Services that can help after a death by suicide

Postvention is any kind of intervention that aims to reduce distress, provide support and reduce the chances of anyone else committing suicide. There are a number of services throughout the country that offer postvention support.This list includes suicide bereavement peer support groups plus contacts for Waves groups.

Nationwide

Community Postvention Response Service (CPRS)

CPRS assists communities experiencing suicidal contagion or suicide clusters. After an initial assessment process, the team works in partnership with the community to develop a postvention plan to respond to the needs of each unique community.

CPRS has a range of resources including:

  • Guidelines for Open Invitation Suicide Prevention Community Meetings
  • Guidelines for Community Suicide Awareness Activities
  • Guidelines for Mapping Circles of Vulnerability after a Suspected Suicide
  • Guidelines for Keeping a Vulnerable Persons’ Register.

Visit the CPRS community resources website.

Victim Support

Victim Support provides emotional support, personal advocacy and information to all people affected by crime and trauma throughout New Zealand. Victim Support provides the initial response service for the Ministry of Health after someone has committed suicide.

Visit the Victim Support website.

Skylight

Skylight provides support and resources for children, young people and their families experiencing change, loss and grief.

Visit the Skylight website.

Rodney

Rodney WAVES Group

Waves provides a free grief education and support programme and invites you to join. Waves is an 8-week course delivered by trained facilitators to support the wellbeing and resilience of adults bereaved by suicide. 

To register interest in attending or for more information contact:

Sonja Loeve 022 618 7821 sonja@yellowbrickroad.org.nz
Marina Ngaha 027 277 2395 marina@yellowbrickroad.org.nz

Auckland

Empathy Support Group – Hibiscus Coast/Orewa

For people who have lost loved ones to suicide in the Rodney/North Shore area: Please get in touch with us via our Facebook page, or Brigitte Windsor: brigitte.windsor@yahoo.co.nz or phone 021 102 8701.

Solace Support Auckland

A peer support group for people bereaved by suicide. All welcome. Solace meets regularly, on the second Saturday of every month from 9.30am -12pm. Solace also holds an annual candle lighting ceremony in November. For details please get in touch with Mark Wilson 021 998 949 or Robyn Duffy 09 425 6750.

Auckland WAVES Group

To register interest in attending or for more information contact:

Lila Vaganar or Lynda Delamore 09 390 1453 sarsfield@delamoresupport.co.nz.

North Shore Waves Group

To register interest in attending or for more information contact:

John Snape 09 477 0653 john.snape@equip.net.nz

Amanda Christian 027 2843 012 amandachristianz@gmail.com.

Auckland South Waves Group

To register interest in attending or for more information, contact:

Linda Bowden: Linda.Bowden@middlemore.co.nz.

Bay of Plenty

Grief Support Services, Tauranga

tfitzell@pikiaorunanga.org.nzYou are most welcome to come along and be part of this supportive group and/or receive our monthly newsletter. We also offer WAVES which is a grief education programme that aims to support adults bereaved by suicide in their understanding and management of grief and development of resilience. Subsidised one-on-one counselling is also available. Please phone for further details.

Address: 147 Chadwick Road, Greerton, Tauranga
Phone: 07 578 4480
Email: support@griefsupport.org.nz

Rotorua Waves Group

Next group TBC.

To register interest in attending or for more information, contact: Te Pae Fitzell 029 777 0599 Email: tfitzell@pikiaorunanga.org.nz.

Taupo Waves Group

Next group TBC.

To register interest in attending or for more information, contact: Te Pae Fitzell 029 777 0599 Email: tfitzell@pikiaorunanga.org.nz.

Canterbury and West Coast

Christchurch Waves Group

To register interest in attending or for more information, contact: Jamie Ussher 03 595 2683 or 0800 87 66 82 or email: waves.sfpb@xtra.co.nz.

West Coast Waves Group

Next group TBC.

To register interest in attending or for more information, contact Debbie Cogger 027 478 9892 or email debbiecogger@xtra.co.nz or Annabel Gosset 027 4639 059 or email annabelgosset@yahoo.com.

Timaru Waves Group

Next group TBC.

To register interest in attending or for more information, contact Erin Anderson 03 684 4523 or 0800 732 000.

