VitalCog Postvention
A suicide death can have a profound impact on a workplace, affecting employees, teams, leadership, morale, and overall well-being. Postvention is the organized response following a suicide loss, focused on supporting those impacted, stabilizing the workplace, reducing further distress or harm, and promoting healing and recovery. Effective postvention can help organizations rebuild trust, foster resilience, and strengthen a culture of care.
The VitalCog Postvention training equips workplace leaders and employees with practical tools for responding compassionately and effectively following a suicide death. Participants learn how to communicate about the loss, support grieving employees, connect people with appropriate resources, and develop a thoughtful workplace response that supports both immediate needs and long-term recovery.
Delivery: In-Person or Virtual
Audience: Leadership, HR professionals, managers and supervisors, safety professionals, peer-support teams, and others responsible for supporting employees following a suicide loss
Training Time: 30 minutes–1 hour
Goals:
Support employees emotionally and practically following a suicide loss
Protect privacy and reduce stigma
Provide access to appropriate support and resources
Stabilize the workplace and rebuild a culture of care
Participants leave with practical guidance for what to do immediately following a suicide, how to support employees through grief and disruption, and how to help the organization move toward recovery and prevention.
This training is a program of University of Colorado’s Johnson Depression Center.
In this training, participants will learn a practical framework for responding after a suicide loss: Reacting, Responding, and Rebuilding.
Reacting: What to Do Immediately
Learn how to gather accurate information, establish a point person or Crisis Response Team, clarify response roles, communicate respectfully with the family, and share information with employees in a way that balances transparency and privacy. Participants also learn the importance of avoiding speculation, rumors, and details about the method of death.
Responding: How to Support
Explore ways to provide immediate and ongoing support to employees, including connecting staff with resources such as 988, Employee Assistance Programs, and mental health or grief professionals. The training also addresses workplace flexibility, supportive check-ins, healthy coping, and equipping supervisors with guidance for talking with affected employees.
Rebuilding: Moving Forward
Discuss how organizations can acknowledge and remember the person who died while avoiding practices that may unintentionally increase risk or distress. Participants also explore longer-term prevention strategies, including ongoing mental health and suicide prevention education, peer support, workplace check-ins, and creating a culture where seeking help is encouraged.
Recognize When Additional Support Is Needed
Participants also learn signs that an employee may need immediate additional support following a loss, including hopelessness or withdrawal, talking about death or suicide, increased substance use, or difficulty functioning at work.