Suicide Prevention Australia

2017 marks 25 years of Suicide Prevention Australia in operation. We spoke with Professor Hickie about achievements and challenges he has seen in that time when it comes to suicide prevention Australia. Thank you Ian for sharing your time and insights in this interview and in all your years working alongside SPA Board, Members and Staff. It is so important to talk openly and safely about suicide but, if watching this video brings up difficult emotions in you, please talk about how you’re feeling with a trusted family member, friend or people at one of our partner organisations. Call Lifeline on 131114, MensLine 1300 78 99 78, Suicide Call Back Service 1300 659 467 or Kids Helpline 1800 551800 FREE. For more services and support visit www.suicidepreventionaust.org and click on Get Help. #25yearsofSPA #SuicidePrevention #ManyVoicesOneGoal

Trent is a youth worker in Broome (WA), a headspace National Youth Mentor, a suicide attempt survivor, a gifted artist, a member of Suicide Prevention Australia’s National Lived Experience Network and a young person who has been through the toughest of times but still holds an immense amount of hope for the future. “There is a war raging in many young minds right now and it wasn’t until I started fighting my own mental health battles that I realised how awful this war really can get. If I could tell a young person one thing, it’s that I’ve learned a lot about what it really means to be tough. It isn't about how many dangerous situations you put yourself in. It's about fighting through the trials life throws at you. It's not about acting like you're invincible; it's about being brave enough to ask for help when you need it. If I’d reached out earlier, decided that help was possible and gone to get help sooner, a lot of my pain could have been prevented. As individuals we need to get to know ourselves bet

PHOTO: World Suicide Prevention Day campaign 2013 (SPA CEO Sue Murray front centre with megaphone) In 1992, venerable suicide prevention advocate Alan Staines returned from an international conference with an ambitious plan to establish Australia’s first national voice for suicide and suicide prevention. His passion won over clinicians and advocates alike and Suicide Prevention Australia was born. From the start, Suicide Prevention Australia had some lofty goals. Their purpose was a world without suicide and they aimed to tackle the issue through leadership, collaboration, education and advocacy. Today, Suicide Prevention Australia is a peak body that represents more than 80 members and hundreds of associate members nationally, as well as holding productive partnerships with individuals and organisations across the world. As an organisation, we have directly influenced how suicide is perceived by the community and our relationships with all levels of government have increased investment and driven impro

We are pleased to announce that Matthew Tukaki has been elected as Suicide Prevention Australia Chair following Murray Bleach's decision to step down. Matthew shared this short video message about the appointment earlier today. Transcript listed below. "Friends; Big news to share today. Yesterday my fellow Suicide Prevention Australia Directors elected me as Chair. I am humbled by their vote of confidence. Thank you to Murray Muz Bleach for all he has done for the organisation since 2011. It will be tough to step into your shoes but I am excited to step up into the role after six years serving on the SPA Board. In my time with SPA I have seen immense change in this sector and how SPA operates as a Member organisation. I am passionate about SPA Membership better reflecting the diverse needs of Australians. I want to see greater representation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, regional and remote communities and the increasing role our members can play when it comes to the diversity of our wor

SPA Chair Matthew Tukaki, Policy and Engagement Manager Stephen Holland and Community and Corporate Relations Executive Jonathan Leeming were honoured to join SPA Member Organisation Babana Aboriginal Men's Group recently for their annual suicide prevention gathering. This free event open to all involved sailing to Goat Island on the Mari Nawi owned by Tribal Warrior. In this podcast episode, Jonathan has a quick chat to Mark Spinks about why they put this event on for the community. #CommunitiesMatter #suicideprevention #ManyVoicesOneGoal 24/7 crisis support information Lifeline 13 11 14 Suicide Call Back Service 1300 659 467 Kids Helpline 1800 55 1800 MensLine 1300 78 99 78 beyondblue 1300 22 4636 Qlife 1800 184 527 For a comprehensive list of support available to you in Australia, visit www.suicidepreventionaust.org and click on the Get Help button.

SPA team member Nikki speaks with Community Ambassador Joe Williams at a Sydney Ideas event on 26 October 2017. Running time: 55 seconds. The forum brought together expert First Nations Community and University speakers to discuss the importance of increasing awareness about mental illness within the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. Joe Williams, a First Nations mental health campaigner and former elite athlete, shares his story and discusses his current work in the keynote address. He is joined in a panel discussion by University of Sydney and community members Dr Vanessa Lee (also SPA Board Director) , Percival Knight and Will Muwadda. Facilitated by actor Luke Carroll. More information http://sydney.edu.au/sydney_ideas/lectures/2017/aboriginal_torres_strait_islander_mental_health_forum.shtml #mentalhealthmonth #livedexp #SydneyIdeas #mentalhealth