Gisborne

Gisborne Waves Group

To register interest in attending or for more information, contact Jan- Maree: jm.jb@xtra.co.nz or 022 656 0724.

Greymouth/Hokitika

West Coast Suicide Loss Group

Meeting monthly and alternating between Greymouth and Hokitika for shared activities. For details please phone Ian and Bronwyn Gray. The group meets at 6.30pm on the first Friday of every month for shared activities such as walks and pot luck meals.

Phone: 03 762 5812

Hawke’s Bay

One Voice

Grief group for men and young men in Flaxmere, Hawke’s Bay. This group is for all types of grief, including suicide loss.

Phone: Lynsey Abbott on 022 0805736 or Haira Abbott on 022 0368796.

STAROS – Hawke’s Bay Affected by Suicide Support Group

Facilitated group enabling those affected by suicide to talk and share freely with others similarly affected by suicide and ways to manage the impact it has on their lives. For more information email warren@staros.org.nz or sandra@staros.org.nz.

Phone: Warren Brown 027 286 4071 or Sandra Pell 027 684 3033.

Nelson and Marlborough

Nelson Waves Group

Date TBC.

To register interest in attending or for more information, contact: Nelson Bays Primary Health, Karen Winton 03 539 1170.

Otago and Southland

Life Matters Suicide Prevention Trust – Bereavement Support Group

The Life Matters Suicide Bereavement Group meets first Tuesday each month (except in January) at 5.30pm in Dunedin.

We also host an online support group called Life Matters Bereavement Support Group on Facebook. We can be contacted via Facebook or via our  website, Life Matters.

We also have coffee groups and meet whenever the need arises.

Phone Corinda Taylor, 021 293 0094

Waitaki Suicide Bereavement Support Group

All welcome for conversation, support and coffee. This group meets on the third Monday of each month at 6pm. Contact Carron Cossens on 027 282 0615 or email cossens.nehoff@gmail.com.

Address: Dean O’Reilly Lounge, beside the Catholic Church in Oamaru.

Invercargill Bereaved by Suicide Support Group

Meet with others living with suicide grief. This group runs at the Loss and Grief Centre Invercargill from 5.00-6.00pm on the last Tuesday of every month (sometimes varies). For details contact the Invercargill Grief Centre on 027 443 8788 or email lossandgriefcentre@gmail.com.

Group facilitator: Caroline Loo

Eastern Southland Waves Group

Next group TBC.

To register interest in attending or for more information, contact Eleanor Ranstead on 021 084 57962 or email ele.ranstead@clear.net.nz.

Palmerston North

Bereaved by Suicide Support Groups

Peer support groups for people bereaved by suicide in Levin, Otaki, Manawatu and Horowhenua. Groups run by Rose Allan at ACROSS: Te Kotahitanga o te Wairua.

Phone 06 356 7486 or email rallan@across.org.nz.

Waikato

Hamilton Waves Group

Date TBC.

To register interest in attending or for more information, contact Ross Woodhouse 027 692 0726 or email ross@fairfieldbaptist.co.nz.

Tokoroa Waves Group

Next group TBC.

To register interest in attending or for more information, contact: Supporting Families in Mental Illnesses’ Waikato Office. Phone 07 886 1568 or 0800 555 434, or email tokoroa@sfwaikato.org.nz.

Wairarapa

Masterton Awhi Mai Awhi Atu suicide bereavement support

All welcome. For details please contact Toni Ryan 027 436 7419 or email wairarapa.weed.warriors@xtra.co.nz.

Wairarapa Waves Group

Next group TBC.

To register interest in attending or for more information, contact Jill Renata on 06 3773081 ext 704 or email jill@sfwai.org.nz.

Whanganui

Support Group for Those Bereaved by Suicide

Welcomes in confidence immediate family, relatives, friends and others. We are here to support others by understanding their pain as we still walk our lives. Please contact Bonnie Lethaby on (06) 343 7573 or James Forrest on (06) 349 0202 for more information. The support group’s 24-hour helpline number is 027 684 3386 (texts are welcome).

Wellington

Wellington Waves Group

Dates TBC.

To register interest in attending or for more information, contact Skylight 0800 299 100 or email info@skylight.org.nz.

Covid-19 Update

Face-to-face workshops will not continue while New Zealand is at Level 4. We will be in contact with all participants soon.