members of the [university name]Community:
I am deeply saddened to inform you of the
tragic loss of a member of our [university name]family. [Name of student] [took his/her life/
passed away] on [date]. We offer our deepest
condolences to [student name]’s family, friends
and loved ones.
During this time of great loss, we are remindedof the importance of community. Losing afellow student and member of our University
can be very difficult. I encourage those who feelthey may need additional support to contact
the Counseling Center (phone number), theInterfaith Center (phone number), [insert
additional names and contact information for
campus and community support services andlocal and national hotlines] as well as [academic
dean’s office] (phone number) for any emotionalor academic assistance you may need.
Sincerely,
President

COMMUNICATING WITH FRIENDSOF THE DECEASEDThere may be several layers of simultaneouscommunication to consider. After a campus death theentire campus community may receive a letter about
the incident via e-mail. At the same time, the deanof students, another appropriate administrator, and/or clinician can connect with students more closely
linked to the deceased in a face-to-face meeting
to provide them with more specific and detailed
information (e.g. information about funeral services).
This face-to-face meeting also provides an opportunity
for the postvention committee to check in with those

close to the deceased, notice uncommon responses
to the incident and provide information about theclinical services available. Face-to-face meetings
with students may also take place in the dorm oron the specific floor where the deceased student
lived or with the deceased student’s teammates. This
provides another level of in-person communication withindividuals who were closely connected to the student.
WHENEVER POSSIBLE…
Roommates, friends, and other sub-groups of which
the student might be a member (e.g., athletic team,
ROTC, Greek affiliation) are notified first andprovided resources (e.g. a staff facilitator for a group).
*More on this in Clinical Services section

COMMUNICATE WITH FACULTY:
Deans should be notified and instructed on how to
respond to student scheduling requests and absencesfor grieving and memorial services. Deans should
then send a note to faculty about how to respond to
student requests and referrals.
It can also be helpful for there to be one person who
is identified as a coordinator or “go-to” person forstudents who are having problems with or concerns
about academic accommodations.

COMMUNICATING WITH THE
FAMILY OF THE DECEASEDCommunication with the family of the deceased
needs to be respectful to their needs and pain. It isuseful to develop a script for communicating witha family about this sensitive information and evenpractice during a tabletop exercise. Information about
the circumstances of death should not be disclosed
to the campus community until the family has been
consulted. The first message to the community
may be letting them know that official information
cannot be conveyed until the family is notified. Keep13

in mind that in some states there may be delays indisseminating information to the community until
next of kin can be contacted.
When informing the family of the deceased when
the incident happened on campus, a college orcommunity physician and a campus administrator(e.g., College Chaplain, VP of Student Affairs,
Postvention Coordinator) should make the first phone
call to the family together. It may also be helpful tohave a counseling center staff member available for
additional guidance and as backup for the phone call.
• Inform them of what has happened to their sonor daughter.
• Answer any questions they have about the causeof or circumstances around the death.
• The campus administrator should offer to meetwith the family to help them when they come tocampus to collect the student’s belongings andmake necessary arrangements with housing andlocal authorities.
Communicate with the family as early as possible
regarding communications to the campus community– what do they prefer is or is not disclosed? Thisshould include a discussion about what their desire
is in regard to sharing information about funeralarrangements with close friends in the campus
community and/or members of the group(s) to which
the deceased student belonged.
When the death has been declared a suicide andthe family does not want this information disclosed
to the community, someone from the administrationor counseling staff (who has a relationship with thefamily) should be designated to contact the family
to explain that students are already talking about thedeath amongst themselves, and that having leadersin the campus community talk about suicide and its
causes can help keep students safe.

If the family refuses to permit disclosure, campus
communication might read: “The family has requested
that information about the circumstances of death not
be shared at this time.” In this situation the committee
can still speak with students about suicide since it
may already be a topic in speculation (even without
specifying that this particular death was a suicide).

