22 June
Lifeline Australia and On the Line Australia sign heads of agreement for a voluntary amalgamation to provide better care for help seekers
Lifeline Australia and On the Line Australia (OTLA) are investigating a voluntary amalgamation which could potentially increase the impact of crisis support, mental health, suicide prevention,
and family violence prevention services for people across the nation.
This week, the country’s leading crisis support service, Lifeline Australia, signed a Heads of Agreement (HOA) with OTLA, the national clinical service responsible for MensLine, the
National Suicide Call Back Service, SuicideLine Victoria, and a range of mental health, counselling, and family violence prevention services.
With the help of independent lived experience and clinical experts, Lifeline and OTLA have determined that there are considerable potential benefits of integrating OTLA’s clinical service
with Lifeline’s crisis service to provide wrap-around care for the help-seeker.
Lifeline Australia CEO Colin Seery said that the organisation considers this a significant and exciting opportunity to take a more integrated approach to crisis support, mental health, and
suicide prevention and better support the community through a variety of channels.
“There is increasing interest from governments and the sector to improve both service quality and accessibility for help seekers by exploring the consolidation of helplines and the possibility
of providing warm referrals,” said Mr Seery.
“Lifeline Australia is committed to continuing to look at ways in which we might be able to provide capability and infrastructure foundations for smaller services that are targeted towards
specific, vulnerable populations.”
On the Line CEO Angus Clelland said looking at a potential amalgamation was about considering the benefits of tailoring support to help seekers’ needs while taking a ‘no wrong
door’ approach.
“On the Line’s clinical services, delivered by telephone and online by psychologists, nurses, social workers, and counsellors, are a natural complement to Lifeline’s national crisis service.”
“Help seekers are at the heart of what we do and joining forces could empower us to build a more efficient and personalised response. It will also provide us with the foundation to help
address the very real service gap for hundreds of thousands of people who cannot get access to care due to distance, workforce shortages, and financial pressures.”
Established in 1963, Lifeline is Australia’s leading suicide prevention service, with 41 centres around the nation. The service expects to respond to over one million requests for support this year, creating an average of 130 safety plans to keep a person experiencing suicidal ideation safe every day.
Established in 1960, On the Line Australia is a 24/7 national clinical service charity whose clinicians provide 100,000 free counselling sessions a year. OTLA’s major services include
MensLine Australia, Suicide Call Back Service, and SuicideLine Victoria.
If you, or someone you know are feeling overwhelmed, we encourage you to connect with Lifeline in the way you feel most comfortable.
You can phone Lifeline to speak to a Crisis Supporter on 13 11 14 (24 hours/7 days), text 0477 131 114 (24 hours a day, 7 days a week) or chat to Lifeline online at www.lifeline.org.au (24/7).
For information or comment, contact media@lifeline.org.au or 0408 407 376 or MarketingCustomerEnquiries@ontheline.org.au.