What can you do to make a difference to the safety of your loved ones, colleagues and our community? Lifeline Geelong are committed to equipping members of the community with the skills and knowledge to support each other when in crisis. Their vision is for people to keep each other safe from the harm and death that can be caused by suicide, mental illness and domestic & family violence. Every day in Australia, 8 women are hospitalised with critical injuries inflicted by an intimate partner and more than 1 woman is killed as a result of domestic violence.
In 2017, more than 3,000 Australians died by suicide and a further 65,000 attempted suicide. Lifeline Geelong believe that these deaths can be prevented with early recognition and response, and that everyone should therefore be trained in recognizing the signs that a person may be experiencing thoughts of suicide.
In Australia, we consider First Aid training to be an essential skill in saving lives but, while this is important, you are far more likely to come across someone thinking about suicide than someone requiring physical first aid. You might think that it is only the responsibility of health professionals to recognize and respond to people in crisis but in fact, you, as a member of the public are more likely to first come into contact with someone experiencing a safety issue. Just as in physical First Aid, a person experiencing suicide ideation, mental illness or domestic and family violence needs the people around them to be alert, willing to help, and ready to offer support.
Lifeline Geelong are regularly delivering in-house training for organisations in Geelong and surrounds, as well as holding public courses which they welcome participants from all backgrounds in to. The more people trained to recognize suicide, domestic and family violence or mental illness in schools, organisations, sporting clubs and daily life, the better equipped everyone will be to identify safety concerns, ultimately creating a safer community.
Lifeline Geelong deliver a variety of internationally recognized workshops, nationally accredited training courses, and tailored programs to suit organisational needs. Programs include DV-Alert Domestic and Family Violence Training, ASIST suicide intervention training, safeTALK suicide awareness training, Mental Health First Aid and more. If you’re interested in training with Lifeline Geelong, email training@geelonglifeline.org.au, call 5222 2255 or follow them on Facebook at www.facebook.com/LifelineGeelong. Other ways to support Lifeline Geelong include volunteering or making a donation at www.geelonglifeline.org.au.
Information and photo supplied, of Teagan Stotz – Corporate and Community Training Officer.
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