Initiative aims to halve Maroondah suicide rates by 2025

Initiative aims to halve Maroondah suicide rates by 2025

09 November, 2017

Leaders and influencers, emergency responders, sporting clubs, and consumers and carers will gather this month to identify and develop suicide prevention initiatives, aiming to halve Maroondah suicide rates by 2025.

Eastern Melbourne PHN (EMPHN) will launch the Maroondah Place-Based Suicide Prevention Trial on 14 November to develop, coordinate and establish a plan for how the Maroondah community can work together to prevent suicide in the region.

Member for Deakin, Michael Sukkar MP, said the loss from suicide is a tragedy and has a lasting impact on individuals, families, communities and the nation.

“The Place-Based Suicide Prevention Trial aims to gather people together to contribute to the conversation and develop a local approach to suicide prevention for the Maroondah community that has the capacity to be applied in other areas,” he said.

“Suicide has a devastating impact on the community and the trial aims to enhance the community’s and system’s response with the goal of saving lives.”

EMPHN CEO, Robin Whyte, said suicide is a leading cause of death of young Australians aged 15-24¹.

“There are around eight deaths by suicide across the population each day in Australia, with deaths in males three times greater than females, and the suicide rate among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people is more than double the national rate²,” she said.

“We encourage the community and people with lived experience to contribute to the conversation through a series of workshops planned for November in Maroondah, and help develop a local approach to suicide prevention and action to inform a Suicide Prevention Action Plan.”

This initiative is supported by funding from the Australian Government under the PHN Program.

Workshop details:

Inaugural workshop – for leaders and influencers from community groups, associations, sporting clubs, government, non-government, business, health, education, hospital, emergency responders, researchers, industry stakeholders, and consumers and carers to collectively identify the needs and actions required for the region in relation to suicide prevention.

Tuesday 14 November, 9.30am-3pm

Karralyka Centre, Mines Road, Ringwood East


Workshop 1: Community - for people from community groups, associations, sporting clubs, business, health, education, consumers and carers, and people with lived experience.

Tuesday 21 November, 6-8.30pm

Federation Estate, Ringwood


Workshop 2: Lived Experience - specifically for people who have "experienced suicidal thoughts, survived a suicide attempt, cared for someone who has been suicidal, or been bereaved by suicide" (rosesintheocean.com.au). We want to hear about the type of support received, what worked well and what could have been done differently. This will also be an opportunity to get involved in an ongoing way in the Action Plan.

Monday 27 November, 6-8.30pm

Federation Estate, Ringwood


Registrations and enquiries:

www.emphn.org.au/suicide_prevention

9043 0300


¹ https://www.youthbeyondblue.com/footer/stats-and-facts

² https://www.lifeline.org.au/about-lifeline/lifeline-information/statistics-on-suicide-in-australia