Oral Presentation (max 25mins) The National Suicide Prevention Conference 2024

Partnerships in community postvention: headspace and Lifeline Australia working in collaboration to reduce suicide risk (101739)

Natalie Hunt 1 , Katherine Dabich 1 , Phoebe Marshall 2
  1. headspace, North Sydney, NSW, Australia
  2. Lifeline Australia , Sydney , NSW, Australia

Our presentation shares the impactful work of the NSW Community Collaboratives initiative, a collaborative endeavour that brings together national and local services, supports and resources to aid communities in recovering from suicide events.

At its core, the initiative focuses on crafting an Incident Communication Protocol and an action plan, providing communities with a roadmap to respond rapidly to suicide risk, navigate recovery, and transition back to suicide prevention. We will explore the strategies employed, highlighting the whole-of-community approach that spans across all life stages.

The NSW Community Collaboratives, a "towards zero" initiative by headspace national in partnership with Lifeline Australia and funded by NSW Health, fosters collaboration by uniting local stakeholders to address real-time risks unique to their communities. It aims to build stronger relationships, instil a sense of community connection and hope, and establish evidence-based suicide prevention strategies. Our presentation will spotlight the empowering impact of this partnership between two national organisations, emphasising their role in supporting governance and knowledge-sharing for community-led responses to risk.

Insights into the approach will be shared, underscoring the importance of collaboration data, knowledge and resource sharing, as well as evidence-based interventions. For communities with existing suicide prevention collaborative groups, we'll showcase how the NSW Community Collaboratives Team enhances their strategies and facilitates effective postvention responses.

Our presentation aims to motivate participants by sharing practical insights and key learnings from our 3-year collaborative partnership.  We will present prospects for further advancement in the evolving realm of community-level suicide postvention. Attendees are encouraged to delve into the potential of similar collaborative approaches, contributing to our collective dialogue on expanding efforts in suicide postvention and shaping the future trajectory of this work. 

Link to more information on the initiative  NSW Community Collaboratives - Towards Zero Suicides