A Death in the Family: Providing Consultation to the Police on the Psychological Aspects of Suicide and Accidental Death

A program for educating police officers on the symptomatology & management of acute grief through case consultation is described. 4 phases of the intervention are outlined: (a) systems entry, (b) direct suicide, (c) client-centered consultation, & (d) consultee-centered consultation. The difficulties of each phase are identified with specific reference to police, & the advantages of consulting in the area of death education are discussed. Cases of family reactions to suicide death are presented.