MindWise and Riverside Trauma Center are pleased to welcome Dr. Jo Bell as the keynote speaker for our September Suicide Prevention Month event. News of a death by suicide explodes like a bomb on social media, the impact of which can be felt around the world. Emerging research has shown that activity very often prompts multiple users to respond, rapidly sharing posts and ruminating publicly about the nature and reasons for the death (Bell and Westoby, 2021). Dr. Jo Bell’s work has established that news of a suicide spreads rapidly via social media, increasing the number of those exposed and affected exponentially. Important positive and negative effects arise from this. The ways in which people post, comment and respond about a death by suicide in this way impacts suicide contagion and has the potential to complicate grief. Young people in particular are susceptible to this. This work also established that social media can be harnessed to manage trauma and alleviate grief. This training is aimed at professionals and practitioners who work in services supporting those affected by suicide. This may include public health, coroners, media professionals, emergency responders, mental health professionals, social workers, funeral directors, pastoral care providers from schools, colleges and universities, bereavement services, 3rd sector and voluntary organizations. Attendees will take away new evidence-based knowledge of: – The uniqueness of suicide bereavement – The harmful and protective effects of social media use in the aftermath of a suicide – How social media use can be harnessed to manage trauma, alleviate grief and reach those who need support – Guidance and recommendations for prevention policy and practice (including developing media strategies) Webinar attendees will come away with recommendations and guidance for practice on how to mitigate against harmful effects and promote positive effects of social media use following a suicide.