Gippsland PHN has released a new public request, seeking experienced providers to tender for providing Support After Suicide services, as an essential part of broader postvention services.

The Support After Suicide program aims to deliver professional and clinical counselling to people who have been bereaved by suicide. People who are bereaved by suicide are at higher risk of developing suicidal ideation and dying by suicide themselves. Expert suicide bereavement counselling mitigates this risk.

The services sought would consider and include aspects such as:

• A number of modalities including outreach-based approaches across the region.
• Care coordination and referral pathways for those bereaved by suicide who themselves are at heightened risk of suicidal ideation, or attempted suicide.
• Ensuring individuals at risk can access culturally appropriate and safe support via warm handover at all stages of the suicide prevention continuum and on multiple levels including professional services (clinical and psychosocial); community support groups; targeted suicide prevention programs; families, peers, community members and mental health and suicide prevention networks.
• Utilising approaches informed by those with Lived Experience of suicide bereavement, and
• An emphasis on engagement and support for at risk populations and/or cohorts, such as the LGBTQI+ communities, Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islanders and the East Gippsland region.

Contracts are expected to be awarded by the end of July 2025 for service provision commencing from 15 August 2025 until 30 June 2026.

The total budget for this procurement is up to approximately $218,398.41 ex GST.

An online public Pre-Procurement Information session was held via Zoom on Monday 26 May 2025 to provide information to the market on the upcoming procurement. A recording of the public information session can be found here.

A non-mandatory online In-Procurement Information session was held via Zoom on Tuesday 10 June 2025 to provide an opportunity for tenderers to ask questions. A recording of the public information session can be found here 

To assist you with you to build your Tender and for some practical tips, please see Toolboxes available here: https://gphn.org.au/procurement-and-tendering/all-about-tenders/