Case 12 - SAAP Suicide Intervention Guidelines 

 

This document was developed in response to the need of SAAP agencies to have clear guidelines for responding to incidents of suicide within their services. The guidelines were developed under the National Youth Suicide Prevention Strategy by the Centacare Youth Suicide Intervention Program, a service of Centacare Adelaide, and informed by consultations with a number of SAAP agencies in South Australia.

The focus of the guidelines is to inform and assist agencies to understand and respond to clients who are at risk of suicide, have attempted or completed suicide, and the impact of this upon their service, staff and other clients. Agencies may build upon these guidelines by incorporating specific policies and practices from their own organisations.


Table of Contents

  • Introduction
  1. Preamble
  2. Purpose
  3. Duty of Care Issues Related to Suicide
  4. Suicide Risk Assessment
  5. Documentation
  6. Managing a Suicide Attempt
    • 6.1 Practice Issues
    • 6.2 Client Safety
    • 6.3 Follow-up Care
  7. Following a Suicide
    • 7.1 Coordination of Information
    • 7.2 Staff Debriefing
    • 7.3 Client Debriefing
    • 7.4 The Funeral
  • References

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