Expanding the Suicide Prevention Peer Workforce - An Urgent and Rapid Solution to Australia’s Suicide Prevention Challenge

The suicide prevention peer workforce is a critical but underdeveloped element of Australia’s emerging suicide prevention system.

In Expanding the Suicide Prevention Peer Workforce: An Urgent and Rapid Solution to Australia’s Suicide Prevention Challenge, Roses in the Ocean is calling for a national prioritisation of suicide prevention peer work so that:

• people in distress can easily and quickly find support without needing to first access clinical services
• pressure on over-stretched emergency departments, phone lines and Medicare-funded services is reduced
• and the economic cost of suicide is decreased.

For suicide prevention peer work to be sustainable and effective, supportive strategies are needed within organisations employing peer workers. A substantial increase in the availability of peer workers is needed alongside the reform of services to ensure compassionate work environments and well informed managers and executives.

A 1 hour webinar on Expanding the Suicide Prevention Peer Workforce will be held on Wednesday, 15 February 2023 at 11am AEST, hosted by Stephen Scott, General Manager - Strategy & Policy, and featuring reflections on policy and practice from a national panel of experienced suicide prevention peer workers including:

• Dominique Pezzutto (TAS)

• Mark Ellis (NSW)

• David Kelly (WA)

• Amy Corcoran (VIC)

Government organisations, suicide prevention services, research centres, suicide prevention peer workers and all people with lived experience of suicide are encouraged to attend.