LifeSpan brings suicide prevention training to thousands of Murrumbidgee residents

Almost 4,000 Murrumbidgee locals are now equipped to help prevent suicide, thanks to the LifeSpan Murrumbidgee suicide prevention program.

Developed by the Black Dog Institute, LifeSpan has been trialled in five locations across NSW and the ACT, after it received a grant from the Paul Ramsay Foundation.

An innovative, evidence-based, world-class approach to suicide prevention, LifeSpan combines nine evidence-based suicide prevention strategies into one community-led approach.

The program aims to build a safety net for the community by connecting and coordinating new and existing interventions and programs, and building the capacity of the community to better support people facing a suicide crisis.

Although the two-year trial in the Murrumbidgee region is now complete, those responsible for the program believe there is plenty of work to continue.

“While the research component of LifeSpan is now finished, our broader suicide prevention activity will continue,” LifeSpan Murrumbidgee coordinator Seryn Adams said.

“LifeSpan has been the driver behind some fantastic initiatives now being implemented across the whole of the Murrumbidgee, but there is still plenty of work to be done.

“We all have a role to play in suicide prevention, including looking after ourselves and supporting each other, but it is only by working together that we can prevent suicide,” she said.

One of the key programs delivered by LifeSpan was a school-based youth mental health course for Year 9 students in the Murrumbidgee region. More than 2,000 students took part in the program during the past two years.

LifeSpan also facilitated Question Persuade Refer (QPR) training for almost 1,200 individuals, equipping them with the skills to identify those who are at risk of suicide, provide them with immediate support, and connect them with services.

A further 210 people completed the Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training course; and 151 clinicians took part in the Collaborative Assessment and Management of Suicidality program.

Murrumbidgee Primary Health Network (MPHN) CEO Melissa Neal said MPHN would continue to fund QPR training despite the trial period ceasing.

“The success of LifeSpan Murrumbidgee is a testament to the commitment and dedication of the whole Murrumbidgee community to suicide prevention and building local community capacity to help support and foster well mental health and resilience,” Ms Neal said.

“Equally, as an organisation, we place a high importance on suicide prevention training, which is why we will keep offering QPR training for free to people living in the Murrumbidgee region. I would certainly encourage people who haven’t completed the training to take an opportunity while you are physical distancing at home.

“The LifeSpan team has forged numerous strong professional relationships with healthcare providers and first responders in our region, and this will enable us to continue to work together to improve health outcomes for our community,” she said.

QPR training helps people identify those who might be at risk of suicide, how to talk with them and the knowledge of how to connect them with professional care. To complete your free online QPR training visit www.mphn.org.au/qpr. It only takes 60 minutes and it could help you save a life.