Community awareness campaigns are starting conversations

Two community campaigns aimed at starting a conversation around suicide prevention were recently launched as part of the National Suicide Prevention Trial.

Brisbane North PHN is one of the 12 trial sites around the country taking part in the trial, with work in the region targeted towards Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, LGBTIQ+ people and men aged 24-54 years of age.

The trial within the North Brisbane and Moreton Bay region is guided by the Black Dog Institute’s LifeSpan Model, which combines strategies for suicide prevention into one community-led approach incorporating health, education, frontline services, business and the community.

Some of the strategies involve improving emergency and follow up services, mental health and resilience training for young people, and engaging the community with awareness campaigns.

Yarns Heal is the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community awareness campaign, led by the gar’ban’djee’lum network and IndigiLEZ Women’s Leadership and Support Group.

The campaign is the first of its kind in Australia directly targeting suicide prevention for the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander LGBTIQ+ Sistergirl and Brotherboy communities. Through a number of cultural ambassadors, including writer and actor Steven Oliver, the campaign encourages the community to open up and have a yarn.

This approach is echoed by the Talking Heals campaign, launched by the Queensland AIDS Council for the LGBTIQ+ community. Within this campaign, members of the community are also encouraged to talk to make things better.

Brisbane North PHN will soon be launching a companion campaign for the wider community, with more information within the October edition of Recovery.

For more information visit www.yarnsheal.com.au and www.talkingheals.org.au.