Halving the suicide rate across Victoria requires a clear understanding of the issues and what works in place-based suicide prevention.
Close to 80 people came together in June to explore these matters with a with a range of statewide and national organisations representing government, sector and people with lived experience. Partners in Victoria’s place-based suicide prevention trials were encouraged to use the event to reflect on the structures and supports they will require to generate the greatest impact for local communities.
Participants heard from beyondblue, the Coroner’s Prevention Unit (who will be providing data to support the trial sites), the Australian Prevention Partnership Centre and Western Sydney University, Suicide Prevention Australia and Orygen National Centre of Excellence in Youth Mental Health, and the Black Dog Institute. Each of these organisations provided their perspective and knowledge to the mix, covering co-design and working with people with lived experience, decision support tools, and supporting the evidence base for suicide prevention.
In addition, participants were thrilled to have Professor Pat Dudgeon from the University of Western Australia’s School of Indigenous studies join the event. Professor Dudgeon is leading the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island Suicide Prevention Evaluation Project (ATSISPEP) and as part of her visit she also spent time with department staff to further explore opportunities to prevent suicide in Aboriginal communities.
The outcomes of this event will help to generate a support strategy for place-based prevention trials across Victoria.
For more information on the suicide prevention trials in Victorian visit the Department’s website.
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