Postvention Toolkit for a Military Suicide Loss

Purpose

To equip DoD personnel with a better understanding of how to support survivors navigating the practical and emotional concerns after suicide in a way that is sensitive to the unique issues associated with suicide.

The goal of this toolkit is to promote healing among suicide loss survivors and to minimize any negative effects of exposure to a suicide death, including suicide contagion (“imitation” suicides). This toolkit does not address postvention following a suicide attempt.

Cause and manner of death may take a year or longer to investigate. Until this information is officially determined, some military personnel, such as Casualty Assistance Officers, use other terms such as “apparent selfinflicted wound.”

Audience

Individuals in the following roles are the intended audience of this toolkit.

— Unit Commanders and Leaders
— Chaplains
— Casualty Assistance Officers
— First Responders: Military Police and Emergency Medical Technicians
— Military Investigators
— Non-Clinical Providers
— Suicide Prevention Program Managers
— Long-Term Casualty Support Coordinators

Information Provided

Information in this toolkit is drawn from policies, research, survivors’ feedback, and subject matter experts’ experience of supporting survivors. The information is based primarily on deaths that occurred on active duty in a non-deployed setting. Some casualty assistance related information may not apply to all survivors, but the postvention concepts apply to all deaths by suicide in the military, regardless of Service Branch, Component, or deployment status. Any information provided in this toolkit can be adapted or added to existing local procedures and practices. See the following list for major topics covered in this toolkit.

— Impact of suicide loss
— Postvention guidelines
— Essential practices for supporting survivors
— Tips on ensuring one’s fitness to support survivors
— Dedicated sections for each role identified under “Audience” describing responsibilities and essential practices
— A list of organizations and resources that provide support to family and unit members

Information for Behavioral/Mental Health Providers in the Department of Defense (DoD) and U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is available in the VA/DoD Clinical Practice Guideline: https://www.healthquality.va.gov/guidelines/MH/srb/.

Tip: Do not wait until you have to respond to a suicide to review this toolkit. Read the toolkit now and practice postvention (for example, using tabletop exercises), so that you are familiar with the information and comfortable with how to deliver it.

Toolkit Navigation Tips

In the PDF version of the toolkit, click on the section header to return to the section’s table of contents. Click the toolkit title in the header to return to the main table of contents. Click on references in the right margin to go to the full reference citation. These references denote research, policy, or other sources used to create this toolkit.