LIFE Communications
The role of LIFE Communications is to improve communication between suicide and self-harm prevention stakeholders in Australia. We achieve this by providing access to the latest information from National Suicide Prevention Strategy (NSPS) projects in prevention, intervention and postvention. These projects are informed by Living Is For Everyone, a framework, research document and toolkit that shapes and directs how suicide prevention activity is undertaken in Australia.
LIFE Communications builds networks in suicide prevention between key stakeholders such as academics, researchers, health professionals, service providers, community leaders and policy makers. This is achieved through a range of strategic and targeted communication activities.
The LIFE website is the primary medium of communication. It provides the latest research on suicide and developments in NSPS, as well as opportunities to discuss issues and share knowledge, resources and information. The website also provides a dynamic and accessible forum of interaction, independent of stakeholders' geography, resources and time constraints.
The project team's role is to promote and facilitate use of the LIFE Framework and its accompanying research and toolkit amongst stakeholders, making it easy for them to access relevant information and apply it to their self-harm and suicide prevention work.
LIFE Communications:
- is a National Suicide Prevention Strategy project managed by Crisis Support Services on behalf of the Department of Health and Ageing
- aims to improve access to suicide and self-harm prevention activities in Australia through the promotion of the LIFE Framework and its professional development resources
- began in September 2007 LIFE Communications goals
- Stakeholders have access to the Living Is For Everyone resources
- Stakeholders have access to the latest information, activities and resources in suicide prevention
- Stakeholders contribute their learnings and draw on each other's expertise Contact the LIFE Communications team via livingisforeveryone.com.au
Cultural X Change Project (2007)
The Cultural X Change (CXC) Project was initiated by CSS in 2007. The project arose from a recognition that Mensline Australia was not succeeding in reaching the broadest possible range of men in Australia. MLA call statistics revealed that the great majority of its callers were Caucasian men aged over 30. The CXC Project aimed to increase awareness of the MLA service among the following subgroups: Indigenous men, Vietnamese men, Arabic men and young men. It also aimed to increase MLA's knowledge of and sensitivity towards these groups, so as to provide a service better adapted to their needs.
As part of the CXC Project, seven cultural liaison workers selected from the target communities worked to promote the MLA service to their respective communities as well as to research the support needs of the men within these cultural subgroups. Three Cultural Liaison Workers were located at CSS offices in Footscray, while the remaining four were located interstate, in Tasmania (young men), the Northern Territory (Indigenous men), Western Sydney (Vietnamese men) and Brisbane (Indigenous). In addition to the links formed with the target communities and the knowledge gained by the organisation about how to better meet the needs of these communities, the Cultural X Change Project resulted in the development of a range of new brochures, tipsheets and online resources for Indigenous, Arabic, Vietnamese and young men.