There may be times when SU Officers have to deal with the death of a student or a member of college staff, or times when a death (or deaths) by suspected suicide has occurred. It can be difficult to know what is helpful for, or available to you and others, when presented with this situation. The following information may help SU Officers navigate such times, with an emphasis on minding your own wellbeing during such challenging times.
The welfare and wellbeing of SU Officers is always paramount.
You should be mindful of your personal capacity to support others in challenging or traumatic isutaitons. As a ‘helper’, it is important to tend to your own mental health needs in the first instance. For example, if you are personally impacted by a death of a student or staff member, you should seek support and guidance for yourself as a priority, focus on your self-care, and step away from things if you need to.
Getting support from others
Campus Supports
Campuses should have an emergency response plan or guidance in place for incidents such as the death of a student. The Students’ Union should be connected with such plans per best practice. The students’ union should make themselves familiar with such plans and key personnel involved in responding to serious incidents before an incident occurs.
USI asks that all SUs seek to obtain information from relevant staff as to the existence of such a plan on their campus, and the SU involvement in rolling out such a plan. If no such plan exists, or the SU has no involvement in an existing plan, we would ask that you inform the VP for Welfare, the relevant Regional Officer, or the Mental Health Programme Manager as soon as possible.
Best practice is that you as an SU Officer should work collaboratively with campus supports (for example, counselling services, chaplaincy, health service, student support service, etc) as much as possible to support the student body following a death. You should familiarise yourself with all the different support options and offerings across your particular campus and locally. It may help to create a list of these that you can consult and/or hand to students directly/ share on social media.
USI
USI representatives, namly the Vice-President for Welfare, the relevant Regional Officer, and the Mental Health Programme Manager are available in the following ways:
We would ask that on becoming aware of a death of a student or staff member that the SU notify one of the above representatives as soon as possible. Should USI become aware of the death in another manner (i.e. via the media), we will reach out directly to the SU. This is for two reasons – to allow USI to provide practice and emotional supports and guidance to officers if desired, and to allow USI to collate information on incidences, which can help to inform our ongoing work.
USI representatives will make themselves available to meet with members of the SU should this wish to meet in whatever format and at whatever time/ day best suits the SU team. This is to support the SU team and explore what might be required in the coming days and weeks.
Where the students’ union are in favour, USI representatives can also reach out to mental health support services on campus, to offer any support they can.
Should the SU team decline input from USI representatives in the above ways, this will be respected, while understanding that the SU team can reach out again at any point for any support they may need. If the SU team accept input from USI representatives, we will maintain ongoing communication with the SU team in a manner and frequency that works for the SU team (most likely with the SU President or Welfare Officer).
USI will take the lead from the SU regarding sharing of sources of support. USI will reshare local sources of support as shared by the SU social media feeds first, and after a short time will share national sources of support as well as signposting to relevant information on the USI mental health website.
The USI Mental Health Programme Manager is connected to many other organisations who work in mental health promotion and suicide prevention at national levels. They are also connected with the HSE National Office for Suicide Prevention. By engaging with USI representatives, other opportunities to engage with local or national mental health services, initiatives and services may arise.
Signposting
We have collated contact information from multiple organisations that can provide help in different formats. These sources of help can be used to signpost to help for students, or if you are struggling in any way yourself. The information is available here
Helpful Information:
It can be helpful to take time out to increase your own awareness and understanding of suicide, self-harm, and supporting others.
Training:
Information on upcoming trainings can be found here.
Trusted web content on supporting others- Supporting someone who might be suicidal – HSE yourmentalhealth.ie
- What to say to someone going through a tough time – HSE yourmentalhealth.ie
- Worried about someone else’s mental health – HSE yourmentalhealth.ie
- Mental health – tips on being a good listener – HSE yourmentalhealth.ie
- If you are worried about someone else – Samaritans Ireland
- Take action to help prevent suicide – Spunout.ie
- How to talk to a friend who is feeling suicidal – Spunout.ie
- Supporting someone who feels suicidal – supporting yourself – Mind UK
- A range of booklets on suicide prevention, self-harm and suicide bereavement – HSE National Office for Suicide Prevention
- Responding to a person in suicidal distress – a guidance document – HSE National Office for Suicide Prevention
For information on how to access help for yourself or someone else, please see the following links:
- https://www.hse.ie/eng/services/list/4/mental-health-services/nosp/suicide-bereavement-liaison-officers/.
- You are not alone – the national suicide bereavement support guide – HSE National Office for Suicide Prevention
- HUGG, Healing Untold Grief Groups – information, telephone support and local peer support groups led by volunteers with lived experience.
- bereavement supports and resources – HSE yourmentalhealth.ie
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