Casey backs suicide prevention plan

THE City of Casey has thrown its support behind helping the prevention of, and those bereaved by, suicide.
At last week’s council meeting, it agreed to provide a facility and equipment needed for the Salvation Army to host at least six of its Living Hope – Hope for Life Suicide Prevention and Bereavement Support two day workshops in Casey next year.
The program is aimed at people who may be called on to provide support to those who have been bereaved as a result of the suicide death of a loved one.
The course is aimed at health and social welfare professionals, clergy, ministers, chaplains, funeral directors, emergency services personnel and school communities.
Hope For Life liaison officer Hennie Watts encouraged everyone to take part, not just professionals.
“You could be a colleague to someone who has lost someone to suicide, a friend to someone or a grandmother or mother to a parent who has lost a child,” she said.
“The thing is none of us are equipped to talk about suicide and death. And when we don’t have the skills to know how to help or what to say, people tend to say nothing at all.
“Then those suffering from the loss of a loved one have no where to go or no one to turn to.”
Living Hope, funded by the Department of Health and Ageing, covers all aspects of suicide bereavement including the grieving process, aspects of spiritually, the influence and impact of culture on grieving and understanding emotions.
Participants of the workshops will learn about the impact of a loss of a loved one by suicide on family, friends and the community, qualities of a helpful carer and practical concerns including the funeral and the inquest.
Ms Watts said she was thrilled that the City of Casey had supported the program.
“It’s fantastic that we can all have access to a workshop that gives us the skills to be able to talk to people and feel more comfortable talking about death and suicide,” she said.
Anyone wanting to get a group together in the area and take part in the workshop is encouraged to call Ms Watts on 0419 330 433.