Yarra Ranges community safety co-ordinator Kym Murphy, right, discusses further safeTALK workshops with presenters Michelle Graeber and Renee Tsatsis.
By Kath Gannaway
THREE more safeTALK suicide alert workshops are planned for Yarra Ranges following the encouraging response to last week’s workshop at Lilydale.
Forty-five people attended the workshop funded by Yarra Ranges Council as part of its Risk, Emergency and Community Safety role.
The workshop aimed to arm individual community members and people working with local health services organisations with the tools to ask the question “Are you thinking of suicide?”
“You don’t need to be a psychologist or mental health care worker to ask that question,” said Michelle Graeber who along with Renee Tsatsis presented the workshop.
The SafeTALK program was developed by LivingWorks in Canada and was introduced to Australia in 1995 by Lifeline.
“It’s about educating ordinary people in the community how to be alert to suicide,” Ms Graeber said but what could be seen as a simple aim was also acknowledged as one which is almost always challenging and often traumatic.
Delivering the safeTALK message; SAFE – Suicide Alertness For Everyone; TALK – Tell, Ask, Listen and Keep safe, Ms Graeber emphasised the importance of breaking down the barriers and taboos that have keep suicide a hidden toll, but of also recognising the need for any new, open approach to be carefully delivered.
“Everyone can have a role to play in providing a suicide-safer community and the safeTALK training provides the skills and the knowledge to do that.”
She said a sledgehammer approach to a problem that has over the centuries been handled with either kid gloves or judgement is not the answer.
Yarra Ranges community safety co-ordinator Kym Murphy said another council-funded workshop would be held on Wednesday 9 May, at Lilydale and that a further two community-driven workshops would be held on the on the Warburton Highway and Yarra Glen sides of the valley.
Contact Ms Murphy on 9294 6833 to book, or for further information on future workshops. Ms Graeber and Ms Tsatsis can be contacted at Anxiety Recovery Centre Victoria on 9830 0566.
Readers seeking support and information about suicide prevention can contact Lifeline on 13 11 14.
