Community mental health and suicide intervention training opportunities

ELM (Every Life Matters) is a Mount Alexander Shire-based, not-for-profit organisation, dedicated to reducing the number of suicide deaths in our area, by increasing community awareness and understanding around suicide and suicide prevention. ELM aspires to run affordable courses available to anyone in the community:
Safetalk: prepares people to become suicide-alert helpers.
ASIST: teaches people how to apply a suicide intervention model.
Mental Health First Aid: instructs people how to help someone who is developing a mental health problem and how to intervene in a mental health crisis. Youth-specific and older person-specific courses will also be offered.

Data shows that Mount Alexander Shire’s average annual rate of suicide is 20.4 per 100,000 people, double the state’s average. Our Shire also possesses a significantly high number of people with a high degree of psychological distress and/or with a lifetime prevalence of depression and anxiety. Statistics report that the biggest concern raised by young people calling Kids Help Line is suicide-related concerns.

Running courses around suicide awareness and intervention and training a wide range of people in Mental Health First Aid, will enable our community to become more connected and compassionate.