Saving someone’s life can begin with having a conversation. Approximately 40 per cent of people who die by suicide have not had contact with health services in the past 12 months. We can support people who are experiencing suicidal thoughts or distress by creating opportunities to have a conversation.
Through the Community Gatekeeper Training initiative, organisations across NSW have received funding to deliver specialty suicide awareness and prevention skills training courses to over 10,000 members of the community.
Gatekeepers are people in our community who may come into contact with people who are experiencing suicidal thinking or behaviour. This could include people who work in our community as sports coaches, teachers, youth workers, clergy, pharmacists, aged care workers, people working in the construction industry, and many others.
As part of Gatekeeper Training, members of the community will learn how to identify behavioural changes or elevated suicide risk, and skills to safely speak to and support individuals experiencing suicidal ideation or self-harm.
NSW Health has partnered with the following organisations across NSW to deliver gatekeeper training:
- Condobolin Aboriginal Health Service- supporting Aboriginal communities in Condobolin
- Lifeline South Coast (NSW) Wollongong Mission - supporting men in workplaces in the Wollongong community
- LivingWorks - supporting communities and industries across across NSW, including veterinarians, rural remote communities and first responders inculding the Rural Fire Services and family lawyers
- Master Builders Association of NSW- supporting people working in the construction industry
- Northern Beaches Council (in consortium with Lifeline Northern Beaches, Northern Beaches Police and Sydney North Health Network) - supporting the community of the Northern Beaches, including young people, men, older people and first responders
- Twenty10: supporting members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex (LGBTI) community in NSW
- University of Wollongong (in colloboration with South Coast Medical Service Aboriginal Corporation) - supporting the Aboriginal communities in Shoalhaven
- Wellways - supporting the Murrumbidgee community
- Katungul Aboriginal Corporation Regional Health and Community Services - supporting the Aboriginal communities in Bega Valley and Eurobodalla
- Lifeline Central West - supporting communities in Blayney and Oberon
- Compass Housing Services - supporting people in social and affordable housing in Cessnock, Singleton and Taree
- Community Activities Lake Macquarie (CALM)- supporting young people living in Lake Macquarie
- Roses in the Ocean - supporting people with lived experience of suicide in Hunter New England and Western NSW.
Contacts
If you’re interested in the Community Gatekeeper Training initiative, you are welcome to reach out directly to the organisations:
- Condobolin Aboriginal Health Service
Tristin Mooney
t.mooney@condoahs.com.au
- Lifeline South Coast (NSW) Wollongong Mission
Monique Ferguson, Community Training and Engagement Manager
(02) 4226 7202 or 0427 193 959
Monique.ferguson@llsc.org.au
- LivingWorks
Belinda Connell, NSW Training Manager
1300 738 382
Belinda.connell@livingworks.com.au
- Master Builders Association of NSW
Omesh Jethwani, Government Projects & Programs Manager
ojethwani@mbansw.asn.au
- Northern Beaches Council
Liz Dwyer, Community Development Officer
Gatekeeper@northernbeaches.nsw.gov.au
- Twenty10
community@twenty10.org.au
- University of Wollongong (in collaboration with South Coast Medical Service Aboriginal Corporation)
Glenn Williams, Strategic Project Manager MIND the GaP
(02) 4429 1599
glennwil@uow.edu.au
- Wellways
Fran Godde, Suicide Prevention Community Development Coordinator, Murrumbidgee
fgodde@wellways.org
- Katungul Aboriginal Corporation Regional Health and Community Services
Sharon Bowen-Smith, Mental Health Services Manager
SharonB@katungul.org.au
- Lifeline Central West
1300 798 258
training@lifelinecentralwest.org.au
- Compass Housing
shoutout@compasshousing.org
- Community Activities Lake Macquarie (CALM)
Sheena Harvey, Chief Executive Officer
(02) 4950 3888
brightminds@calm.org.au
- Roses in the Ocean
Bronwen Edwards, Chief Executive Officer
0410 640 803
bronwen@rosesintheocean.com.au
Further Reading