Issuu

SUICIDE PREVENTION PRIORITIES FRAMEWORK FOR GIPPSLAND An initiative of the Place-Based Suicide Prevention Trials Project Latrobe Valley and Bass Coast | South Gippsland 2016 – 2022

SUICIDE PREVENTION PRIORITIES FRAMEWORK FOR GIPPSLAND

The Place-Based Suicide Prevention Trials project is funded jointly by the Victorian Department of Health and Gippsland PHN to work with communities to contribute to the reduction of the suicide rate within the Latrobe Valley and Bass Coast/South Gippsland. For more information visit https://gphn.org.au/what-we-do/programs/suicide-prevention-program/

SUICIDE PREVENTION PRIORITIES FRAMEWORK FOR GIPPSLAND

What we know about suicide The impact of suicide The impact of a suicide has a profound effect on families, friends and communities. In Victoria, in 2019 the number of suicides was more than twice the number of road accident deaths: 718 lives lost to suicide and 266 lost on the roads i .

Information we have about suicide in Gippsland shows that:

Most people who die by suicide are men.

Most people who die by

suicide are over the age

Many people express their intentions (directly and/or indirectly) before they suicide.

of 35.

About one-third to

one-half of all people

who die by suicide seek treatment.*

Most people die at their usual place of residence.

About one-third of people who die by suicide had been engaged with specialist mental health services.

Suicide risk is higher for people who have experienced trauma and/ or marginalisation.

What have we done so far to help prevent suicide in Gippsland? Gippsland Primary Health Network (GPHN) has been coordinating the Place-Based Suicide Prevention Trials (PBSPT) project since 2016. This involves delivering local suicide prevention activities in the Bass Coast / South Gippsland and Latrobe Valley Local Government Areas (LGAs). A place-based approach recognises that the places where people live and spend their time can affect their health and wellbeing. The Place-Based Suicide Prevention Trials project activities are guided by the evidence-based Black Dog Institute’s LifeSpan model for suicide prevention. The aim of the PBSPT is to build a community safety net where people work together to prevent suicide and support people in crisis. The PBSPT project is finishing in June 2022, so shared priorities have been developed to inform continuing suicide prevention activities across Gippsland. i. Coroners Court of Victoria, Suicide Data Summary, 2009–19; Coroners Court of Victoria, Monthly Suicide Data Report: November 2020 Update, 2020, p. 3

* Examples of treatment include: FRAMEWORK General Practitioner, mental health practitioner, Alcohol and Other Drug treatment SUICIDE PREVENTION PRIORITIES FOR GIPPSLAND service, admission to an acute psychiatric ward.

By working together, we can build a community safety net that helps prevent suicide. Who has been involved?

A workshop with representatives from key organisations involved in suicide prevention within Gippsland was held to discuss suicide prevention activities and identify priorities. This included representatives from the following organisations: • Gippsland Primary Health Network • Jesuit Social Services • Latrobe Regional Hospital • Lifeline Gippsland • Wellways Australia

How were the suicide prevention priorities decided? Suicide data, community needs and current suicide prevention activities in Gippsland were discussed by workshop participants. Potential priorities were identified, assessed against the following criteria and ranked in order of importance. The criteria included: • Alignment with the PBSPT project outcomes • Be sustainable past the life of the PBST project (June 2022) • Have a Gippsland wide focus • Lead to collective outcomes • Be practitioner informed

What are the Suicide Prevention Priorities for Gippsland?

Four priorities were collaboratively developed: 1. Services in Gippsland are inclusive and accessible, especially for people who are in most need. 2. Primary healthcare providers (including GPs) utilise a consistent screening tool for suicide risk and refer people to a range of support services, both clinical and non-clinical. 3. Local media use safe reporting when a suicide, potential suicide or accidental death occurs to minimize the suicide contagion risk in small communities. 4. People with a lived experience of suicide are supported to tell their stories safely and contribute to building the community safety net that helps prevent suicide. SUICIDE PREVENTION PRIORITIES FRAMEWORK FOR GIPPSLAND

Priority

Services in Gippsland are inclusive and accessible, especially for people who are in most need. Why is this important? Suicide risk is higher for people who have experienced trauma and/or marginalisation. This includes (but is not limited to): Aboriginal Australians; LGBTIQA+ people; people living with a disability; people from culturally and linguistically diverse populations including refugees and veterans. Barriers to accessing mainstream services can be due to: real or perceived discrimination; stigma; non-inclusive practices and culturally inappropriate environments. Coroners data indicates that of all deaths by suicide, men consistently make up around 70% across all age groups. In addition, around one quarter of deaths by people between the ages of 15 and 25 are attributed to suicide. Men and young people are therefore considered an overall at risk population who may also experience challenges accessing services that are not proactively male and/or youth friendly. Barriers could include a real or perceived stereotyping of masculinity as dysfunctional or dismissing a young persons’ distress as attention seeking. It is important that mainstream mental health and suicide prevention services in Gippsland are inclusive and accessible to all.

What outcome will be achieved? All Gippsland community members, including those most in need, have access to welcoming and inclusive services appropriate to their diverse characteristics and life experiences.

How will we know we are achieving this? We will know we are achieving this when we see: • All services in Gippsland utilising best practice audit tools (such as the Rainbow Tick, Men’s Health Gender Tool) to adjust their policies and practices to be more inclusive. • All services in Gippsland demonstrating organisational cultural competence and integration of Aboriginal values in relation to planning and service delivery. • All services in Gippsland undertaking whole of organisation LGBTIQA+ affirmative practice training with accredited providers such as Rainbow Health Victoria. • People from diverse communities engaging with services in Gippsland and this is reflected in reporting and client/patient data. • Regional population health data capturing and tracking the health and wellbeing status of people from diverse communities.

