South West to hire suicide prevention regional co-ordinator

The appointment, along with one in the Goldfields and the Wheatbelt, is the first phase of a $3.5 million initiative to promote suicide prevention and increase community resilience and ability to respond to suicide. 

Ms Mitchell said the new positions fulfill a number of actions identified as part of the government’s Suicide Prevention 2020 Strategy. 

“These new co-ordinators will be facilitators to assist services on the ground to work in partnership to improve support and care for those affected by suicide and suicide attempts,” she said. 

“While there is a range of support services available for people in crisis in regional areas, these new positions will increase the capacity of communities to identify and respond to suicide and related mental health issues as well as to promote suicide prevention services and initiatives.

“Co-ordinators will promote suicide prevention training and self-help activities to at-risk groups, as well as training for professionals and to first responders to a suicide.”

South West MLC Adele Farina said the announcement does not go far enough to helping the South West. 

“It has been more than 12 months since the Premier launched the Suicide Prevention 2020 Strategy,” she said. 

“We are now one quarter of the way through the strategy and this position still hasn’t been filled.”

Ms Farina said people living with mental health illnesses in the South West are being let down time and again by the government. 

“The people of the South West were promised a sub-acute mental health facility that has not been delivered and we were promised a targeted youth mental health service that has yet to eventuate,” she said. 

“People with mental health problems living in the South West deserve more than empty promises.” 

Support is available for anyone who may need help by calling Kids Helpline on 1800 551 800, Lifeline on 131 114 or beyondblue 1300 22 46 36.