CAMPUS MEDIA
The campus media/public relations office should workwith counseling leadership to provide expert guidance
to both student media and local community media on
guidelines and risks of reporting a campus suicide.
Postvention leaders may proactively reach out tocampus media, prior to a suicide, with the guidelines forreporting about suicide and information about mental
health and suicide prevention resources available tothe campus and local community. A representativefrom the campus media office should also be includedin the postvention protocol planning to support thispartnership and ease of communication. Campus
media reporting needs to balance both their roleas campus public relations agents with accurate
reporting in the wake of a campus suicide.
Properly considering these objectives is essential inorder to convey the necessary information while also
maintaining sensitivity to community reactions. The
campus media office should have specific response
protocols for a campus suicide. Someone from thepostvention team should be designated as a media
expert or spokesperson for the institution aheadof time. Campus media leadership should work withstudent media to educate them about appropriate andsafe messaging before a suicide occurs. Considering
these factors ahead of time can ease the difficulty of
responding to external inquiries quickly and thoroughly.
Members of the campus community should know
to contact campus media personnel if they receive
outside media requests after a suicide. The postvention
coordinators should counsel media personnel about
14how to effectively and safely convey information
about campus suicide to reduce the risk of suicidecontagion (see Recommendations for Reporting on
Suicide and Style Guide: Reporting on Mental Health).

SOCIAL MEDIA
Like other forms of media, the messages conveyed
through social media may also impact the risk ofcontagion. A deceased person’s online social media
profile may become a central point where discussion
about suicide, memorialization and rumors occur.
Exposure to suicide, whether through a personalconnection or through media, is an established risk
factor for suicide. The comments posted on these
profiles can contain unsafe messages and sometimes
include expressions of suicidal ideation by friends
or family of the deceased. Targeting previously
established online communities in postvention efforts
is an important and efficient means of distributing
information and resources.
• The postvention coordinators should develop aplan or protocol for how they intend to address
online postvention.
• Postvention committee members should workwith families of the deceased student to bypass
any privacy settings that would prohibit these
activities (e.g., gaining access to passwords andlogin information).

• Use the student’s social medial profile to post
resources for survivors. Key resources should bedetermined during postvention planning phase.
It is important that the resources posted online
be consistent across sites and profiles. National
resources should also be provided, since onlinesocial networks can extend beyond county andstate borders.
• Create awareness of Facebook guidelines onreporting online suicidal activity.
For more information reference Social Media
Guidelines for Mental Health Promotion and Suicide
Prevention and The National Suicide Prevention
Lifeline Online Postvention Manual.
EXERCISE:
A student on your campus dies by suicide and is
discovered by his/her roommate. In addition to
notifying campus police, the roommate also reports
the suicide publicly by creating a Facebook status.
The information has quickly spread via social media
before the postvention committee has been able torespond. How would you handle this? Discuss among
your postvention committee members. ■Figure 2.
Recommendations for Reporting on Suicide
Certain types of news coverage can increase the likelihood of suicide in vulnerable individuals. Riskof multiple suicides increases when the story explicitly describes the suicide method, uses dramatic/
graphic headlines or images, and repeated/extensive coverage sensationalizes or glamorizes a death.
Carefully covering a suicide in the media, even briefly, can change public misperceptions and correct
myths, which can encourage those who are vulnerable or at risk to seek help. The way that suicide iscovered by the media can influence behavior negatively by contributing to contagion or positively byencouraging help-seeking.

15

Instead of this:Do this:• Big or sensationalistic headlines, or prominentplacement (e.g., “Kurt Cobain Used Shotgun toCommit Suicide”).

• Inform the audience without sensationalizing
the suicide and minimize prominence (e.g., “Kurt
Cobain Dead at 27”).

• Including photos/video of the location or methodof death, grieving family, friends, memorials or
funerals.

• Use school/work or family photo; include hotline
logo or local crisis phone numbers• Describing recent suicides as an “epidemic,”“skyrocketing,” or other strong terms.

• Carefully investigate the most recent CDC
data and use non-sensational words like “rise” or“higher.”• Describing suicide as inexplicable or“without warning.”• Most, but not all, people who die by suicide
exhibit warning signs. Include information about
warning signs and what to do if you know someone
exhibiting warning signs.

• “John Doe left a suicide note saying…”.

• “A note from the deceased was found and is being
reviewed by the medical examiner.”• Investigating and reporting on suicide similar toreporting on crimes.

• Report on suicide as a public health issue.

• Quoting/interviewing police or first responders
about the causes of suicide.

• Seek advice from suicide prevention experts.

• Referring to suicide as “successful,”“unsuccessful” or a “failed attempt.”• Describe as “died by suicide” or “completed” or“killed him/herself.”