SUICIDE PREVENTION PRIORITIES FRAMEWORK FOR GIPPSLAND

Priority

Primary healthcare providers (including GPs) utilise a consistent screening tool for suicide risk and refer people to a range of support services, both clinical and non-clinical. Why is this important? Primary healthcare providers, including General Practitioners (GPs), are often the first point of contact for people within the health care system. Barriers to accessing mainstream services can be due to: real or perceived discrimination; stigma; non-inclusive practices and culturally inappropriate environments. People who are severely distressed and/or experiencing significant life challenges may be at risk of suicide at the time they visit their primary healthcare provider. Suicide data for Gippslandi,ii indicates that half of all people who die by suicide had received recent clinical treatment. Examples of treatment included: General Practitioner; Mental Health practitioner; Alcohol and Other Drug treatment service or admission to an acute psychiatric ward. The main contact points for people who suicided without a diagnosed complex mental ill health condition were GPs and psychologists. It is therefore important for primary healthcare providers to be able to identify people who are at risk of suicide (including those bereaved by suicide) and ensure their access to a range of clinical and non clinal support services.

What outcome will be achieved? People at risk of suicide will receive early intervention by their primary healthcare provider through effective screening and referral to a range of support options both clinical and non-clinical.

How will we know we are achieving this? We will know we are achieving this when we see: • The development and use of an effective suicide risk screening tool for primary healthcare providers. • Primary healthcare providers referring people at risk of suicide to a range of clinical and nonclinical support services and providing follow up appointments to monitor their progress. • Primary healthcare providers utilising HealthPathways Gippsland for current information about suicide; suicide risk; intentional self-harm; suicide bereavement and related clinical and nonclinical support services.

i. Latrobe Regional Hospital, Suicide Register 2014 - 2018 ii. Coroners Court of Victoria, Annual Suicide Reports 2011 – 2020 for all Gippsland LGAs (controlled documents)

SUICIDE PREVENTION PRIORITIES FRAMEWORK FOR GIPPSLAND

Priority

Local media use safe reporting when a suicide, potential suicide or accidental death occurs to minimize the suicide contagion risk in small communities. Why is this important?

The social transmission of suicidal behaviuors (also called contagion) occurs directly (via contact or friendship) or indirectly (via word of mouth or media). Though uncommon, suicide clusters can result. Clusters involve multiple suicides which occur closer in time or place than would normally be expected. Not all involve social links between cluster members, and they are more likely in communities (place-based, interest-based, circumstance-based, or virtual) where several underlying risk factors are already present. These factors can include things like exposure to sudden, multiple and unexpected accidental deaths (such as car accidents), sudden increases in unemployment, or being in an isolated, remote and/or sparsely populated place. Indirectly transmitted clusters can occur from the broadcast or publishing of actual or fictional suicides. It is important for local media and other organisations who interact with and influence communities (key influencers) to understand that they can play a key role in both preventing and responding to suicide clusters i. Mindframe Australia have undertaken research studies to inform the development of guidelines which support safe media reporting, portrayal and communication about suicide.

What outcome will be achieved?

Local media reporting of suicide and accidental death uses safe language and includes messaging which focuses on encouraging help seeking behaviour and promoting support services. For more information: Suicide Prevention Resources for Gippsland

How will we know we are achieving this? We will know we are achieving this when we see:

• Mindframe Guidelines being widely understood and always followed by key influencers such as local media and key organisations. • Key influencers monitoring their social media threads for unsafe communication about suicide and responding with messaging that encourages help seeking and promotes support services. • Public communication about local suicides using safe language that reduces stereotyping and stigma around mental ill health and does not sensationalise, glamourise or over simplify suicide.

i. Preventing the social transmission of suicidal behaviours, Murray PHN 2021

SUICIDE PREVENTION PRIORITIES FRAMEWORK FOR GIPPSLAND

Priority

People with a lived experience of suicide are supported to tell their stories safely and contribute to building the community safety net that helps prevent suicide. Why is this important?

The following extract comes from Mindframe Australia: “Lived experience speakers play an important role in representing community understanding of suicide and its impacts. Appropriately trained speakers are strong advocates to include in suicide prevention planning and can assist in reducing stigma and improving knowledge and understanding of suicide in Australia. Lived experience speakers can help to: • improve community understanding of suicide; • correct myths and stereotypes about suicide; • reduce fear, shame and stigma around suicide; • increase understanding of the challenges experienced by someone with lived experience of suicide or caring for someone with lived experience; • encourage people vulnerable to or at risk of suicide to seek treatment and support early on; • provide people with accurate information about suicide related issues.” It is important that anyone with lived experience of suicide who wishes to contribute to suicide prevention can do so in a positive, safe and effective way. • Mindframe Australia has developed a suite of resources to support, encourage and build the capacity of those with lived experience. • Roses in The Ocean is the lead organisation for lived experience of suicide in Australia and can provide support; training and lived experience speakers. • Wellways provides lived experience speaker training and peer reflection groups for people living in Gippsland.

What outcome will be achieved?

Gippsland has an organised, well-resourced and supported lived experience workforce who have the capacity and skills to tell their stories safely and contribute to building the community safety net.

How will we know we are achieving this? We will know we are achieving this when we see:

• Organisations utilising lived experience speakers engage people who are appropriately trained and supported to tell their stories in a way that is safe for themselves and others. • People with lived experience contributing to suicide prevention planning and implementation across Gippsland through their membership of a coordinated lived experience workforce.

SUICIDE PREVENTION PRIORITIES FRAMEWORK FOR GIPPSLAND