Mapping Circles of Connection after a suspected suicide aims to identify all individuals potentially impacted by exposure to suspected suicide to ensure that they are referred to appropriate services for active outreach and assessment of their holistic support and wellbeing needs.

Principles

• Mapping is most effective when undertaken as an inter-sectoral activity; usually within a PCWG whose members are familiar with their community and should occur as soon as possible after notification of a suspected suicide.
• Mapping considers biological, familial, ethnic, psychological, social, educational, vocational, religious, sporting, cultural and community factors in determining those who may be potentially impacted.
• For every individual identified as potentially impacted by exposure to a suspected suicide, then active outreach, support and information about warning signs, problem solving, how to create a safety plan and how to access supports when/if required is provided.
• If any individual is at elevated suicide risk or there are any serious concerns for the life or health of the individual (e.g. exhibiting any signs of suicidal ideation or behaviour, or has a history of suicidal behaviour or mental health disorder):
  • Refer the individual to appropriate services and supports for further suicide risk assessment and management (e.g. community mental health services), and
  • Increase the individual’s support network’s awareness of the need for and
    importance of outreach, increased support and monitoring for that person.

How to map Circles of Connection

Mapping effectiveness is maximised by:

• Multiple sources of community information – local services, agencies and organisations and especially from front-line community workers and whanau representatives.
• An interagency / multi-sectorial postvention working group that is representative of the community and well-functioning because of trusted existing relationships.
• A systematic process which identifies all community members impacted by a suspected suicide, then matches and links them with appropriate services for screening and to assess their support needs and mitigate any suicide risk.

Mapping Tasks

Step One: Establish the facts.

Develop an accurate record of all suspected suicides for a given community of concern over the last six or 12 months. An accurate record establishes a “baseline” and comprehensive understanding of the current situation for a community of concern.

• The community of concern might be defined, for example, geographically (suburb), or socially (sports club), or organisationally (prison or educational institution), or vocationally (workplace) etc.
• It is essential that all parties' privy to this information acknowledge that, until coronial determination, the cause of death is provisional (and therefore must be considered a “suspected suicide” only). Extreme caution, care and sensitivity is
  required in any actions undertaken resulting from this information.

Step Two: Mapping Circles of Connections

• Identify and list, as much as possible, all individuals with strong connection or psychological attachment to the deceased (e.g. whanau and extended whanau, witnesses, first responders, friends, peers, colleagues, and those romantically involved) who may have been adversely impacted.
• Identify and list all institutions, social services, sport clubs, youth groups, clubs, peer groups churches etc. that the deceased was affiliated with.
• Consider liaising with local Psychiatric Emergency Services to identify individuals who have made recent presentations to hospital emergency departments who may have connections to the deceased.
• Identify and list any individuals with existing vulnerability (I.e. mental health or substance abuse or some other risk factor) and with a possible exposure to the suicide.
• Document any known links between any of those listed and existing service providers.

Step Three: Action, assign, follow-up and review.

• Identify which person/agency/service is most appropriate to follow-up each individual/listed
  with the purpose of providing:
• Educational resources on, for example, grief after suicide, problem solving, safety plans,
  other Tō te Rā resources.
  • Contact telephone, web and txt details for available supports and services,
  • Determining current level of support needs and suicide risk (screening),
  • Putting in place appropriate supports and services (treatment as required) and
  • Increased monitoring of, and support to, those at risk.
• Set a ‘by when’ date for the PCWG to review any actions recommended.
• A PCWG is not responsible for undertaking individual follow-up. Member agencies may have those responsibilities as part of their usual service delivery or if allocated specific individuals of concern by the PCWG for further follow-up, assessment and support.
• Consider communications (media, primary health e.g. GP advisory notice) for:
  • Promoting contact numbers and referral pathways for locally available services,
  • Lowering threshold for accessing services and
  • Considering the suicide risk of individuals referred for assessment in the light of possible elevated community risk of suicide exposure effects.
• Regularly review (frequency of review is determined by level of ongoing suicide risk) the Supported Persons Register up to and including significant dates such as the 12-month anniversary of the death(s) or until suicide risk of all those on the SPR is considered sufficiently managed or mitigated.