Suicide prevention panel discuss tactics

WITH the aim of reducing rates of suicide, the Western Victoria Primary Health Network officially launched Ballarat’s suicide prevention place based trial.

Partnering with the Victorian Department of Health and Human Services and a range of health service providers, WVPHN hosted an online seminar to open dialogue about the program’s strategies.

CEO of Western Victoria PHN Rowena Clift said that the Ballarat based prevention trial is a necessary step to reduce the city’s rates of suicide.

“Unfortunately, the suicide rates for Ballarat are unacceptably high,” she said.

“Throughout this program, we want to ensure that every person who is struggling with thoughts of suicide or has been through an experience, has support networks available to them whenever they need them.

“These activities will help achieve this by identifying service gaps and giving the community the support it requires.”

As part of the trial, a series of projects was commissioned by community organisations to fulfil a range of objectives.

One of those partners is Outside the Locker Room, a welfare and education program supporting community groups and schools.

CEO of the charity Jake Edwards said its role over this trial period is a pivotal one in providing mental health support to Ballarat.

“We will be delivering 30 mental health educational sessions as well as welfare support to sporting clubs, community groups and local businesses until April next year,” he said.

“Part of our program is also collecting data through our app which will allow us to assess not only our program but also to give some evidential reporting to provide better services moving forward.

“We want as many men in our target 34 to 55 age bracket to participate and supply us with the data we need to make this a big success.”

Mental health hub, Headspace, is another organisation involved in the trial.

Community engagement officer at Headspace Ballarat Andrew Penny said for the trial, his team are preparing a publication to share realistic mental health stories.

“We aim to share the stories of people within the community to show that managing good mental health is achievable,” he said.

“One of our main focuses is to convey that mental health is diverse in how it looks and is attained.

“The aim is to not show stories of how mental health can be cured, but rather offering insight about hope and management.”

Member for Buninyong Michaela Settle represented the Victorian Minister for Mental Health Martin Foley at the online event and spoke of the government’s ongoing support for suicide prevention.

Ms Settle said the partnership with the WVPHN is vital in realising the government’s goal of halving suicide rates by 2025.

“In 2017, Victoria lost more than 600 people to suicide which is more than double the amount of people that have died on the road,” she said.

“Behind every suicide, there are many people affected and so the Victorian government along with its partners are taking decisive action.

“This trial will contribute to the ongoing the efforts of the Victorian government and WVPHN to reduce the risk of self-harm among young people during these challenging times.”

Chair of the project’s leadership group and CEO of Ballarat Community Health Sean Duffy lead the discussion and spoke to some of the wider work happening in the community as part of the trial.

As a health professional himself, he said improving and supporting knowledge of suicide and mental health in general practice is essential.

“With these projects, we are aiming to teach people how to have those difficult conversations at the right times,” he said.

“We’ve created an outcome framework to measure these trial activities because it’s most important that we provide a body of knowledge and evidence to advocate for change.

“If we can build the community awareness and individual capacity and then collectively we will be better off.”

If you, or someone you know is in immediate danger, please call 000, for suicide and mental health support contact Lifeline at 13 11 14 or Suicide Call Back Service at 1300 659 467.