Suicide prevention and support programs

In recent years, all Australian governments have made record investments into research and suicide prevention and postvention programs recognising that suicide prevention is a national priority.

Australia’s suicide prevention sector has matured and is growing rapidly. Sector developments, best practice and research innovation in this space directs us towards building a compassionate system of care to support people in suicidal distress, their families and supporters and those bereaved by suicide.

To remain responsive, innovative and purposeful in delivering suicide prevention programs in the eastern and north-eastern region, Eastern Melbourne Primary Health Network (EMPHN) is undertaking market scoping for the development of suicide prevention and postvention programs to meet community need.

EMPHN remains committed to working with local communities to better understand the priorities, the existing service gaps and how to best commission funding to support people impacted by suicide.

EMPHNs approach to suicide prevention is underpinned by the National Suicide Prevention Strategy and the Victorian Suicide Prevention Framework. This approach is heavily informed by the Black Dog Institute’s Lifespan model which was central to the National and the Victorian Suicide Prevention Place Based trials, involving extensive community consultation with service providers, community members, and people with lived experience.

Suicide support services

Support after Suicide provides free support to improve the lives of children, young people and adults bereaved by suicide. The service was established to assist people to find their way through and reduce the impact of grief and trauma. The team at Support After Suicide have many years’ experience in working with people and have specialist expertise in bereavement, trauma and suicide. Given the intensity of this experience, it can be helpful to speak with someone who has this expertise and who understands the complexity of the experience. The program offers free individual and family counselling, professionally facilitated and peer support groups and online resources to support those who have lost a loved one. Specific group programs for parents, partners, siblings, adult children, and a men’s program are available, as well as programs for children and young people.

Jesuit Social Services has delivered Support After Suicide throughout Melbourne and regional Victoria since 2004.

For more information or to make a referral:

• Call: 1800 943 415
• Email: aftersuicide@jss.org.au
• Website: Support After Suicide – Jesuit Social Services (jss.org.au)

Additional Support Services

Thirrili – Indigenous Suicide Postvention Service

Thirrili is Australia’s Indigenous leading suicide postvention service, supporting Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander individuals, families & communities impacted by loss from suicide or other fatal traumatic incidents. The service provides timely support to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples with the acknowledgement of shared, collective, continuous ancestral connections, by drawing on cultural ways of knowing, being, and doing. To achieve this purpose, Thirrili:

• Supports communities in the aftermath of suicide or other fatal critical incidents.
• Works collectively with communities to build self-determined lives free from the impacts of suicide.
• Informs systems change at all levels.

For more information or to make a referral:

• Call: 1800 805 801
• Email: communications@thirrili.com.au
• Website: Home | Thirrili

Support After Suicide Hub (SASH)

Support After Suicide Hub (SASH) is the place to find support and connection for LGBTQIA+ people who have lost someone to suicide. SASH was made by, and for LGBTQIA+ people who live with loss by suicide. All aspects of the hub and forum has been guided by the collective wisdom of Support After Suicide’s LGBTQIA+ Advisory Group. SASH has information, resources, and an online community forum for LGBTQIA+ people bereaved by suicide aged 18+ to connect with each other.

For more information or to make a referral:

• Call: 1800 943 415
• Email: sash@jss.org.au
• Website: About – Support After Suicide Hub (SASH)

Roses in the Ocean Peer CARE Companion Warmline

Peer CARE Companion is a suicide prevention ‘warmline’ call-back service which has been created by Roses in the Ocean to provide a safe place for people with a lived experience of suicide to connect with others with a similar lived experience of suicide – our Peer CARE Companions. The service provides people with an opportunity to connect, be heard, and for their distress to be compassionately explored and understood by another person through the mutual understanding that comes with meaningful shared experience. This service may assist in providing relief from emotional distress, explore coping strategies, assistance navigating to find additional online resources and/or information.

Whether you have lost someone to suicide, are supporting a loved one in crisis, have survived an attempt, or have been living with your own suicidal thoughts, we will connect you with a trained and supported Peer CARE Companion who has a similar lived experience of suicide.

Please note that Peer CARE companion is NOT a crisis line and do not provide counselling or advice.

Website: Peer CARE Companion Warmline | Roses in the Ocean

If you are in an emergency, or at immediate risk of harm to yourself or others, please contact emergency services on 000.

Support services that operate 24 hours/7 days a week:

• Lifeline: 13 11 14 www.lifeline.org.au
• Suicide Call Back Service: 1300 659 467 www.suicidecallbackservice.org.au
• Beyond Blue Support Service: 1300 22 4636 www.beyondblue.org.au
• MensLine Australia: 1300 78 99 78 www.mensline.org.au
• Kids Helpline: 1800 55 1800 www.kidshelpline.com.au