A new braille and audio resource for children dealing with the loss of a loved one through suicide has been released by Vision Ireland, in collaboration with the Irish Childhood Bereavement Network (ICBN) and the HSE.
These new resources are an adaptation of the groundbreaking publication “Safe Harbour”, written by Patricia Forde and illustrated by Bronagh Lee, which is a free illustrated storybook for children who have been bereaved by suicide. It tells the story of a young child whose dad has died by suicide and is written in language and with illustrations that a child can relate to.
Safe Harbour empowers parents or carers to have difficult conversations safely with their child around this sensitive topic. It is accompanied by Safe Harbour: A Helpful Guide for Parents and Carers, which outlines how parents or carers can practically use the book. Both the book and its accompanying resources were produced by the HSE in Dublin and the Midlands, the HSE National Office for Suicide Prevention, and the Irish Childhood Bereavement Network within the Irish Hospice Foundation.
The launch of the accessible versions of the book coincides with World Suicide Prevention Day (WSPD) on September 10th. The theme for World Suicide Prevention Day for 2024-2026 is “Changing the Narrative on Suicide” with the call to action “#StartTheConversation”. This theme aims to raise awareness about the importance of reducing stigma and encourage open conversations to prevent suicides. The International Association for Suicide Prevention suggest that “Changing the narrative on suicide is about transforming the perception of this complex issue and shifting from a culture of silence and stigma to one of openness, understanding, and support.”
These accessible resources are part of Vision Ireland’s Book Bridge project, which is a new joint venture between Vision Ireland’s Counselling, Wellbeing & Emotional Support Service and Library Access Services venture (funded by the Hospital Saturday Fund). It is centred on assisting children and parents on topics of loss, bereavement bullying, suicide, medical issues, and trauma. The project focuses on Bibliotherapy, which is the use of books for therapeutic purposes, and is a proven means of helping individuals understand the issues they are experiencing, normalising those experiences, and offering hope for positive change. Studies demonstrate that reading to children increases self-esteem, gives comfort, and may aid children in coping with difficult situations.
Peter O’Toole, Head of the Counselling, Wellbeing and Emotional Support Service for Vision Ireland, said:
“The sensitive topic of suicide and its impact is very apparent in our engagements with the specific population that we support. We continue to recognise the need to ensure that supportive and empowering information is accessible for all families. Expanding our resource options and supports to coincide with World Suicide Prevention Day gave an opportunity to showcase how collaborative inter-agency approaches can assist in reaching even more families in Ireland”.
Lina Kouzi, Head of the Vision Ireland Library Access Service, added:
“We remain committed to producing a suite of accessible publications in Braille and audio. The Book Bridge Project enables the Vision Ireland Library Access Service to provide a vital resource of accessible reading material for children of all ages experiencing a bereavement. This accessible collection will enable children with a print disability experiencing bereavement to overcome print barriers that impede their reading independence, as well as supporting parents with a Vision Impairment also.”
John Meehan, Head of the HSE National Office for Suicide Prevention, said:
“We are extremely grateful for the work of Vision Ireland, in adapting Safe Harbour and its accompanying resources into Braille and audio versions, through the Book Bridge Project. The Safe Harbour project aims to ensure that any child bereaved by suicide, and their parent or carer, can access trusted and engaging content on how to navigate and talk about such a difficult experience and loss. Everyone – including children, parents or carers who are blind or vision impaired – should have access to Safe Harbour, especially given the stigma, isolation and uncertainty that can be associated with a bereavement by suicide. We hope these new accessible resources will make a meaningful difference to those who need them most.”
Sonia Rennicks, from The Irish Childhood Bereavement Network, said:
“We are regularly contacted by families after a death by suicide. Parents and carers are often seeking guidance on how to discuss what has happened with their children. Our work in co-producing Safe Harbour was very much informed by these conversations. Suicide can affect all families. Therefore, it is essential that all families can access supportive and empowering resources such as Safe Harbour and the accompanying Safe Harbour: Helpful Guide for Parents and Carers when they need it. We are very proud to work again with Vision Ireland and the HSE to support the translation of these resources. The Irish Childhood Bereavement Network at Irish Hospice Foundation look forward to continued partnerships with both organisations as we work together to contribute to the accessibility of support for bereaved children and their families.”
Anyone who wishes to avail of the accessible Braille and audio versions of both resources can do so through Library@ncbi.ie.
Further details on Safe Harbour can be found at childhoodbereavement.ie.