On R U OK?Day (14 September), we had a chat with Commando about why he signed up to support R U OK? as an Ambassador, his experiences on the road as part of the Conversation Convoy and how he manages his mental wellness. A conversation can change a life. Visit ruok.org.au to find out more about how to have those conversations and check in with people in your life. #RUOK #Youvegotwhatittakes It is so important to talk openly and safely about suicide but, if listening to this triggers difficult emotions in you, please talk about how you’re feeling with a trusted family member, friend or people at one of our partner organisations. Call Lifeline on 131114, MensLine 1300 78 99 78, Suicide Call Back Service 1300 659 467 or Kids Helpline 1800 551800 FREE. For a comprehensive list of Australian support and services available visit https://communitiesmatter.suicidepreventionaust.org/content/useful-contacts Outside of Australia? Find local support http://www.iasp.info/resources/Crisis_Centres/

Our Lived Experience Network Manager, Tracy, is in Bega today supporting the Bega Valley Suicide Prevention Action Network's contribution to World Suicide Prevention Day, their regular stand at the local markets. It sounds like a beautiful day and an inviting location for conversations. Thank you Bega SPAN and Tracy for taking a minute to share with us what you're up to today. A conversation at the markets with people like yourselves equipped with conversation tools and support information really can change a life. #WSPD #Takeaminutechangealife Talking about suicide is so important but it can bring up tough emotions, particularly on days like today. Please take care and reach out to a trusted family member, friend or one of our partners if you need to talk about how you’re feeling https://communitiesmatter.suicidepreventionaust.org/content/useful-contacts

Pictured: Gus Worland, Kim Borrowdale and Hunter Johnson Beat the Breakdown Spring Ball #beatthebreakdown #suicideprevention 1 September 2017, Sydney Thanks Gus. As Gus mentioned, I work for Suicide Prevention Australia, the peak body for suicide prevention in this country. We bring together not for profits, business, Government and community to work together on the complex and very individual challenge of suicide. One of our Member Organisations is Lifeline Australia, who are extremely grateful for your support this evening. I wanted to take a moment to acknowledge all of you in the room tonight with personal experience of suicide and the pain it brings to our lives. We are united by those experiences as well as by our hope for a better future. It will probably come as no surprise to you that I came to work in this space after my family was impacted by suicide. Before it touched our lives, I didn't personally know anyone who had killed themselves. I didn't know anyone who had tried to end their life a

Professor Graham Martin, University of Queensland, delivers the 2017 Diego de Leo Opening Address, 'Mind The Gaps' - on Relationships, Resilience and Respect at the National Suicide Prevention Conference, Sofitel, Brisbane 26-29 July. Sponsored by Griffith University and the Australian Institute for Suicide Research and Prevention. If you or anyone you know is experiencing a personal crisis, please call Lifeline on 13 11 14. #ManyVoicesOneGoal #suicideprevention #NSPC17

Dr Kim Van Orden, Assistant Professor, Department of Psychiatry, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, New York, USA on 'Connecting and contributing - Behavioural strategies to improve relationships and reduce suicide risk in later life' at the National Suicide Prevention Conference at the Sofitel in Brisbane 26-29 July. Sponsored by Mates In Construction. If you or anyone you know is experiencing a personal crisis, please call Lifeline on 13 11 14. #ManyVoicesOneGoal #suicideprevention #NSPC17

Professor Ella Arensman, Scientific Director, National Suicide Research Foundation and Research Professor, Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University College Cork, Ireland, Past President, International Association for Suicide Prevention on 'Self-harm and suicide in young people and those in the middle age group - Associated risk factors and evidence based interventions' at the National Suicide Prevention Conference at the Sofitel in Brisbane 26-29 July. Sponsored by The Ian Potter Foundation. If you or anyone you know is experiencing a personal crisis, please call Lifeline on 13 11 14. #ManyVoicesOneGoal #suicideprevention #NSPC17

June Oscar AO, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner on 'Strength in culture - Pathways between pain and resilience' at the National Suicide Prevention Conference at the Sofitel in Brisbane 26-29 July. If you or anyone you know is experiencing a personal crisis, please call Lifeline on 13 11 14. #ManyVoicesOneGoal #suicideprevention #NSPC17

Dr Michael Dudley AM is a Senior Staff Specialist in Psychiatry with Sydney’s Prince of Wales Hospital Adolescent Service and Conjoint Senior Lecturer in Psychiatry, University of New South Wales. He primarily works as a clinician to young people, families and parents in an adolescent mental health service. As a conjoint academic, he is involved in teaching suicide prevention and youth mental health to medical students at UNSW, and serves on various boards and committees. He maintains interests in rural and Indigenous suicide and mental health issues, ethics, and the role of religion/spirituality and mental health in contemporary culture. In 2011 Michael became a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) for work in child and adolescent mental health and a range of professional associations and has been acknowledged by the NSW Health Department’s Better Health Awards, Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry and ReachOut.com. This has included specific recognition for his work on gun control as well as h

