Wesley LifeForce Suicide Prevention Training
Supporting someone at risk of suicide can be difficult. Wesley LifeForce delivers suicide prevention training to give you the skills, knowledge and confidence to support people at risk of suicide in your community or workplace.
Our comprehensive approach educates people about suicide, challenges attitudes and teaches basic engagement and suicide intervention skills. Our robust program is regularly reviewed by our national advisory board.
Research shows talking about suicidal intentions or thoughts can help reduce intent.
Partnering for positive impact
SBS Translation Services partnered with Wesley LifeForce to reduce suicide among refugee and asylum-seeker communities in Australia. Translating Wesley LifeForce Refugee and Asylum Seeker Suicide Prevention Training into six languages – Arabic, Dari, Jaren, Khmer, Persian and Tamil – this collaboration aims to overcome language barriers, promote cultural sensitivity and equip communities to recognise and address suicide risk factors.
Wesley LifeForce also partnered with The Seedling Group to develop the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Suicide Prevention Training program to address high suicide rates among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. A study by the Institute of Positive Psychology and Education at the Australian Catholic University praised the program content, cultural sensitivity and intervention and response techniques.
S.A.L.T.
See
Know and recognise the signs that someone is struggling.
Ask
Ask if they’re having thoughts of suicide and allow them to open up.
Talking openly about suicide is vital to increase awareness, reduce stigma and prevent suicide in our communities – but how do you start the conversation?
An integral part of Wesley LifeForce Suicide Prevention Training is the SALT Method – See, Ask, Listen and Take.
Listen
Actively listen so you can both gain clarity and a better understanding of the situation.
Take
Take action to support them to seek professional help and build a safety plan.
Community training
Simple effective suicide interventions can save lives. Our community suicide prevention training workshops teach you how to recognise someone who may be at risk of suicide and take appropriate action.
Our accredited facilitators have completed suicide intervention training, and many are also qualified counsellors. Our workshops have been evaluated by the Mindframe National Media Initiative and the Australian Institute for Suicide Research and Prevention.
Everyone is invited to participate in our workshops and encouraged to play an active role in suicide prevention.
Please note, our community suicide prevention training workshops may not be suitable for people recently bereaved by suicide. For bereavement support or if you need someone to talk to, call Lifeline on 13 11 14.
Community suicide prevention workshops are accredited with Quality Innovation Performance Limited, assessed against the Suicide Prevention Australia Standards for Quality Improvement.
Workplace training
Our workplace suicide prevention training workshops empower employees to recognise and support colleagues, family or friends at risk of suicide. These valuable skills can save lives and create a more supportive work environment.
Benefits of our training:
- increases awareness and understanding of suicide risk factors
- builds confidence in addressing sensitive topics
- enhances workplace mental health support
- provides practical, life-saving skills applicable both at work and in personal life.
No previous training is required to participate, and workshops are suitable and recommended for all staff levels within a business, including:
- senior and line managers
- HR professionals
- counsellors and psychologists
- police officers and emergency services workers
- ministers, youth workers and social workers
- teachers and sports coaches.
Full and half day courses available.
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Healthcare sector-specific workplace training
Healthcare professionals are the frontline for suicide support, so we co-designed sector-specific suicide prevention training workshops for the healthcare industry.
GPs and practice nurses
- Greater understanding of risk assessment, suicide prevention, intervention strategies and patient support and management.
- Practice-specific strategy to support a suicidal patient.
- Endorsed by the Australian Practice Nurses Association.
- Participants qualify for six CPD hours upon completion.
GP office staff
- Understanding of key role in identifying patients at risk of suicide.
- Recognising patients at risk of suicide when presenting to the practice.
- Increased understanding of how to support a patient at risk of suicide.
- Participants qualify for two Australian Association of Practice Management CPD points per hour of education upon completion.
Counsellors
- Improved understanding of the signs that a person may be at risk of suicide.
- Learn simple and effective suicide intervention strategies.
- Conduct a suicide intervention.
- Participants qualify for four hours of CPD points upon completion.
Our General Practitioners and Practice Nurses workshops are accredited with Quality Innovation Performance Limited, assessed against the Suicide Prevention Australia Standards for Quality Improvement.
Aged care nurses
- Recognising the signs of suicide in aged care residents.
- Identifying risk factors for suicidality in older people.
- Conduct a suicide intervention.
- Meets Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia CPD requirements.
Aged care workers
- Identify residents at risk of suicide.
- Developing skills to record and report concerns.
Building Resilience workshop
Learn how you can adjust your lifestyle and develop cognitive strategies to improve resilience and mental health. Each participant in this workshop is given the opportunity to reflect on their personal management of their mental health through relevant topics and group discussions.
Workshop length: Two 2-hour sessions
Delivery: Online or face-to-face delivery
Workshops structure:
Two 2-hour sessions to help develop positive mental health strategies for you and your organisation.
Session 1 Lifestyle factors in your mental health
Part 1: What is mental health?
Part 2: Lifestyle skills and strategies
Session 2 Cognitive strategies for improving your mental health
Part 1: Cognitive capabilities
Part 2: Self-awareness strategies
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Mental health and resilience in the workplace
One in five Australians will experience a mental health condition each year. Mental health issues have a significant impact, not only on individuals and their families, but more broadly across communities and organisations. In the workplace, mental health issues can have a serious impact, which is estimated to cost Australian businesses $10.9 billion per year.1
Creating a healthy workplace with resilient staff can help protect companies and their staff from the impacts of mental health issues. That’s why Wesley LifeForce has developed Mental Health and Resilience in the Workplace – a training program to raise awareness of mental health issues in the workplace, foster open communication and enhance employee resilience and stress management skills.
Training for individuals
If you’re struggling with mental health issues, you’re not alone. Managing your workload and relationships with your colleagues can be challenging when you are stressed, anxious, depressed or otherwise unwell.
Registering as an individual for the Mental Health and Resilience in the Workplace program will give you techniques to deal with difficult situations and learn skills to improve your resilience.
Training for businesses
Mental health issues can have serious negative impacts on businesses, including reduced productivity, absenteeism and high staff turnover. Almost one quarter of the workforce suffer from mild depression that leads to absenteeism of 50 hours per person per year.3
Research has shown that businesses that implement effective mental health strategies will more than double their investment, receiving an average return of $2.30 for every $1 invested1 through:
- improved productivity
- lower staff turnover
- a happier workplace
- fewer complaints and conflicts.
The program can be offered in your workplace as a one-day workshop or as individual two-hour modules made up of the following:
Module 1: Recognition of Mental Health Issues
Module 2: Communication Skills
Module 3: Resilience and Stress Management
References
1 Beyondblue (Organisation) PricewaterhouseCoopers (Australia), 2014. Creating a mentally healthy workplace: return on investment analysis.
2 www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/mf/6324.0
3 McTernan, W.P., Dollard, M.F., and LaMontagne, A.D. (2013) ‘Depression in the workplace: An economic cost analysis of depression-related productivity loss attributable to job strain and bullying’, in Work and Stress 27:4, pp321-338.
