PROJECT NEWS
Survivors of Suicide Booklet – updated and available
A booklet entitled Survivors of Suicide: Coping with the suicide of a loved one, has recently been reprinted by Lifeline Australia with the support and approval of MTAA Superannuation Fund. This booklet, which was originally produced by the American Association of Suicidology, has been made available as part of the readthesigns project – a joint suicide prevention and help seeking initiative between Lifeline and MTAA Superannuation Fund.
This sensitive and meaningful booklet provides bereavement support for those who have “survived” the suicide of a family member or friend. The booklet - written by survivors, for survivors – is a compassionate resource developed to support people who have lost a loved one to suicide, and provides guidance and support in coping. The issue of understanding how suicide affects children is also addressed.
The booklet is available for order through Lifeline’s Just ask by phoning 1300 13 11 14 or online at www.justask.org.au. Further information about the readthesigns campaign, including a PDF version of the booklet can be found at: www.readthesigns.com.au
SUICIDE PREVENTION
LivingWorks ASIST – What does training in suicide first aid involve?
Assisting someone at risk of suicide to keep safe is a serious task, but the truth is that with a few basic skills, anyone can learn suicide-first aid. LivingWorks Applied Suicide Intervention and Skills Training (ASIST) teaches participants to recognise the signs that someone might be at risk of suicide and to develop a plan to keep that person safe, until further help can be accessed.
Recently, staff of the Lifeline Australia office undertook the two-day interactive ASIST workshop in Canberra. The staff of the Lifeline “National Office” are not all trained telephone counsellors, but rather they work in areas such as finance, administration and project management. This is just testament to the fact that this course really is for everyone and anyone who is interested.
The course is run in small, fairly intimate groups, over a two day period. During this time participants discuss their perceptions and beliefs about suicide before moving on to learn a simple suicide first-aid model, which can be used in almost any situation to help someone at risk. While the content of the course can, by its nature, be somewhat confronting, the atmosphere built by the experienced LivingWorks Trainers who deliver the workshops, is one of trust and support. Many participants feel that they learn a great deal about themselves in the course and come away feeling a lot more enabled to deal with a suicide intervention situation, if they should find themselves in one.
LivingWorks is a national service of Lifeline Australia. ASIST training is delivered to a range of audiences by qualified trainers in Lifeline Centres across Australia, and by trainers in the wider community. All ASIST trainers have completed LivingWorks' one week Training for Trainers program.
To find out more about the training LivingWorks offers to individuals and groups you can visit the website at www.livingworks.org.au or phone 03 9894 1833.
TRAINING AND SERVICE DEVELOPMENT
New Year a busy time for recruitment and training
The start of the new year is a busy time for our Lifeline Centres as they gear up for their first intake of volunteer telephone counsellors. This means recruiting and training people from all walks of life, to assist callers on the 24-hour telephone counselling line – 13 11 14.
Each year Lifeline trains approximately 2000 new recruits who go on to become an integral part of Lifeline network. Throughout the year, Lifeline’s 41 Centres across Australia, each conduct between 2 – 4 training programs. These programs run for between 14 -16 weeks and provide participants with general counselling skills, crisis counselling skills and suicide intervention strategies, as well as giving them the confidence to handle any counselling situation that may come their way.
The training and support offered by our Lifeline Centres helps to ensure that volunteering is a highly rewarding and enriching experience. It also ensures that Lifeline can continue providing this much needed service to the Australian community. Find out more
“The course exceeded my needs and gave me greater listening and communication skills. I’d recommend the course to others.”
- Student Comment about Lifeline Training.
TELEPHONE COUNSELLING
What do people call Lifeline about? Call themes from 2006
In 2006 Lifeline answered around 425,000 calls on the 13 11 14 service. While this is a confidential service and callers are not required to give their names, Lifeline has recently been able to gather a greater range of information about caller themes and concerns using a new data collection system. This allows us to better understand the needs of our callers and highlights areas of distress in the community.
As Lifeline is a generalist service, the issues which people call about vary greatly. In 2006 the most prominent themes were; Family and Relationship (23%), Self and Community – with covered issues such as life direction and loneliness - (18%) and Health and Disability (18%). Lifeline also responds daily to callers at risk of suicide and those who have experienced abuse, trauma and loss. Many callers reported a sense of aloneness in dealing with complex and often painful life situations.
Mental health and wellbeing is a prominent background factor for many Lifeline callers. Mental health features as a major area of personal concern and community need. No matter what the issue, Lifeline is there for all callers in troubled times and responds to two thirds of its calls after hours when other services are less accessible or closed. Anyone can call 13 11 14, at anytime, from anywhere in Australia.
CEO Message
We come to the start of another year, which we can all hope will be one of promise and success. Lifeline has many exciting times ahead with the scheduled completion of our Greater Access Program and a number of new projects and activities on the horizon.
I hope that you recently enjoyed Australia Day and took some time out with family and friends to participate in the festivities. Each year this occasion makes me think about the Australian spirit and its presence within the Lifeline network. I see Lifeline as a great Australian charity, one that has been here for the long haul and is continuing to help Australians on a daily basis. The way in which our 10,000 plus volunteers generously give their time and effort, epitomizes the spirit of mateship and the commitment so many individuals have to helping others.
Australia is also a country which celebrates the concept of “community” and I see this in action through the work of our 41 Lifeline Centres around the country. Each of our stakeholders, be they donors, corporate partners or sponsors, forms a part of this Lifeline community. I would like to thank you in advance for expressing your interest in our work through receiving this newsletter, and hope that you will continue to support Lifeline in 2007.
Your workplace or business can help Lifeline
Would your organisation or place of work be interested in helping Lifeline through Workplace Giving?
Workplace Giving programs are company organised programs that allow staff members to donate a nominated portion of their pre-tax salary to a charity such as Lifeline. Programs such as these are a great, easy way to donate to charity on a regular basis – and the donations really do make a difference!
If you would like to find out more information about your organisation becoming a Workplace Giving Partner to Lifeline, please contact shannon.anderson@lifeline.org.au
Whether it is through workplace giving, corporate sponsorships or providing in-kind services, Lifeline Australia values all of its corporate partners, sponsors and supporters.
If you would like to find out more information about some of our current partnerships or ways in which the corporate community can help Lifeline, visit: www.lifeline.org.au/partner
LIFELINE
CENTRE IN PROFILE
Lifeline Hobart
Location: Battery Point, TAS
Years in Operation: 33 years
Number of Staff: 13 EFT
Number of Volunteers: 240
Services Offered: 24-hour telephone counselling (13 11 14), Family Violence Support, Community Visitors Scheme, home and community care for the elderly, suicide prevention workshops and a Victims of Crime Service.
Website: www.lifeline.org.au/hobart
LIFELINE IN BRIEF
Calls taken on 13 11 14 in January 2007 : 36,884
Subscribe
You can subscribe or unsubscribe from our mailing list by using our subscription management page.
