 NEW GUIDELINES for suicide bereavement support have been launched to help ensure community responses are safe and do not put people at greater risk.
Over recent years, communities and support groups have set up dozens of suicide-prevention or counselling groups in different parts of the State in response to the number of people taking their own lives. However, until now there have been no official guidelines or ways to assess the quality of services which receive a total of about €5 million a year in State funding.
To help fill this gap the HSE’s National Office for Suicide Prevention, the support group Console and bereavement service Turas le Cheile have collaborated to develop guidelines and national standards for suicide bereavement services.
Paul Kelly of Console said the guide was being launched at a time when the economic downturn was increasing the stresses facing a large section of the population. “It was crucial to finally launch this document so communities have the vital information, tools and contacts to know how to support people in crisis in a safe and helpful manner. A lot more must be done to deal with the new challenges associated with suicide in modern Ireland,” Mr Kelly said.
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Carl O'Brien, The IrishTimes, 10/4/2011
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