Avoid Misinformation and Offer Hope

• Suicide is complex. There are almost always multiple causes, including psychiatric illnesses, that may nothave been recognized or treated. However, these illnesses are treatable.
• Refer to research findings that mental disorders and/or substance abuse have been found in 90% of people
who have died by suicide.
• Avoid reporting that death by suicide was preceded by a single event, such as a recent job loss, divorce or
bad grades. Reporting like this leaves the public with an overly simplistic and misleading understanding ofsuicide.
• Consider quoting a suicide prevention expert on causes and treatments. Avoid putting expert opinions in
a sensationalistic context.
• Use your story to inform readers about the causes of suicide, its warning signs, trends in rates and recent
treatment advances.
• Add statement(s) about the many treatment options available, stories of those who overcame a suicidal
crisis and resources for help.
• Include up-to-date local/national resources where readers/viewers can find treatment, information andadvice that promotes help-seeking.
www.reportingonsuicide.org For additional resources go to the following link: National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
16

CLINICAL SERVICES

CLINICAL SERVICES GUIDELINES

One of the primary goals of postvention is to help
individuals impacted by a campus suicide deal withthe trauma and grief they experience, as a result.
Postvention protocols should outline thoughtful andeasily accessible clinical interventions that can help
the campus community regain emotional stability.

We know that after a suicide in a contained community,
members are at an increased risk of suicide (Velting& Gould, 1997). To support the campus community
after a death, postvention should involve reachingout to and promoting vigilance toward those most at
risk for suicide (i.e., individuals and groups that wereclose to or connected with the deceased and thosewith psychiatric illnesses such as depression, severe
substance abuse, severe personality disorders andpsychosis). Keep in mind that high-risk individuals
and groups (see page 18 for a list of potential highrisk individuals and groups) may not seek out clinicalservices on their own and may not be obvious to
identify even though they could greatly benefit fromsupport.

THINKING ABOUT THE CLINICAL ROLE
IN CRISIS INTERVENTION
Crises typically shake our sense of predictability
and security. In the wake of a campus suicide, thecommunity will search for leadership figures tohelp reestablish a sense of safety. This is a crucial
psychological task in recovery from crisis. Thus, it isimportant that clinical staff convey a comforting andreassuring tone and demeanor and a sense of stability
and solidity in this difficult time. This can be especiallychallenging in the face of a suicide since campus
leadership and staff may also be sharing the campuswide sense of sadness and fear. The supportivetherapeutic attitudes conveyed to the community byfaculty and postvention committee members are very
important in the recovery of the community and thereturn to a sense of normalcy.
To add to the challenge of this task, while campus
leaders, postvention committee members, and clinicalstaff need to be mindful to convey a comforting tone
and presence to students, they must also maintainvigilance for those people for whom a basic level of
support is not sufficient. Clinicians need to monitor
their own manner, style and content while also
observing the student and staff community sincethose who exhibit undue levels of distress may benefit
from more targeted group or individual clinicalservices. These issues are addressed further in thefollowing sections.

Individuals who are exposed to suicide, and notconnected to the deceased, may also have a difficult
time managing grief and emotions and be at anincreased risk for suicide (Swanson & Coleman, 2013).
• Staff needs to be flexible as to setting, time andstructure of interventions based on nature of
event in order to make services accessible.
• Issues of context may have an impact on how
clinical services are provided or handled. For
example, where did the suicide occur? When did
the suicide occur - during a school break or during
the semester? Was the deceased well-known
by community? Were they a student leader or a
popular professor?
• It is best to create an informal and relaxedsetting for peer support with professionals in the
background for support if needed.
• It will be useful to have different format options forproviding services. Individuals may have different
levels of comfort with the formats provided for17

clinical services. Some students may want to havethe support of their peers and learn how others
have been affected by a campus suicide. Other
student responses may warrant the need for moreindividualized support.
• Services should be well-publicized to intended
audiences. The postvention committee needs tothink about who will need support and how toconnect and communicate with these groups. The
best approach for reaching targeted audiences
might include displaying notes/printed messages
in residence halls, student centers, locker rooms
or other relevant locations.
• All activities and events should be voluntary –do not enforce a campus-wide or class-required
clinical intervention.
• Clinical interventions should promote psychoeducation (for example, informing students aboutcommon and typical reactions following a suicideand conveying to students that there is not one way
to grieve and the time it takes for someone to return
to normal after a death or crisis varies).
• Focus on value of self-care and returning toroutine as much as possible as this helps to focus
attention on healthy grieving. Clinically, it is very
helpful to make sure sleep is not disrupted toomuch.
• The clinical response team should include
members of the counseling center staff and,if necessary, facilitate backup from student
services and/or faculty in social work, psychology,
counseling, medical center or local resources.
One challenge is to provide clinical interventions
for those affected by a campus suicide whilestill keeping other clinical services running. The
nature of campus death will determine how thisbalance is addressed.

