Recommendation 27

What the Royal Commission said

The Royal Commission's Final Report recommended further support for people experiencing suicidal behaviour.

This includes training for workers that may come into contact with people experiencing suicidal behaviour. Target workers will include police officers, emergency department staff and family violence workers. The training will allow workers to provide more suitable and compassionate care.

Training for Victorians who work with communities was also recommended. Target workers could include sports coaches, teachers and hospitality staff. The training would support them to develop their suicide awareness and prevention skills. Training should also include programs developed for and by Aboriginal communities and organisations.

The recommendation also called for more workplace suicide prevention and response programs.

What are the opportunities?

The Royal Commission identified a need for additional services and supports, including:

• Aftercare programs for people who are experiencing suicidal behaviour or who have attempted suicide. These should include a specific aftercare service for the LGBTIQA+ community.
• Training for front-line workers.
• Training to support workforces and the community to support people experiencing suicidal behaviour.
• State-wide support for any person bereaved by suicide or caring for somebody experiencing suicidal thoughts or behaviour. This should include services for, and delivered by, Aboriginal communities.
• Improved supports for people experiencing psychological distress.

What are we doing?

Distress Brief Intervention

We are developing a support program for adults who are experiencing psychological distress.

Distress Brief Intervention is a collaborative approach to suicide prevention and support. It involves front line staff providing a compassionate response to people experiencing distress. A trained community health or psychosocial support worker will then contact the person within 24 hours. The worker can provide problem solving supports, wellness and distress management planning. They provide supported connections for 14 days until the period of distress is over.

The program has been found to assist people experiencing distress. It helps people address difficult circumstances in their lives. It equips them with tools and skills to manage future distress.

We will pilot the program in one metropolitan and one regional area. We will focus on areas that have the highest rates of psychological distress. We are working with local services and sectors, and people with lived experience of suicide in each region.

The program will be evaluated after 12-18 months.

LGBTIQA+ aftercare service

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, intersex, queer and other sexuality, gender and bodily diverse, asexual (LGBTIQA+) people are disproportionately impacted by suicide in Australia.

Although many LGBTIQA+ people live healthy and happy lives, Victorian LGBTIQA+ community members are 20 times more likely to have considered suicide and 8 times more likely to have attempted suicide than the general population.

LGBTIQA+ people can experience a range of challenges following a suicide attempt, including barriers to accessing safe and inclusive care and support. We know that these communities need a tailored aftercare service to meet their needs. Aftercare refers to the care provided to people after a suicide attempt and is a critical part of suicide prevention.

The Victorian Government is developing a new aftercare service to support LGBTIQA+ people after a suicide attempt. This service will be tailored to young people and adults, as recommended by the Royal Commission into Victoria’s Mental Health System.

The Victorian Department of Health is partnering with Impact Co. to develop this service. Impact Co. is consulting with targeted LGBTIQA+ community members and selected service providers to help understand the needs of the community and where gaps exist, and to develop a draft model of care. These consultations commenced in October 2023 and will continue until early 2024.

As part of the consultation, the Victorian Department of Health is inviting interested members of the broader community to partake in a survey to:

• review the work that has already been progressed through the targeted consultation process
• submit feedback on the draft model of care
• offer any further insights into how to ensure that the service is meaningful, safe, and accessible for the LGBTIQA+ community.

Take part in the survey by visiting the Impact Co. website.