The Story Behind the Be Connected Community Guide to Postvention
Published at ConnectVeterans.org/Postvention
Statewide, AZ – (May 12, 2025) – Every resource has a story. Behind every guide, every initiative, every program that reaches someone, is a reason it was created as well as a group of people who answered a call to serve.
The Be Connected Community Guide to Postvention was created out of that same sense of purpose as a direct response to a need identified through the Governor’s Challenge to Prevent Suicide Among Service Members, Veterans & their families.
This intent behind creating the guide is to ensure that every person, family, organization and community grappling with the suicide loss of a service member or veteran has access to guidance and support. This is the story of how the guide came to be.
The Beginnings of a Collaborative Mission
In 2019, Arizona joined the VA and SAMHSA Governor’s Challenge to Prevent Suicide Among Service Members, Veterans and Their Families Suicide Mortality Review Policy Academy. The challenge brought together leaders from across the state from public agencies, tribal nations, community organizations, health systems, and veteran-serving groups to address suicide prevention. It wasn’t just about awareness. It was about action.
As the Challenge progressed, Arizona had the opportunity to be a part of the first cohort of states and territories to participate in the suicide mortality review policy academy. Through that process, the need for stronger postvention support emerged. Postvention provides the support and response needed after a suicide occurs. It is about helping people and communities heal, reducing the ripple effect of trauma, and most importantly, preventing further loss. Yet, in Arizona and many places across the country, there was no unified, easily accessible postvention information tailored specifically for the military and veteran community.
Postvention Is Prevention
Postvention is not separate from suicide prevention—it is a critical part of it. Research shows that for every suicide, an estimated 135 people are affected, including family members, coworkers, friends, and neighbors. In military and veteran communities, where exposure to suicide loss is often more frequent and more personal, the need for postvention becomes even more urgent. Without timely and appropriate support, those left behind are at greater risk for their own mental health challenges, making postvention a vital step in both healing and prevention.
Learning From Loss, Listening With Purpose
So, the work began to develop a comprehensive postvention resource. However, the initial steps to creating the Be Connected Community Guide to Postvention didn’t begin with writing. It began with listening.
Over many months, a multi-disciplinary team undertook a careful discovery process to identify what resources already existed, where the gaps were, and what support was most urgently needed. This meant interviewing subject matter experts in postvention care, learning from suicide loss survivors, engaging those with clinical experience, and drawing upon the expertise of community partners.
It was a deeply collaborative process, one that uncovered not only needs, but also opportunities to strengthen how Arizona responds to suicide loss.
The Building Begins
With a clear understanding of the need, the Arizona Coalition for Military Families and the Be Connected team began the meticulous work of developing the guide. Multiple drafts were written and revised with input from partners in the field, grief counselors, clinicians, postvention experts, and individuals with lived experience of suicide loss.
Each section of the guide was designed with intention, not just to inform, but to support. The goal was to ensure that organizations, families, and community members across Arizona had a resource they could turn to not just in the first hours after a loss, but in the weeks, months, and years that follow so the guide was useful whenever the person was ready, no matter where they are in their journey. The guide reflects the best of what happens when a community comes together not only to prevent tragedy but to respond to it with care, coordination, and compassion.
Support in Every Page
The Be Connected Community Guide to Postvention offers a clear and compassionate roadmap for navigating the aftermath of suicide loss. Designed to be practical and accessible, the guide:
- Outlines immediate action steps
- Provides guidance for grief and trauma support
- Promotes safe messaging, and
- Offers self-care strategies for those in helping roles
It equips individuals and communities alike with the tools to respond with structure, sensitivity, and compassion. Each page carries the voices of those who have walked this path including individuals who turned personal loss into a reason to speak out, share their stories, and help others. Their insights shaped the guide, making it not only a resource, but a testament to resilience and community.
We are deeply grateful to the many individuals and organizations who helped shape this guide. From suicide loss survivors and tribal leaders to VA clinicians and local nonprofit teams, each voice helped shape a tool that is practical, compassionate, and rooted in real-world need.
The Postvention Guide, dedicated to the memory of Dr. Adam McCray, is now available to anyone in Arizona who needs it, without cost. Simply visit ConnectVeterans.org/Postvention to download the guide, access support, and request support in navigating the journey after a suicide loss.
If you or someone you know has been impacted by suicide loss, please reach out. Support is available. Visit ConnectVeterans.org/Postvention or call 866-4AZ-VETS.
