Up to 50 homeless young people aged from 15 to 25 will be provided with training to help them recognise suicidal behaviour and make referrals to potentially life-saving resources, thanks to a grant from Suicide Prevention Australia received by the team at Embrace @ The Kids.
The 2019 Innovation Research Grant, announced by Federal Minister for Heath, Greg Hunt, will enable safeTALK training to be trialled with homeless youth recruited from crisis and transitional supported accommodation, in partnership with Lifeline WA, Mission Australia and Perth Inner City Youth Service.
SafeTALK is an evidence-based, universal intervention that prepares anyone over the age of 15 to become a suicide-alert helper, despite having no previous training or experience. SafeTALK workshops will be provided by registered LivingWorks trainers through Lifeline WA.
Co-Director of Embrace, Associate Professor Ashleigh Lin, was thrilled with the grant announcement and thanked Suicide Prevention Australia for not only recognising youth as the highest group at risk for suicide, but also for empowering homeless young people to be part of the solution in suicide prevention.
“Young people experiencing homelessness are at especially high risk due to high rates of mental health difficulties and the over-representation of marginalised young people in homeless populations, such as being LGBTQIA+ and/or Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander,” Dr Lin said.
“Homeless young people are often disengaged from mainstream mental health services, so increasing homeless young people’s suicide literacy and knowledge around suicide behaviour, and increasing capacity to seek help and refer peers, is likely to decrease suicide rates in this vulnerable population.”
As well as giving young people the tools to identify suicidal behaviour, the SafeTALK training program also aims to increase awareness of suicide and combat the stigma associated with it.
It draws directly on findings from another recent The Kids Research Institute Australia project in which 55 young vulnerable people overwhelmingly expressed they would like to have the skills to help someone who is suicidal.
“We expect many of the participants will have a history of suicidal thoughts or attempts and have likely been exposed to suicidal behaviour in peers,” Dr Lin said.
If the safeTALK training program proves to be effective, it will be recommended that safeTALK is delivered to all young people who access crisis and supported transitional accommodation services.
“We are aiming to find innovative solutions for reducing youth suicide in WA. SafeTALK provides young people with a safe and effective way for young people to help their friends,” Dr Lin said.
