self-harm and suicide prevention guidelines

This document is for any Aaiyyanists who meet or deal with any clients who are suicidal and who wish to harm themselves. In the course of your spiritual duties you may meet many distressed people who threaten suicide or self-harm. This could be in person, via email, via skype, telephone or writing etc... Many new Aaiyyanists may find these situations difficult as they have not been trained/qualified to deal with such matters. The purpose of this document is to have clear guidelines on how a registered Aaiyyanist must proceed in these cases and gives guidance on the procedures to be followed to ensure that the distressed person making threats receives the support they need, and guidance on the support services available to the Aaiyyanist who receives the threat.

Remember, Aaiyyanism is wholistic in its approach and the spiritual aid given by Aaiyyanism is complimentary to professional medical advice and must never be an alternative to professional medical/mental health advice, i.e. if one has a serious medical issue then it is the duty of the Aaiyyanist to refer the person to a qualified medical practitioner.

The first thing to note is that there might be many factors which influence people into making a threat of suicide or self-harm. As an Aaiyyanist one must take the threat seriously, and you have a duty of care (within reason) to the distressed person to provide them with the support they need: i.e. obtain professional care and assistance.

Responding to a person who threatens suicide or self-harm

• You must take the person seriously and at their word.
• You must inform the person that threats of suicide or self-harm are taken seriously and that you may need to refer them to a professional who can deal with such matters in their country of origin.
• You must let the person know that you have a duty of care to make sure that they are safe and have the support that they need. You must refer them to this document.
• You must try to obtain the contact details of the person making the threat, i.e. name, address, phone number, doctor and their location.
• You must encourage the person to seek immediate support from a friend, family member, and a recognised professional mental health/social worker in the country of their origin. You must also at least give a telephone number to any organisation that deals with self-harm and suicide.
• If the distressed person refuses to seek support, you must seek their agreement to contact a support person or organisation on their behalf and advise them that you are obliged to contact the relevant authorities if the threat is immediate and life threatening.
• If a distressed person threatens to immediately commit suicide or self-harm then you must not attempt to counsel the person or make a judgement about whether you think the person will carry out the threat but must refer the matter immediately to an appropriate body in the country that the distressed person resides in, e.g. the police or mental health workers.
• You must notify the Aaiyyan World Foundation immediately and outline the course of action you have taken.

This Policy Statement will be reviewed after two (2) years unless an earlier review is required.