Building suicide prevention capability where people live and work
Sometimes the person who notices someone is struggling is not a mental health professional. It might be a pharmacist, workmate, teacher or community worker.
During 2025-2026, Murrumbidgee Primary Health Network (MPHN) used Targeted Regional Initiatives for Suicide Prevention (TRISP) funding to take suicide prevention training into the places where people already live, work and connect, building the confidence of more people to recognise distress, start difficult conversations and connect someone with support.
The Suicide Prevention in Pharmacy Program, delivered with the Black Dog Institute, combined specialist training with quality improvement activities designed to embed suicide prevention into everyday pharmacy practice. Five Murrumbidgee pharmacies participated, with 100% reporting increased confidence in identifying people at risk, responding to disclosures and making appropriate referrals. All five also implemented or strengthened suicide prevention practices within their pharmacies.
The impact was almost immediate, as one participant explained: “Within two days of completing the initial online training, our team identified an individual who may have been at risk and were able to make an appropriate referral for support.”
MPHN also partnered with MATES in Construction to reach workers in construction and trades – a predominantly male workforce that can be difficult to reach through conventional health settings. Training was delivered to 50 people, with participants reporting greater confidence to talk openly about suicide at work and at home.
Training delivered by the Black Dog Institute included Advanced Training in Suicide Prevention and Youth in Distress, reaching 180 participants, and helping to build local capacity to recognise signs of distress and connect people with support.
Together, these initiatives reflect a deliberate shift: making suicide prevention everyone’s business by strengthening the confidence of more workplaces, services and communities to recognise and response to distress.