The ICCM Journal | Autumn 2020 | V88 No. 3
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SOBS A letter from the Survivors of Bereavement by Suicide charity in response to Mathew Crawley's valiant fund raising efforts. SOBS is a registered charity which is the only national organisation that is user led, offering those bereaved by suicide, specialised, local, free peer support which is underpinned by rigorous quality standards and serves more than 8,000 beneficiaries each year in England, Scotland and Wales. We provide a continuum of services ranging from a national telephone helpline to local area support groups for beneficiaries over 18 years of age. Our organisation also works closely with, and helps shape, the systems that impact upon the adults and families in our community who have been affected by the loss of a loved one, friend or colleague to suicide. You will find our organisation involved in diverse areas such as; mental health, telephone support, local area support groups, positive personal development, education and training, agency advice and community events, adapting to a new way of life. All evidence shows, and in particular that of those who have been bereaved, that suicide is an intense form of grief that can last for many years and carries with it many complexities of guilt, shame and stigma. To address these needs we currently operate a national helpline, self-support groups and international web-based community forum, we also have a number of conferences, retreats and support days for survivors. Increasingly our organisation is being recognised as a focal point for information and contact on the subject of suicide by many organisations and professionals. Our mission is to assist at-risk and vulnerable beneficiaries, 'survivors' throughout the United Kingdom, in becoming capable and hopeful adults, by providing a supportive environment where they feel comforted, respected and listened to, as they strive to meet the demands around a death by suicide. Suicide recognises no social, ethnic or cultural boundaries - neither do we. The funds that ICCM officer Mathew Crawley raised during his efforts to walk from Warrington to Warwick, have allowed the organisation to train our volunteer coordinator to the level of T4T in Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST). The ASIST T4T is a five-day residential course and is the first phase of becoming a Registered ASIST Trainer. During the first two days of this train the trainer course, you will experience (or re-experience) ASIST as any participant would. An appreciation of the participant’s perspective is essential to your success as a trainer. The rest of the week is spent learning how to train ASIST by participating in coaching sessions and rehearsing parts of the course yourself in small groups. The course is very intensive and candidates will need to be free of other commitments during the week including the evenings.
It is organised and delivered by experts in training people to train ASIST from LivingWorks. Once the T4T training was completed we were to provide ASIST to our Group Facilitators and helpline volunteers. The 2-day intensive, interactive training has aided attendees who deal with the aftermath of suicide to recognise those who may have suicidal thoughts. All participants were requested to provide feedback, some comments made; “As a group leader, it made me much more aware of the vulnerability of our group attendees and consider their well-being after leaving our meeting.” “It has helped me on a personal basis to know how to go about approaching a person who appears depressed/ suicidal.” “I feel better equipped to deal with any potential situation where an individual may have suicidal thoughts or plans to kill themselves.” etc. The training has achieved its goal in giving the helpers in their community the skills to be ready, willing and able, to prevent the risk of suicide. The stigma which unfortunately is still attached to suicide brings feelings of discrimination and loneliness that can affect the mental health of the bereaved. The risk of suicide is reduced if more people are able to identify those who are most vulnerable and showing low esteem. It is estimated that for every completed suicide, on average 8 people are affected. If each attendee can aid intervention of 1 suicide during their time volunteering for our organisation, the wider benefits to the community are, a family member or close friend will not be affected with all that is associated with suicide bereavement of a loved one and its impact. The funds also allowed us to recruit a Samaritans trainer to deliver an event on how to deal with suicidal conversations. Managing suicidal conversations will show people how to confidently approach somebody in this situation and the most effective types of responses. The Samaritans deliver this course to a range of individual organisations and to Local Authorities as part of their suicide prevention strategies. The amount that Mathew raised was an amazing £17,113.40 and from the remaining funds we are intending to repeat both of the training events, once we are out of the current lockdown crisis and going forward, to continue to provide volunteers with the tools that will help them support survivors. Thanks again Mathew for everything you are doing in support of our charity.
