Tasmania is 1 of 12 sites around Australia participating in the National Suicide Prevention Trial which will run until 30 June 2020. Funded by the Australian Government, the National Suicide Prevention trial is learning about the role local communities can play in helping to reduce suicide through knowing more about the life factors that contribute to someone taking their own life or attempting suicide.
Tasmania is using the Black Dog Institute’s LifeSpan model, which uses nine evidenced-based strategies aimed at building a community’s ability to help recognise the life situations which put people in crisis and at risk of suicide, and confidence to know how to help someone in crisis and connect them to help and support within the community.
The local government areas participating in the North West Suicide Prevention Trial in North West Tasmania are:
- Burnie
- Central Coast
- Devonport
The North West Suicide Prevention trial will focus on 2 target population groups:
- Men aged 40-64, and
- People aged 65 and over.
Community organisations, clubs and community groups play an important role in hosting, supporting and participating in suicide prevention and wellbeing initiatives. The Doing Better Together Grants aim to encourage, engage and empower community organisations to start, or continue, to take steps to implement actions which are important to them to safeguard against the risk of suicide within their communities and to ensure the ongoing wellbeing of their members.
