If you would like to start a support group for suicide loss, key questions to ask yourself include:
- Who can facilitate the group?
- If I plan to facilitate the group, am I ready to do this?
- A group ideally requires two or more facilitators – who else can facilitate?
A facilitator has a responsibility to provide a reasonable standard of care for all people attending the group, including the facilitators themselves.
If you are suicide bereaved, we recommend that a reasonable amount of time has passed since your bereavement and that you have had the opportunity to process your own loss, or understand what it means for you and the implications of the loss on your life.
While there is no set amount of time that ‘should’ pass, a minimum of at least one year is recommended, while two or three years is preferable. This time space allows you to gain an understanding of your own journey or personal experience of suicide bereavement. Each journey before and after a suicide is unique.
Facilitation is a two-way process. You need to be ‘safe’ to coordinate a group, that is, not cause further stress or trauma for participants. The group also needs to be ‘safe’ for you and not cause you undue or overwhelming stress or trauma.
To help you decide if you are ready to facilitate a group you can complete a facilitation self-assessment checklist.
For other factors to take into considerations before facilitating a support group for suicide loss, look to pages 26–31 in the handbook.