PROJECT NEWS
Tool kit for survivors of domestic violence
Lifeline’s Just ask has recently produced a new tool kit for survivors of domestic violence, which will be made available in mid December.
This toolkit is the latest in a series of similar resources, which provide information and self-care tips on a variety of topics such as suicide, panic attacks, depression, coping with the drought and more. The tool kit for survivors of domestic violence aims to raise awareness of domestic violence and to provide help and support to people moving on from violent experiences. This new resource has been endorsed by the Australian Divisions of General Practice.
To access Just ask resources, such as toolkits, online visit: www.justask.org.au or for information or referrals call Just ask on 1300 13 11 14 between 9am and 5pm, Monday to Friday.
SUICIDE PREVENTION
The trials, tribulations and joy of the holiday season
We usually think of Christmas as a happy time of the year - a time for family, friends and holidays. For many it is a religious or spiritual time, while for others it is simply a time to celebrate and relax. However many people can feel lonely and isolated at Christmas, and stresses caused by financial problems, illness or relationship difficulties can be heightened and intensified. For many who have experienced loss during the year this time of gathering often reignites that sense of loss and incumbent grief.
To ensure that you survive the potential stresses of Christmas, it is important to be aware of your own limits and to recognise signs of stress, anxiety or depression. There are a number of steps you can take to stay “emotionally healthy” over this period, such as planning ahead, avoiding stressful situations, being aware of your feelings and sharing them with others. It is also important to watch out for your family, friends and colleagues, and to help them keep “safe” over this period.
Christmas can be a time to be happy and to celebrate our connectedness with our families, friends and communities. Try to think of something that will make you happy this Christmas and make some time to do it.
To download resources such as self-help toolkits, please visit the Lifeline website at: www.lifeline.org.au . Lifeline’s 13 11 14 service is also available 24-hours a day, seven days a week.
TRAINING AND SERVICE DEVELOPMENT
Web-based training – bridging the distance gap
With a network that spans the country, Lifeline is constantly challenged by the distance that separates our 41 Centres. While some Centres are situated in metropolitan areas with access to a range of resources, others are more isolated in rural and regional communities.
To ensure that the quality of our training remains consistent across the Lifeline network, Lifeline has begun using web-based teleconferencing technology to train telephone counselling trainers and supervisors around the country. This system has done away with the old methods of workbooks and powerpoint presentations which are now available on-line through the Lifeline Extranet.
This technology will be used in the near future to develop a national roster to schedule Lifeline’s 4,500 telephone counsellors and ensure that adequate numbers of volunteers are available to take calls on the 13 11 14 service. This is yet another way in which Lifeline is looking to the future and adapting in order to contend with an ever changing world.
TELEPHONE COUNSELLING
What it takes to become a Lifeline volunteer telephone counsellor
Each year around 2000 new volunteer telephone counsellors are trained throughout the Lifeline network. The new recruits go on to answer calls on Lifeline’s 24-hour telephone counselling line – 13 11 14. So what does it take to become a Lifeline volunteer telephone counsellor?
Lifeline Centres are always looking for new volunteers with good listening and communication skills, who feel they will be able to offer non-judgmental care to callers in their time of need. Volunteers come from all walks of life - age, gender or social status is of little concern.
Before a volunteer can go on to answer calls, they must commit to passing Lifeline’s skill based training. Over a 16-20 week period, volunteers attend interactive training sessions, where they learn skills for counselling others and also for self-care. Once this training is complete our volunteers then participate in further supervised practice.
It may sound like a lot of time and hard work, but this training ensures that the services provided by Lifeline are of a high quality and that volunteers have confidence in their ability to assist others. Training to be a Lifeline Volunteer Telephone Counsellor does take commitment, but it is also an enriching experience. So many of our volunteers report that the skills they have learned through their training are ones they will carry with them for the rest of their lives.
If you would like to know more about training as a Lifeline Volunteer Telephone Counsellor, please visit the education and training section of our website.
LIFELINE INTERNATIONAL
LifeLine Tonga faces unsettled times
The riots which broke out in Tonga’s capital of Nuku’alofa on 23 November 2006, resulted in the destruction of much of the city and placed the Tongan community in crisis. Political unrest began in the South Pacific nation over proposed democratic reforms.
Lifeline International has made contact with Rev. Filifai’esea Lilo of LifeLine Tonga, who has sadly confirmed that they have lost the premises from which they operated their Centre - it was burned down during the riots. He reported that despite this they are continuing to operate services in the troubled region. Demand for services has increased during the crisis and volunteers are providing outreach and counselling to the Tongan community.
It will be a difficult time of recovery for the people of the normally peaceful island of Tonga; some have lost family members, many have been injured and hundreds are now unemployed. Rev. Filifai’esea Lilo has asked that people keep LifeLine Tonga and the community, in their thoughts over this troubled time. If you would like to make a donation to help LifeLine Tonga, please forward your donation to Lifeline Australia via the website or by calling our donation line 1800 800 768.
CEO Message
We have come to the end of another busy year during which there have been many major achievements for the Lifeline network. It has been exciting to witness the changes to our 24-hour hour telephone counselling service, as we strive to make the service more accessible to those in need. We are slowly beginning to flow calls over a wide area network (WAN) in parts of Australia. This program is set for completion in mid 2007 and will ensure greater access to the 13 11 14 service.
With the holiday season fast approaching it is important to note that the work of Lifeline doesn’t stop and that many of our staff and volunteers will continue to work over Christmas and New Year. Christmas can be a difficult time for many, with the strain of family commitments, relationship issues, financial problems and loss, often taking an emotional toll.
I hope that we can all take some time to consider someone we may know, that might need some extra support over Christmas and to lend them a helping hand or connect them with care if it is needed. In this edition of the Lifeline newsletter we further address this issue in our Suicide Prevention section. We also have some information on new Lifeline resources and training, and an update on the situation for Lifeline in Tonga.
I wish you all a happy end to the year and look forward to providing you with some more Lifeline news in 2007.
HOW YOU CAN HELP
Help Lifeline save lives this Christmas.
By giving to the Lifeline Suicide Prevention Fund, you will be helping Lifeline implement programs that will help Australians at risk of suicide. To give now visit: www.lifeline.org.au/spfund or phone 1800 800 768.
INTERNATIONAL HELPLINES CONFERENCE, 2007
Hosted by Lifeline Australia
23- 25 May 2007, Holiday Inn, Gold Coast QLD.
This will be a three day event with pre-conference workshop followed by plenary and breakout sessions. The conference will focus on the process skills required for best practice operation in the area of community service helplines.
The call for papers is now open. If you would like to submit an abstract for consideration, become involved as an attendee or supporter, or simply wish to find out more, visit the conference website at the Conference Website
LIFELINE
CENTRE IN PROFILE
Lifeline Ballarat
Location: Ballarat, VIC
Years in Operation: 35 years
Number of Staff: 3 EFT
Number of Volunteers: 117
Services Offered: 24-hour telephone counselling (13 11 14), emergency response and recovery, training, family counselling.
Website: www.lifeline.org.au/ballarat
LIFELINE IN BRIEF
| Calls taken on 13 11 14 in November | 36,362 |
| Total Count for 2006 (Jan-Nov) | 387,846 |
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