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House of Assembly - Fifty-First Parliament, Second Session (51-2)
2007-11-13 Daily Xml
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Answers to Questions

SUICIDE POSTVENTION

12 Mr HANNA (Mitchell) (9 May 2007).

1. How is the Government promoting suicide postvention services as a suicide prevention strategy?

2. When will the Government develop a suicide postvention policy, service delivery and staff support, education for professionals and accreditation of counsellors?

3. Has a steering committee been established to guide the forming of a central administering agency and if not, why and if so, when will it report?

The Hon. J.D. HILL (Kaurna—Minister for Health, Minister for the Southern Suburbs, Minister Assisting the Premier in the Arts): The Minister for Mental Health and Substance Abuse has been advised:

1. Suicide postvention services are an important element of a suicide prevention strategy. A key South Australian initiative that promotes suicide postvention is the implementation of the primary health care suicide prevention model which is supported by the square (Suicide Questions Answers Resources) education and training package.

This initiative, which is funded by the Australian and South Australian Governments, is being coordinated by the SA Divisions of General Practice with training provided by Relationships Australia SA. It has been piloted and evaluated in three metropolitan and country regions. Implementation of the model has started in a number of country regions with training commencing in June 2007.

Although suicide postvention information is already included in the square resources, a specific booklet on suicide postvention is also being developed which will primarily target trained counsellors and therapists throughout SA already skilled in grief counselling by giving them additional skills around suicide postvention. The upskilling of existing practitioners in metropolitan and country regions will ensure that people will be able to access services in the communities where they live.

Suicide prevention and postvention is also promoted as part of the core business of the public mental health services. Relatives and friends of people who have suicided are offered grief or suicide postvention counselling from mental health services. Mental health services may also provide grief or suicide postvention counselling when significant community events occur.

As part of the National Suicide Prevention Strategy, I am advised that Anglicare SA has been funded by the Australian Government to provide a new suicide postvention program – 'Living Beyond Suicide: Support for Families Recently Bereaved Through Suicide'. This community-based postvention program will support families immediately after a suicide through the provision of emotional and practical support. This project builds on the existing work undertaken by Anglicare through its Loss and Grief Centre.

2. The South Australian Government's policy direction on suicide prevention (including postvention) is guided by and consistent with the direction of the National Suicide Prevention Strategy. As indicated in response to the previous question, suicide prevention is part of the core business of the specialist mental health services in South Australia.

3. The South Australian Government continues to collaborate closely with the Australian Government under the National Suicide Prevention Strategy to build on the learnings of suicide prevention (including postvention) initiatives to ensure a coordinated and comprehensive approach to suicide and self-harm. This includes a steering committee which addresses statewide suicide prevention issues and projects, such as square.

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