• Responders/supporters of clinical interventions
must also manage self and mutual care. Responders
are not immune to grief and/or trauma responses tocampus deaths (more on this on page 21).

Examples of High Risk Groups
and Individuals✔✔ siblings and friends✔✔ accidental and/or intentional first responders
or individual(s) who discovered body✔✔ resident life staff who knew the deceased
student or have dealt with other campus
tragedies✔✔ academic support staff/faculty who knew
deceased student✔✔ student affairs staff that may have had
close relationship with individual(s)✔✔ students who have a history of previous
suicide attempts✔✔ students in the same dorm✔✔ students in the same academic department✔✔ students in the same club/student activity✔✔ students on the same athletic team✔✔ student who went to the same high schoolor is from the same home town as deceased✔✔ students who may identify in other ways with astudent who has died (e.g., athletes or artists)

18

GROUP DISCUSSION ANDSUPPORT SESSIONS
Conducting conversations in small groups gives
responders a chance to gauge individual and groupreactions and to facilitate mutual support. Groupdiscussion and support session activities are distinct
from a large group communication meeting intended
to inform students about a suicide.
When there is a suicide and there is a clearly definedgroup of close friends connected to the student it isadvisable to organize a meeting that includes those
close friends, a clinician, and a competent student
services staff member. This provides an opportunity toboth discuss and gauge how the students are managing
and also create a comfortable means to more clinicalservices, as needed. Someone should be identified asa contact for this group should they need help sortingout their academic requirements going forward. It isalso advisable to have a follow-up meeting with theidentified students in a week or so after the initial
discussion. Under most circumstances, students
will intuitively recognize how much they need to be
involved in group support sessions. In some cases, it
might make sense to form small groups around similarlevels of impact that the death has on students (e.g.,
if the deceased was part of a Greek organization somemembers may need more opportunities to process
reactions in a small group, while others who are new tothe organization may need a different level of support
such as resource information).
Factors for group discussion session facilitators tokeep in mind and cover are described below.
• Group facilitators should introduce themselves tostudents, explain the purpose of the meeting, andprovide structure, rules and a plan for the session.
• Acknowledge that the student died by suicide if thefamily agrees and this is already understood in thecampus community. This helps to control rumors

and allows attendees to be on the same page. Do notdiscuss the specific details of the death unless it wasvery public and is well known to those in the group.
• When the family does not want to disclose thesuicide, group facilitators may want to generally
discuss the topic of suicide, as this may already be a
topic in speculation.
• Group attendees can share stories, thoughts and/or
memories about the deceased. Be mindful of group
participants who may have witnessed the death orfound the deceased and discourage from sharing
graphic details with other participants in the group.
• Processing feelings regarding the death paying
particular attention to students emphasizing feelingsof guilt, anger, abandonment and the questions of“why?” and “what if?”
• Discuss the grieving process or post-crisis responses.
Facilitators should emphasize the need for self-careand that there is no “right” way of grieving or reacting.
• Actively discourage comments such as, “things
happen for a reason,” “God works in mysterious
ways,” “at least it was a quick death.”• Be vigilant regarding students in attendance who
may be under the influence of alcohol or drugs as
this may reflect a problem in this individual’s coping
and also hinder the group’s progress. Messages to
the group should discourage alcohol and other drug
use as a method of coping and provide healthy
alternatives for coping.
• Reinforce concept of community of caring, how
students can be supportive of their peers (e.g.,
encouraging “buddy” systems) and what faculty andstaff members are available to provide support.
• Groups can also spend time discussing options formemorial activities; journals, community service
activities and/or fundraising.
19• Offer resources, including follow-up sessions andbe sure to remind attendees about campus crisisand counseling services.
The above relies heavily on Meilman and Hall’s (2006)
writings on Community Support Meetings. For more
information reference: Aftermath of Tragic Events: The
Development and Use of Community Support Meetings
on a University Campus. and Practical Suggestions
for Crisis Debriefing in Schools from After a Suicide: A
Toolkit for Schools
In addition to a facilitator led support group, lessstructured groups may also be effective in helping
students grieve. In this case, it is still advisable that a
professional open up the student dialogue, remain in
the periphery as the dialogue unfolds and be vigilant
about responses within the group. Typically, students
will find ways to help and support each other and thisshould be encouraged as long as it is appropriate.
Grieving is a natural human experience and does
not always require clinical intervention. Different
circumstances, campus communities and groups may
call for varying levels of intervention and each campus
can decide what works best for their community.
Interventions should involve an explanation of thecomplexity of suicide.
It is a natural impulse for survivors to want a simple
reason as to why a suicide happened and this might
involve blaming someone close to the deceased. To aid
in a clinical discussion, here are some factors that may
contribute to suicide:

Factors that may Contribute to Suicide• relationships or failure at relationship• family issues• psychiatric diagnoses• alcohol and other drug use• constitutional/genetic predisposition/family
history• illogical thinking processes/psychosis• conscious and unconscious psychologicalprocesses or conflicts• bottled-up anger directed at oneself• religious, social or cultural beliefs or values
potentially leading to guilt and/or shame

INDIVIDUAL CLINICAL SUPPORT
After a campus suicide, some students may feel
more comfortable seeking support individually as
opposed to in a group setting. Many elements ofgroup debriefing sessions are similar to providing
individual support and can be applied in an individual
setting. The primary goals of individual clinicalinterventions are to lend support, help move thestudent back towards normal functioning and watch
for deterioration or dangerous reactions. This typeof support is likely a blend between psychoeducation
and actual therapy. Individual clinical support should
always include a suicide risk assessment and help thestudent process difficult feelings related to grief, guilt,
anger, abandonment and/or numbness.
A D V I C E T O T R A U M AT I Z E D
INDIVIDUALS✔✔ identify specific worries/needs and take steps toresolve them✔✔ keep to a usual routine as much as possible (makesure to eat as regularly as possible and maintainsome physical activity)✔✔ address seriously disturbed sleep as soon as possible20✔✔ help to identify ways to relax✔✔ do not avoid or shy away from confronting or
engaging with situations, people and places that
remind them of event✔✔ take time to resolve day-to-day conflicts so thatthey do not build up and add to existing stress levels✔✔ identify sources of support, including friends,
family, and clergy, and encourage talking about
their experiences and feelings with them✔✔ let them know that it is alright to laugh andexperience pleasure as soon as they canfrom a recent or past loss. Responders may be more
vulnerable to traumatic responses after a suicide if they
have a previous psychiatric diagnosis or if they cameinto contact with the body of the deceased. Similar to
students, responders may experience feelings of guilt
or anger. Group and/or individual support services
should be made available to these individuals, as well.
The postvention protocol may include provisions forfollowing up with postvention committee members
and/or responders as the intervention phase begins towind down.
DO:

S U G G E S T I O N S F O R FA C U LT Y T OSUPPORT STUDENTS IN CRISIS✔✔ be flexible about setting, time and structure ofclinical services✔✔ recommend psychological counseling to students
who are struggling✔✔ offer different formats and types of support✔✔ extend an assignment deadline✔✔ offer psychoeducationinterventions✔✔ offer special tutoring as needed✔✔ make help seeking easy to access and normalized✔✔ provide make-up work or examinations✔✔ provide resources and follow-up sessions✔✔ exclude one or more test grades from the final
grade computation✔✔ offer regular meetings for clinical first responders toprovide mutual support and monitor traumatic stress✔✔ compute the final grade or class standing without
all work being completed

DON’T:✔✔ facilitate a leave of absence or medical withdrawal
if that becomes necessary✖✖ overlook high risk groups✔✔ consult with appropriate offices on campus✔✔ faculty may talk about/recognize the loss in class
For those in acute or immediate crisis, provide areferral to counseling services and the National
Suicide Prevention Lifeline (1-800-273-TALK(8255))

KEEP IN MIND: SELF-CARE FORRESPONDERS
Responders and postvention committee members are
not immune to emotional difficulties and strain after
a campus suicide. Suicides may trigger grief reactions

duringclinical✖✖ make clinical services mandatory✖✖ assume responders & supporters are immune to grief
and/or trauma responses✖✖ forget to consult with faculty members about
supporting students in crisis✖✖ forget to address personal self-care needs

WHEN THE STUDENT WHO DIEDBY SUICIDE WAS A COUNSELINGCENTER CLIENT
The counseling center may develop a protocol aheadof time to deploy if a counseling center client dies bysuicide that includes the following:21• notification of the treating clinician (therapists/
counselors, psychiatrists and psychiatric nurse
practitioners) should be timely and done privately• typical response includes sadness, anger, guilt,
questioning clinical skills• consider the pros/cons of taking time off from work
• attend to the emotional support of the clinician• reviewing the clinical notes (caution about how thiswill be perceived by clinician)• consider how to facilitate staff conversation while
not placing surviving clinician in the spotlight• think about enlisting outside consultation and, if
indicated, outside clinical support for clinician• continue to check in with the student’s treating clinician
over subsequent weeks to monitor their response• consider not including the student’s clinician as partof the campus postvention response team• see note about legal considerations below

