World Suicide Prevention Day

Ms CLANCY (Elder) (15:38): Today is World Suicide Prevention Day. I start by acknowledging all those we have lost to suicide, those of us who miss them deeply and those with a lived experience. This day serves as a crucial reminder of the need to work together to prevent suicide, raise awareness and foster meaningful conversations and connections. It is a call to make these efforts part of our daily lives. Whether it involves upskilling through suicide prevention training, learning about the effects of suicide on our communities or making time for important conversations with those around us, each of us has the power to make a difference.

Since my appointment as Premier's Advocate for Suicide Prevention, I have had the privilege of engaging with suicide prevention networks, groups, individuals and service providers, each with their own unique experiences and perspectives. Their insights have been invaluable in understanding challenges as well as opportunities for positive change, and I thank them so much for their time and their efforts.

I hear from people experiencing increased pressures and heightened levels of situational distress due to factors such as the cost of living, housing instability and domestic violence. The Malinauskas Labor government's commitment to new additional public housing, our Housing Roadmap, and record cost-of-living relief show we understand some people are struggling and we are working hard to make things better.

We are supporting domestic violence services, and last sitting week introduced our coercive control bill. We are significantly increasing funding to organisations like Foodbank and supporting community centres across South Australia, providing the essential infrastructure for people to feel connected and supported. Our state Suicide Prevention Plan and act both call for a whole-of-government and whole-of-community approach to suicide prevention, and I see how we are working and supporting the work of others to improve the wellbeing of South Australians in so much of what we do.

Our government is also investing in both acute and community mental health services across the state. We are providing additional mental health supports and care for patients outside of hospitals to help prevent demand on emergency departments. We are building 72 new beds across The Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Noarlunga Hospital and Modbury Hospital in brand-new additional rehabilitation mental health wards. We are building 10 extra mental health beds in the new Women's and Children's Hospital, six additional mental health beds in the Mount Gambier hospital, and a new 12-bed mental health ward in the Mount Barker hospital, the first inpatient mental health care in the Adelaide Hills.

We are working to improve mental health services for our children and young people, including the recruitment of an additional 10 child psychologists and five psychiatrists working in the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service.

Implementation of the Suicide Prevention Plan 2023-2026 has commenced and I will continue supporting those prescribed agencies in the Suicide Prevention Act in developing and implementing their suicide prevention action plans. A whole-of-government approach to suicide prevention is essential, and I am committed to promoting collaboration and coordination across government departments.

A really great example of what cross-agency collaboration looks like is the SAPOL mental health co-responder program, which operates out of the northern Adelaide and central Adelaide local health networks. Established in 2022, this program pairs a police officer with a mental health clinician to attend mental health related incidents together, allowing for onsite assessments of individuals experiencing a mental health crisis.

This collaborative approach has led to better outcomes for those in crisis, reduced the number of unnecessary emergency department visits, and improved access to mental health assessments for detainees in police custody. Since 1 January this year, the program has prevented 1,125 emergency department presentations, enhanced service delivery, created efficiencies, and generated agency savings. Additionally, SAPOL employees say they have gained a deeper understanding of how to effectively support individuals experiencing a mental health crisis.

I would really like to encourage all South Australians to talk openly about how you are doing and to seek help when needed. By fostering these conversations, we can break down barriers and stigma and make it easier for people to feel comfortable seeking support. Suicide prevention is a collective responsibility. We all have a role to play in creating safe, compassionate spaces and having meaningful conversations. Every action, no matter how small, can contribute to a safer, more supportive community.