An online platform is launched to support communities after sudden death
A new online platform has been launched to help support communities following a sudden death that is a suspected suicide.
Comkit is supported by the Public Health Agency (PHA) and has been developed with Urban Scale Interventions (USI) in partnership with Families’ Voices Forum as well as community and voluntary groups who are members of local Protect Life Implementation Groups (PLIGS) from five health and social care trusts.
The platform is customised for use by family, friends, neighbours, media, political representatives and community organisations. It uses a number of example scenarios and information videos that advise the best approach if a community requires guidance and awareness on how to respond to a sudden death.
Guidance is offered on a number of key themes including:
- The importance of using safe language when talking about suicide;
- Social media;
- Memorials and public gatherings within the community.
Fiona Teague, Mental Health and Emotional Wellbeing lead at the PHA said: “A sudden death that is a suspected suicide within a community is an incredibly complex and tough topic to broach.
“The online platform was designed to help people react and deal with such a tragic event in a caring and appropriate way. It was therefore crucial that a cross-section of people and groups were involved in the design and content development of Comkit.
“Over 50 people with lived experience, academic experts and health professionals, were consulted in its development. We are particularly grateful to Families’ Voices Forum for their collaboration and contribution throughout the development of the platform.
“Families, friends, communities and public representatives play a vital role in supporting those that have been impacted by a suspected suicide and Comkit provides each of these groups with guidance on key public messages to communicate and details of support systems to direct people to.”
Claire Curran, chair of the Families’ Voice Forum said: “Family members bereaved by suicide across the region were involved from the very start in the development of Comkit. Their experience of the type of information that helped them or what they felt was missing when they experienced their own loss, was vital in the development of this platform.
“It is crucial that responses and comments given by the media, local politicians, community groups and support services, take into consideration the complex emotions bereaved families experience and the importance of safe and appropriate language.
“We hope that Comkit will be used by the various target groups to help understand what families and communities are going through and provide the tools to better communicate safely around what is always an incredibly sensitive and confusing time for those impacted.”
Comkit can be accessed at:
