A free workshop is empowering community members with the skills to recognise and work with people at risk of suicide.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Lifeline Ballarat program manager Michelle MacGillivray said it was a topic many people were hesitant to touch, but having a conversation could potentially save someone’s life.
“There is still a lot of stigma around suicide but we know the number of suicides is continuing to increase,” she said. “We can’t hide it. We have got to talk about it and work together to deal with it because most people don’t want to die by suicide.”
The Ballarat and District Suicide Prevention Network and Lifeline Ballarat have teamed up to offer safeTALK, a workshop that prepares anyone over the age of 15 to become an “alert helper”.
Lifeline facilitators will help attendees recognise the invitations for help from people with thoughts of suicide through their words and actions.
Ms MacGillivray said the first thing to do was start with the question: Are you thinking about suicide?
Then listen to what the person has to say in response and connect them to life-saving intervention and resources.
“It is important to realise it is okay to ask them the question, it gives them permission to talk about it,” she said. “If you don’t know how to do it, attend a safe talk or call lifeline to get advice, don’t leave them alone.”
Registrations for the workshops are already filling fast. Ms MacGillivray said it showed the demand was there.
“(Suicide) is a problem in every community across Australia, we need to work together as a community to combat it,” she said.
Ballarat and District Suicide Prevention Network chairman Des Hudson said the workshops were proactive and preventative, offering a skill for life that could benefit all members of the community.
“For many of us we don’t know that we need to actually be quite open and frank about the subject we’re talking about,” he said. “Often people think, ‘gee that is the last thing I want to talk about in the conversation’.”
But Cr Hudson said it was essential to talk about suicide at all levels of the community, from governments increasing their funding to services and support networks, as well as in the home.
The three hour workshops take place on February 25, March 7, and May 4. For more information or to register visit lifeline.org.au/ballarat/.
