Sabrina’s Reach4Life (SR4L) creates public awareness around suicide prevention through community-based events. The founders draw on their lived experience to provide peer support to those bereaved by suicide, and assist adults who are struggling to get timely and appropriate support for young people.

They wanted to increase the capacity and confidence of local communities to better understand what a developing mental health problem or crisis looks like and develop the skills and confidence to offer support and apply behaviours that reduce the incidences of suicide.

Using a $20,000 In a Good Place grant SR4L developed ‘Heads Up’, a project that resulted in bespoke training across various locations in the Northern Territory.

In Darwin, a men’s only course engaged men aged between 27-73 on what the next steps can be once you discover a friend is struggling with their mental health. Topics involved a three-step action plan to apply if someone is feeling suicidal, which was fully embraced by participants. Feedback indicated that all attendees walked away with more confidence on how to sit alongside someone who was not doing okay.

Training in Litchfield was really successful, with lots of residents attending across two Sundays to learn more about recognising a developing mental health problem and subsequent action plan. Participants reported a significant shift in understanding following the training.

The training also engaged schoolteachers across the NT through a face-to-face Youth Mental Health First Aid course. Independent teachers from remote communities came from as far out as Nhulunbuy, facilitating cross-community connection and learning on how to best tackle the problem.

SR4L said, “These groups are traditionally difficult to engage. The funds really supported people to increase their knowledge and confidence around supporting someone who may not be travelling ok, as well as their own mental health.”

Huon Valley council acknowledges Traditional Custodians of the South East Nation, the Melukerdee people of the Huon River and the Lyluequonny people of the Far South.

Following a number of suicides in the Huon Valley in southwest Tasmania, the community indicated an interest in learning more about mental health and how to best support a family member, friend or colleague who may be struggling with their mental health.

With the help of a $9,255 grant through the In a Good Place program, supported by CCI Giving, the Mental Health Community Response project was initiated. Its goal was to build capacity in the Huon Valley to respond to and prevent suicide and promote mental health through the delivery of mental health first aid training to community members and groups. By providing the tools, community members could better understand and support members of the local community who may be self-harming or suicidal.

The Huon Valley Council took on a project coordination role, working closely with the Rural Alive and Well program, to reduce the stigma of suicide by promoting events widely across the community, encouraging conversations about mental health. They also ran three 12-hour Mental Health First Aid programs across some of the smaller communities in the Huon Valley, as well as delivering two self-injury focused workshops to community members struggling to support family members who self-harm.

The Huon Valley Council’s contribution was significant, as participants appreciated being able to complete the training at an affordable cost and within their own local community. COVID posed several challenges, with the delivery of training delayed, as it was agreed that face-to-face sessions were important, given the nature of the training.

Communities and individuals in the Huon Valley are now better equipped to support each other, their community, family members and colleagues dealing with serious mental health issues such as self-harm or suicidal ideation. Community networks were built and reinforced by the project. At the completion of the project, participants had the confidence and resilience to share stories and have conversations in a secure and inclusive environment, to further reduce barriers associated with discussing mental health and suicide.

For more inspiring stories like this, head to our FY 2021/22 Annual Review.