LEGAL CONCERNS WHEN COUNSELING CENTER CLIENT DIES BY SUICIDE• Schools that implement responsible suicide prevention and postvention protocol best practices areunlikely to be found liable for failure to prevent suicide.
• However, legal concerns and plans to address liability should be on the postvention committee’s radar.
• Counseling center director should communicate with the internal legal office.
• Keep in mind that the legal office, the counseling center, and the individual counselor may havedifferent concerns and interests around these discussions. Recognize that legal affairs primaryconcern is to protect the university while the counseling center director must be concerned
about the impact of events on staff and clinical functions. Clinicians cannot function effectively
in settings of fear of liability or second guessing.
• Legal office may want to review clinical records. State laws differ as to handling of clinical records
after a death.
• The surviving family may want to see medical records and/or speak to the treating clinician. In
this case the counseling center should consult with the legal affairs office and potentially an
outside attorney/consultant. It is important to maintain a balance between conveying support
for and openness to the family’s wishes and protecting the university.
• While much of the postvention plan is time sensitive there may be more time to address legal concerns
after a crisis occurs.
• Outside consultation with professional organizations and their legal advisors may be helpful when
there is uncertainty or conflict about legal issues.

22

CHALLENGE OF DEALING WITHCONTAGION AND SUICIDE CLUSTERS• Suicide contagion and suicide clusters, or groupsof suicides clustered in time, location and possibly
method, present unique challenges for clinicalservices because of the strain they put on the community and the effect of raising community anxiety.
• Campus communities that experience more than
one suicide in a short time frame need to balance
activity and vigilance with maintaining a sense ofcalm and control of the environment. This is similar
to managing the clinical role in crisis intervention as
mentioned earlier.
• Be mindful of internal/campus circumstances that
may increase the risk of multiple suicides (e.g. accessto means).
• When dealing with suicide contagion it is difficult
to resist the impulse to find a reason for thecircumstances and refrain from placing blame on
something or someone.
• Multiple suicides should be dealt with in an equitablemanner (e.g., deciding to hold memorial events) but
postvention efforts should also focus on conveying a
sense of stability during this time.
• When dealing with multiple suicides, it is valuable
to enlist expert consultation to obtain an outside
perspective• Victor Schwartz, M.D. (2006) provided examples
for dealing with contagion and suicide clusters here
(beginning at 37 minutes).
EXERCISE
You are a postvention coordinator and there have been
three suicides on your campus this semester. What
steps might you take and when? What offices will you
communicate or coordinate with on campus to deploy

postvention plans? Are there aspects that are uniqueto your campus that are important to consider? Whatadministrative problems might emerge in the face ofseveral suicides? ■MEMORIALS AND
RELATED EVENTS

The policies and protocols for holding a memorialservice after a campus suicide should be fashioned
in light of the challenges of balancing the needs ofsurvivors to honor the deceased and take action ofsome kind and the risks of others imitating or modelingthe suicidal behavior. It is best to limit or not holdmemorial services, under ideal circumstances. Thismay be impractical and in fact inappropriate if theschool typically holds memorials after other student
deaths or if there is tremendous emotional pressure
from the family or the community to have one. Below
are important considerations for developing protocols
around the decision to hold or not to hold memorials
after a suicide.
“Memorials” refer to gatherings, events or services as
opposed to planning/constructing physical memorials(e.g. plagues, etc.). Physical memorials should be
discouraged until considerable time has passed since
the suicide.
• Input from the family of the deceased continues tobe of great importance after a suicide. The family
may have specific cultural or religious concerns orconstraints about memorial events. It is importantto keep memorial events, if they take place, as lowkey as possible while also maintaining sensitivity for
the wishes of close friends and family.
• A suicide death ought not to be handled differently
than other deaths, but the framing of content needs
to be carefully managed.
23• Consultation should be sought from counselingleadership and professional groups with expertise on
how to effectively and safely hold a memorial event.
• Postvention protocols should emphasize plansfor honoring the deceased in other ways besides
memorial events, as well. Fundraising or othercommunity service activities can provide a positive
outlet for student needs to “do something” in orderto make meaning of the loss. Students can also be
encouraged to collect and send brief notes to thedeceased student’s family.
• If a formal memorial service is planned, it is best if led
by student affairs leadership and when appropriate
for the campus, clergy from the campus chaplaincy.
Postvention representatives may also be available
during a memorial service to students in attendanceand be vigilant of students in distress.
• Representatives from counseling should also beon the program to briefly review issues related topost-traumatic responses and remind students
about availability of support. Effective postvention
responses from support services like the counselingcenter may open the door to a group of students for
future improved counseling center relationships.
• When the student who has died is well known on
campus, it is common for informal “memorial”
groups or meetings to develop spontaneously. If
possible, it is best if these meetings are at least
supervised by professional staff.
• When the university does not hold a memorial on
campus for the deceased student, the postvention
protocol should still consider the impact of funeral
events held by student’s family, especially when thefamily lives in a community close to the university.
The university should communicate with the local
clergy about funeral arrangements and university
student attendance.

