❓ The Minister for Mental Health provides an update on the Liberal-National government's suicide prevention grants program, highlighting key initiatives like suicide prevention coordinators, support for children affected by suicide, and training grants for community organisations.
AnsweredQoN 732Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
SUICIDE PREVENTION INITIATIVES
732. Mr C.D. HATTON to the Minister for
Mental Health:
Can the minister please update the
house on the Liberal–National government's suicide prevention
grants program and the benefit it is delivering to Western Australian
communities?
732. Mr C.D. HATTON to the Minister for
Mental Health:
Can the minister please update the
house on the Liberal–National government's suicide prevention
grants program and the benefit it is delivering to Western Australian
communities?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for Balcatta for
the question. As many people in the chamber realise, over the last couple of
weeks we have had two very important days—R U OK? Day and World Suicide
Prevention Day. It is very important that these days are highlighted because it
was only recently that we have been talking about suicide. It was a taboo
subject previously; it was one that we did not mention. We now need to mention
it, we now need to talk about it and we now need to address it, because,
unfortunately, the number of people who die by suicide is much greater than the
number of people who die through the road toll. It is something that we really
need to address. A lot of people do not realise the extent of the number of
people who die by suicide.
It was very pleasing last week in
federal Parliament to hear federal member Mr Julian Leeser from Berowra use his
first speech to mention a couple of things. He said —
And there is a role for government in fostering innovative solutions that
address suicide prevention. I hope that those innovative solutions will enable
communities to learn from what has worked and connect other efforts across our
country.
Members, I am very pleased with what
we are achieving in Western Australia. I am sure Mr Leeser will be very pleased
to see what innovation we are doing here in Western Australia. Firstly, our
suicide prevention strategy 2020 aims to make a significant reduction in the
number of people who die by suicide in the next four years. Through that, we
have been able to achieve a number of strategies to do this. The first one I would
like to highlight is the suicide prevention coordinators. We will have seven in
total. There are now five in place. Those people have a significant role in
their communities. They are there to assist people and the agencies who are
working with people who have been bereaved by suicide or have attempted
suicide. Those people will not just do it directly themselves; they will train
up other organisations in the community. They will work with professionals as
well and they will make sure that the services interconnect. Quite often we
have services in areas, but they do not always work with each other and they do
not always connect. Our coordinators will play a specific and very effective
role in helping in these areas. These coordinators are already in the
goldfields, the wheatbelt, the south west, the midwest and the Kimberley. We
look forward to the next two coming on board very soon.
Another initiative I am very proud
of, and it is the first in Australia, is a program set up to provide specific
support to children and young people who have been affected by someone close to
them suiciding. We all think that children get over things quite quickly. Let
me assure members that they do not. In relation to the trauma and the
difficulties they often face, the alarming statistic is that quite often those
people may go on and suicide at a greater rate than if they had not had that
experience of someone close to them suiciding. That initiative is now up and
running through Anglicare. We very much look forward to seeing how it goes in
the first year, with a view to extending that pilot.
There are also suicide prevention
training grants. They are coming out fairly constantly. They have recently been
announced. They will go to community organisations because we want to work
right across the community. The plan is that they will be able to provide the
training for people to recognise whether someone is at risk or, once again, to
connect the services. We have a specific focus on Aboriginal communities and
organisations. We will be working with them to facilitate this work going
forward.
I quote another little bit from the
federal member's speech. He said —
� we need to rebuild caring communities where people know and notice the
signs and acknowledge the people around them; where we ask, 'Are you
okay?' or, more directly and importantly, 'Are you
contemplating suicide?' And we need to create the conditions where
those who are thinking about suicide feel comfortable enough to ask for help.
Let me assure members that this
Liberal–National government is putting people on the ground and in the
communities to make a difference. We are also providing the training to expand,
help and support the communities and the people who are in them to tackle this
issue.
the question. As many people in the chamber realise, over the last couple of
weeks we have had two very important days—R U OK? Day and World Suicide
Prevention Day. It is very important that these days are highlighted because it
was only recently that we have been talking about suicide. It was a taboo
subject previously; it was one that we did not mention. We now need to mention
it, we now need to talk about it and we now need to address it, because,
unfortunately, the number of people who die by suicide is much greater than the
number of people who die through the road toll. It is something that we really
need to address. A lot of people do not realise the extent of the number of
people who die by suicide.
It was very pleasing last week in
federal Parliament to hear federal member Mr Julian Leeser from Berowra use his
first speech to mention a couple of things. He said —
And there is a role for government in fostering innovative solutions that
address suicide prevention. I hope that those innovative solutions will enable
communities to learn from what has worked and connect other efforts across our
country.
Members, I am very pleased with what
we are achieving in Western Australia. I am sure Mr Leeser will be very pleased
to see what innovation we are doing here in Western Australia. Firstly, our
suicide prevention strategy 2020 aims to make a significant reduction in the
number of people who die by suicide in the next four years. Through that, we
have been able to achieve a number of strategies to do this. The first one I would
like to highlight is the suicide prevention coordinators. We will have seven in
total. There are now five in place. Those people have a significant role in
their communities. They are there to assist people and the agencies who are
working with people who have been bereaved by suicide or have attempted
suicide. Those people will not just do it directly themselves; they will train
up other organisations in the community. They will work with professionals as
well and they will make sure that the services interconnect. Quite often we
have services in areas, but they do not always work with each other and they do
not always connect. Our coordinators will play a specific and very effective
role in helping in these areas. These coordinators are already in the
goldfields, the wheatbelt, the south west, the midwest and the Kimberley. We
look forward to the next two coming on board very soon.
Another initiative I am very proud
of, and it is the first in Australia, is a program set up to provide specific
support to children and young people who have been affected by someone close to
them suiciding. We all think that children get over things quite quickly. Let
me assure members that they do not. In relation to the trauma and the
difficulties they often face, the alarming statistic is that quite often those
people may go on and suicide at a greater rate than if they had not had that
experience of someone close to them suiciding. That initiative is now up and
running through Anglicare. We very much look forward to seeing how it goes in
the first year, with a view to extending that pilot.
There are also suicide prevention
training grants. They are coming out fairly constantly. They have recently been
announced. They will go to community organisations because we want to work
right across the community. The plan is that they will be able to provide the
training for people to recognise whether someone is at risk or, once again, to
connect the services. We have a specific focus on Aboriginal communities and
organisations. We will be working with them to facilitate this work going
forward.
I quote another little bit from the
federal member's speech. He said —
� we need to rebuild caring communities where people know and notice the
signs and acknowledge the people around them; where we ask, 'Are you
okay?' or, more directly and importantly, 'Are you
contemplating suicide?' And we need to create the conditions where
those who are thinking about suicide feel comfortable enough to ask for help.
Let me assure members that this
Liberal–National government is putting people on the ground and in the
communities to make a difference. We are also providing the training to expand,
help and support the communities and the people who are in them to tackle this
issue.
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