Lifeline: Strengthening Rural Communities in Crisis

Release date: 25 Jul 2005

Lifeline is training rural hairdressers, hotel workers, truck drivers and shop assistants, the people exposed through their work to a wide range of other community members, to respond to people in distress.

Lifeline is training rural hairdressers, hotel workers, truck drivers and shop assistants, the people exposed through their work to a wide range of other community members, to respond to people in distress.  

The Loddon-Mallee region has been severely impacted by drought for the past three years. Individuals and families in the region are facing difficult decisions about their future.  Stress, anxiety and depression are evident as the financial hardship continues for farmers, agriculture dependent businesses and small businesses. 

In response to the current levels of distress in the community, the Wycheproof Community Resource Centre has requested that Lifeline’s present a training package, “How Can I Help,” designed to strengthening locals’ listening skills and ability to offer support without taking on the problem or crisis, and to avoid feeling overwhelmed by their difficulties.  The training also assists in identifying situations where professional help may be needed and how to offer support in these situations.

Professor Fiona Judd, from the Centre for Rural Mental Health agrees that a persons sense of community is critical in assisting them with their experiences of stress, loss and grief and supports strategies that foster peoples ability to take care of each other in a supportive and trusting environment.

“A major problem is getting people with mental health problems to seek help, so it is essential to have people who are equipped to listen, and who are able to direct them to the right help.” she said.

Dawn Smith, CEO of Lifeline Australia agrees.

“If people are readily given the opportunity to talk about their distress it enables them to relieve the internal pressures that lead them into crisis. Once the internal pressure is relieved – very often people feel more able regain perspective and to move forward,” said Ms Smith.

Over the past three years, Lifeline has conducted LivingWorks ASIST (Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training) workshops across the region.  According to the Director of Lifeline Central Victoria & Mallee, Clive Custance, drought related distress in the region is increasingly evident.

“Disturbingly, since the beginning of the drought, the rate of suicide intervention (i.e. sending out emergency services) has risen from around 14 in 2002, to 27 in 2003 and a staggering 42 in this financial year.  We aim to strengthen the community’s ability to respond to its members and facilitate the giving and receiving of competent care.  Training such as LivingWorks ASIST and “How Can I Help” are designed to increase people’s ability to appropriately and effectively respond to a person at risk or in distress.”

Lifeline is an essential and important service, which operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week providing telephone counselling (13 11 14) to all Australians.  Additionally, Lifeline works collaboratively with other agencies to provide a range of services and training to fill gaps in service provision - based on the needs of local communities.

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