• With the risk of contagion, holding multiple
memorials for each student death may make grieving
and healing more challenging. It may be useful todevelop a plan to hold one memorial each year for
all members of the community who die (regardlessof cause of death). Georgia Tech is an example of aschool that has adopted this policy.
Although some religious perspectives consider theafterlife to be much better than life in the physicalrealm, particularly when the quality of physical life
is diminished by a severe or unremitting mental
or physical illness, this contrast should not be
overemphasized in a public gathering. Others in theaudience, who may be dealing with psychological
pain or suicidal thoughts, may be lured into finding
peace or escape through death and it may add tothe attractiveness of suicide (After a Suicide, Suicide
Prevention Resource Center, 2004)• If a memorial service is planned after a student
suicide, all participants or speakers should be
prepped regarding content of their comments toassure that:• there is no detail about specific method of death• suicide is not portrayed as a result of a single orsimple problem• comments do not portray suicide as a heroic(noble or romantic) act• they are careful not to normalize the suicide as a
typical response to distressing life circumstances• they help participants envision how the community
can come together to help prevent future suicide
deaths and to care for each other24• they normalize help-seeking and do not stigmatize
counseling or mental health care
• they discuss helping resources, with focus on hopeand future• they are careful not to glamorize or emphasize the“peace” the deceased may have found throughthe death
For more information about content of memorialservices, refer to this resource provided by the Suicide
Prevention Resource Center.
EXERCISE
A student dies by suicide in your community andthe surviving family members would like to hold amemorial service on campus. They would also like todedicate something to their son or daughter on thecampus grounds. Think through, specifically, who will
speak to the family or be the intermediary? How will
you decide what is appropriate and/or how this might
impact the students on campus? If you have concerns
about the family’s wishes, how will you communicate
this to them?

CAMPUS MURDER-SUICIDESIn the event of a murder-suicide, when one individual
murders one or more people and then takes theirown life by suicide, it is important to consider the
impact and disruption to the campus’s sense of safety
and predictability. At the same time it is also very
important to remember how rare these occurrences
actually are.
In the event of a murder-suicide situation, postvention
efforts should focus on the increased need forvigilance among friends and close connections of
the perpetrator and victims, similar to the vigilanceneeded after a suicide. Keep in mind that a murdersuicide scene is a crime scene and initial responders

should be mindful not to disturb evidence; this isparticularly important for housing staff and friends
who may be the first responders. There is also a needfor an increased level of coordination between campus
police, local law enforcement, legal affairs and media(see Media Guidelines Factsheet for Murder-Suicides
and Style Guide: Reporting on Mental Health). These
offices and groups should also be sought out for
guidance in dealing with the challenges of working
with victim’s families after a murder-suicide.
It is very important to be attentive of those on campus
who may be struggling with violent fantasies, especiallyindividuals who have a diagnosed psychotic illness ofany kind. After a murder-suicide on campus it will be
important, and a challenge, to move toward normal
campus life to the greatest extent that is realistic in
the university community.

GETTING BACK TO ROUTINE
Postvention programming aims to both support
community mourning and processing of the campus
death while also helping the community return toroutine to the greatest extent possible as soon as is
feasible. Getting back to a routine is helpful in thehealing process. Following postvention deployment
is also a window of opportunity to transition frompostvention (back) to prevention (e.g., revamping
gatekeeper training program).
• Community members, “gatekeepers” and cliniciansmust remain sensitive and vigilant to those closest
to the incident and those at risk for or manifesting
signs of ongoing or increasing distress.
• The postvention protocol should outline a plan
for working with student and academic affairs
and the disabilities office when indicated to help
with decision making around accommodations forgroups or individual students. Much will depend on
timing and context of the death on campus.
25• Keep in mind the lasting impact of a campus suicideon the student’s close friends, groups or siblings in
the community. Anniversaries of student deaths
may also be particularly hard for the larger campus
community if the death was very public. The
memory of a campus suicide may become ingrainedin the institution to the point that it becomes difficult
to remember the community as safe or without grief.
This is also known as institutional memory or grief.

