With suicide being the leading cause of death for Australians aged between 15 and 44 years, a new cross-sector alliance has been formed in the Bega Valley and Eurobodalla, aimed at lowering suicide rates in the region.
Bega Valley Eurobodalla Suicide Prevention Collaborative (the Collaborative) aims to reduce the impact of suicide through providing easier access to a range of information and support options, growing and supporting the suicide prevention and lived experience workforce and coordinating our response when there is a loss in the community.
The Collaborative will also help advocate for the needs of the region, by being a united voice for the changes needed to reduce suicide within our rural and regional context, ensuring support options meet local people’s needs, are inclusive, compassionate, sustainable and accountable.
The newly formed collaborative consists of more than 30 individuals, including representatives from 18 local organisations and entities including government, non-government, health, education, social services and community bodies. This is not a closed group, the invitation to join the Collaborative is open to like-minded individuals and organisations.
The official launch of The Collaborative was held on at the Bega Valley Civic Centre last Thursday (may 25) with representation from local community members, people with lived experience of suicide, service providers and local organisations in attendance.
According to Jo Riley, Suicide Prevention Program Manager at COORDINARE – South Eastern NSW Primary Health Network, it makes sense for suicide prevention interventions to work within a community but she said there needs to be a broad range of approaches, targeting many areas, simultaneously.
“We’re coming together to reduce suicide and the impact of suicide in the region by making it easier to access information and support as well as thinking about how we coordinate our efforts in the community,” Ms Riley told East Coast Radio.
“Everyone involved either live or work or both in the Bega Valley or the Eurobdoalla,” she said.
“We have people from organisations like my own (the Primary Health Network), but also the Southern NSW Local Health District, other government agencies as well as representatives from education, social services and other community bodies.”
If you are interested in joining the Collaborative to have a meaningful impact on reducing suicide in the Bega Valley and Eurobodalla communities, please email [email protected]
If you are feeling distressed and in need of immediate assistance, please contact Lifeline (24/7, phone 13 1114) or 13YARN (24/7, phone 13 92 76). Support for those impacted by suicide loss is available from StandBy Support After Suicide (24/7, phone 1300 727 247) and Thirrili Indigenous Postvention Support (24/7,phone 1800 805 801).
Please note Bega Valley Eurobodalla Suicide Prevention Collaborative is not a crisis response service.
If you, or someone you are with, is in immediate danger call 000
Crisis and Counselling Telephone Lines:
- Lifeline: 13 11 14
- Suicide Call Back Service: 1300 659 467
- 13YARN: 13 92 76
- BeyondBlue: 1300 22 4636
- Men’s Line: 1300 78 99 78
- Veterans Line: 1800 011 046
- Qlife: 1800 184 527
- Kids Helpline: 1800 55 1800
Images: Glenn Cotter – RU OK
