The first event of the Murray Primary Health Network-led Mildura Suicide Prevention trial was held in the small community of Merbein Victoria on 5 March 2018.
Run by Standby Murray, the "What do I say? What do I DO?" workshop attracted 65 people, who learnt the basis of suicide bereavement, self-care, and what to say and do after a suicide in their town.
Merryl Whyte, Murray PHN Suicide Prevention Coordinator for the Mildura place-based trial (2017-2020), said that the workshop attendance was fantastic and a record for Standby Murray. “The feedback we have had from Standby facilitator Lucinda Fraser is that they have never had numbers of this type turn up to this workshop before”.
“We are really pleased that our local community embraced this event, the first we have run as part of our Mildura trial. And that we have obviously been able to tap into and meet a need in this community.”
In the lead up to the event several Merbein residents were proactive in promoting the workshop in their town. Merryl says that this is part of the reason so many people came along. “We had assistance from quite a few Merbein people who were very keen for this training to be held in their town – and it was definitely down to them that we were able to create an event that attracted so many people away from their Monday night commitments.”
“In particular, thanks to go to Pamela Bibby who is on the steering committee for the trial. She not only helped us at a strategic level, but also spent her spare time walking the streets of Merbein placing flyers in shops and letterboxes. She is certainly a local with passion for suicide prevention and an invaluable asset for us in rolling out the trial.”
The Mildura trial commenced in August 2017 and is one of the 12 locations across the state where the Victorian state government is partnering with Primary Health Networks to test a new approach to suicide prevention. This approach involves the whole community to identify local solutions.
For more information about the place-based suicide prevention trials visit the Department of Health and Human Services website.
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