DEBRIEFING
Postvention efforts and responses should be reviewed
within one or two weeks of the crisis and a month ormore after the crisis to examine the effectiveness of the
response and explore issues that could have been handled
better. Keep in mind that policy decisions/changes
made in the near aftermath of a campus suicide should
be considered carefully because the end of postvention
protocol implementation continues to be a sensitive
time period that may impact pragmatic judgment. In theaftermath of a campus suicide, prevention efforts may
also be reviewed to acknowledge and begin to address
any gaps that were uncovered by the death (e.g., means
restriction gaps). ■CONCLUSION
This guide offers a framework for colleges anduniversities to prepare for and respond to a student
suicide. Having a postvention plan in place prior toa suicide allows for more effective communication
among the multiple campus stakeholders involved in
responding and caring for the campus community.
Every campus is different and every campus crisis or
suicide is different and impacts the campus in a uniqueway. We have attempted in this guide to provide
guidance that is general enough to be useful in thewidest array of campus settings and circumstances
while at the same time specific enough to provide
direct and actionable help.
We hope that this guide will provide useful support for
campuses faced with what is among the most difficult
challenges a campus community can face. We believea well implemented plan can help alleviate some ofthe pain, anxiety and disruption caused by a campus
suicide. While no response will be adequate to thistragedy, whatever small support we can collectively
provide may help relieve pain and keep others in thecommunity safer. ■26

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After a Suicide: A Toolkit for Schools
After a Suicide: Recommendations for Religious
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Bartik, W., Maple, M., Edwards, H., and Kiernan, M.
(2013). Adolescent survivors after suicide: Australian
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Cimini, M. D. and Rivero, E. M. (2013), Postsuicide
Intervention as a Prevention Tool: Developing aComprehensive Campus Response to Suicide andRelated Risk. Preventing College Student Suicide,2013(141), 83–96.
Cintron, R., Weathers, E.T., & Garlough, K. (Eds.).
(2007). College Student Death: Guidance for a
Caring Campus.
Haw, C., Hawton, K., Niedzwiedz, C. and Platt, S.
(2013), Suicide Clusters: A Review of Risk Factors
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Behavior, 43: 97–108.
Lifeline Online Postvention Manual
Meilman, P.W. & Hall, T.M. (2006). Aftermathof tragic events: The development and use ofcommunity support meetings on a University
Campus. Journal of American College Health, 54(6),382-384.
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention
Framework for Successful Messaging
Niederkrotenthaler, T., Voracek, M., Herberth, A,
Till, B., Strauss, M., Etzersdorfer, E., Eisenwort,
B., & Sonneck, G. (2010). Role of media reports
in completed and prevented suicide: Werther v.
Papageno effects. British Journal of Psychiatry, 197,
234-243.

Pirkis, J., Blood, R.W., Beautrais, A., Burgess, P., &Skehan, J. (2006). Media guidelines on the reportingof suicide. Crisis, 27, 82-87.
Preventing Suicide: A Resource for Media
Professionals
Recommendations for Reporting on SuicideRiverside Trauma Center Postvention Guidelines
Swanson, S.A. & Colman, I. (2013). Association
between exposure to suicide and suicidality
outcomes in youth.
Velting, D.M., Gould, M.S. (1997). Suicidecontagion. Maris, R.W., Silverman, M.M., Canetto,
S.S. (Eds.) Review of suicidology, (pp. 96-137). New
York, NY, US: Guilford Press.
College of Holy Cross Crisis, Catastrophic Emergency
and Postvention Manual

RECOMMENDED READINGSFOR SURVIVORSMy Son, My Son - Iris Bolton
No Time to Say Goodbye – Carla Fine
“Suggestions for Survivors” 25 brief suggestions
written by survivors of suicide that group attendees
may find helpful
LEGAL ISSUES
Bower, K. & Schwartz, V. (2010). Legal and ethicalissues in college mental health. In J. Kay & V.
Schwartz (Eds.), Mental health care in the college
community (pp. 113-141).
FOR FURTHER RESOURCES
AND READING
www.allianceofhope.org
www.survivorsofsuicide.com
http://www.suicidology.org/suicide-survivors
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Higher Education Mental Health Alliance (2014). Postvention: A
Guide for Response to Suicide on College Campuses.