The recipient of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander category award is: The Suicide Story Aboriginal Advisory Group, Mental Health Association of Central Australia’s Suicide Story Program We speak with Jody Kopp, representing Suicide Story. Suicide Story is a suicide prevention and community capacity building program developed at the request of and with remote Aboriginal communities in the Northern Territory. The program content was developed in collaboration between Mental Health Association of Central Australia (MHACA) and local Aboriginal people in the Northern Territory and the content reflects the teachings and guidance of Aboriginal people. The Suicide Story Aboriginal Advisory Group (SSAAG) is a group of community leaders and Aboriginal allied health workers who ensure cultural competence and storytelling integrity throughout workshop deliveries. They have been described as “cultural brokers”, maintaining cultural integrity across a huge geographical scale, in 20 language groups, supporting s

We speak with Pauline Neil from the Life4Life program. Live4Life is a unique schools and community partnership, locally place based initiative, addressing youth suicide through mental health promotion, in the Macedon Ranges, central Victoria since 2010. It was developed in response to a number of youth suicides in the local area, which already had a high rate of suicide. The goal of Live4Life is to educate young people and their communities empowering them to seek help and help others who may be dealing with a mental health issue. Live4Life partners with community organisations and five secondary schools in the Macedon Ranges to deliver interactive mental health awareness education sessions to year 8 students. A group of 30 Year 9 and 10 students form the Live4Life crew and assist in the delivery of education and events to year 8 students Live4Life also delivers Youth Mental Health First Aid training to parents, teachers and the broader community several times each year to further support young people and

We speak with Dr Kairi Kolves, who is the Principal Research Fellow and Course Convener at AISRAP. The Australian Institute for Suicide Research and Prevention (AISRAP) has been a research centre at Griffith University since 1996, delivering high quality research, clinical services, training & education in suicide prevention.. Since 2008 AISRAP has been a National Centre of Excellence in suicide prevention informing the Department of Health on policy, prevention and best-practice initiatives nationally. AISRAP is the only World Health Organization Collaborating Centre for Research and Training in Suicide Prevention in Australia, and one of only five centres in the world of this kind. AISRAP made significant contributions to the 2014 WHO Preventing suicide: A global imperative report and has collaborated with numerous stakeholders in suicide research and prevention both nationally and internationally over the past 2 decades. Its researchers are highly respected international experts, with over 200 peer-

Gus Worland is a broadcaster with Sydney’s Triple M radio station and a passionate advocate for the health and happiness of Australian men. He is the presenter of three-part television series which aired on the ABC in October 2016, Man Up, created by Heiress Films in collaboration with the University of Melbourne’s Professor Jane Pirkis, Movember Foundation, the ABC and others. Man Up follows Gus visiting community organisations such as Lifeline to learn about the support services available for people struggling with life’s challenges or thinking about suicide. He also speaks to men who have attempted suicide to understand what led them to that depth of despair and, importantly, to ask: how did they recover? The series is intensely personal for Gus, who lost one of his best friends to suicide in 2006. The episodes chart Gus’s attempt to understand what his friend was thinking and why he didn’t reach out for help. In doing so, Gus explores the stoic ideals of manhood ways that are heart-warming, humorous and,

Community Engagement (Organisation): SPEAK UP Stay ChatTY When his younger brother Ty took his own life in 2013, Mitch McPherson founded the suicide prevention charity SPEAK UP Stay ChatTY, to spread the message that nothing is so bad that you can’t talk about it. Stay ChatTY work in partnership with Relationships Australia Tasmania. SUSCs dedicated approach to suicide prevention and awareness has seen the charity positively affect the lives of thousands of Tasmanians, using personal experience to promote the importance of checking in with family and friends to identify possible hidden issues affecting individuals. Since 2013, SUSC has spoken to more than 600 school groups, workplaces and sporting clubs throughout Tasmania and partners with key community groups, businesses and sporting identities. SUSC has raised awareness throughout the community with visual reminders of more than 30,000 bumper stickers, over 8,000 wrist bands and more recently a full clothing range. In 2014 SUSC partnered with Relationships

Kerrie Keepa is passionate about suicide awareness and prevention. She founded SOS Fast (Survivors of Suicide Fighting Against Suicide Toll) in response to the loss of a brother, two sisters, nephew and her son Chris to suicide, following Chris’s discharge from hospital. SOS Fast hosts regular events to reduce stigma and promote community engagement, raising awareness of mental illness and suicide prevention. Through tireless commitment, Kerrie collected over 65,000 signatures on a Change.org petition calling for better mental health training for hospital emergency department staff. She also established a facebook page SOS Fast that now has a following of more than 30,000 people across the world. As a result of her tireless commitment, Kerrie met with Minister for Health Cameron Dick who in July 2015, announced funding to enhance the capability of Queensland hospital emergency departments. Kerrie says “Our Accident & Emergency staff need to be trained to help all sick people, not just people with physica