Eastern Melbourne Primary Health Network (EMPHN) has signed the National Communications Charter (The Charter), promoting common language in mental health, mental illness and suicide.
The Charter guides the way organisations talk about these topics with each other and with the community and formalises EMPHN’s committment to reducing suicide and its impacts, and improving the community’s mental health, social and emotional wellbeing.
EMPHN CEO Robin Whyte said becoming signatory to The Charter was important for the organisation to put policy into practice.
“The way we communicate and collaborate on mental health and suicide prevention can have a large impact on people, families, communities and organisations. The Charter commits us to clear and consistent communication to ensure people are encouraged to seek help when needed,” Ms Whyte said.
By becoming signatory to The Charter, EMPHN has committed to the eight guiding principles, in order to reduce stigma and promote help-seeking behaviour.
The Charter’s eight principles include:
- Make mental health, wellbeing and suicide prevention a priority issue
- Share nationally consistent information and messages
- Use The Charter as a guide for strategic communications, advocacy and awareness raising
- Respect the diversity of experience of those affected by mental ill-health or suicide
- Use appropriate, respectful and person-centred language in all communications
- Work together to maximise efforts and resources
- Acknowledge those with lived experience of mental ill-health and suicide
- Promote crisis services and help-seeking information
The National Communications Charter was redeveloped and operationalised in 2017-18 and can be viewed here