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LivingWorks Start - Free suicide prevention training for SA bushfire affected communities - Kangaroo Island

Free suicide prevention training is being made available to South Australian communities left reeling from the 2019/2020 bushfires.

Residents of Kangaroo Island, the Adelaide Hills, the Yorke Peninsula and the Keilira region can now access an online program run by suicide intervention training provider LivingWorks, thanks to funding from Country SA PHN.

The LivingWorks Start program prepares people with the skills to recognise when someone is having thoughts of suicide and, importantly, how to respond to keep them safe.

“Through community consultation, this training was clearly identified by the Kangaroo Island community as something that was important to make available to people at this time,” Country SA PHN CEO Kim Hosking said.

“We’re therefore very pleased to be able to offer it to anyone living in Kangaroo Island as well as other bushfire affected regions. “The LivingWorks Start program adds another important layer of support because it gives community members the skills they need to look out for colleagues, friends and loved ones – even from a distance.”

LivingWorks Start is a 60-minute program that trains participants to recognise the signs when a person might be having thoughts of suicide and then take potentially life-saving action by connecting them to help and support.

Kangaroo Island Health Advisory Council chair Darren Keenan welcomed the initiative. “This is absolutely a great life skill for everyone to have,” he said.

“We need to look after and protect each other, and this type of training will provide people with the tools and a process to do exactly that at a time when we all need it most.” Mr Hosking said the free training offer comes at a good tine, with many people enhancing their life and work skills while they are in isolation or working from home.

“The more community members we can have upskilled with vital suicide prevention knowledge and confidence, the better,” Mr Hosking said.

Kangaroo Island, the Adelaide Hills, the Yorke Peninsula and Keilira region residents can do the LivingWorks Start training for free here.

About Country SA PHN

Country SA PHN is responsible for commissioning Commonwealth directed funding for primary health services throughout regional South Australia. It is the health network set up to service the country regions of South Australia, increasing the efficiency and effectiveness of service delivery while improving the coordination of patient care.

Established by the Australian Government, we exist to bridge the gap of health inequity and access in rural South Australia by building a collaborative and responsive health care system. Country SA PHN covers 99.8% of the state geographically, incorporating approximately 30% of South Australia’s total population.

Media Inquiries: Kristy Macfarlane, Michels Warren PR on 0402 557 527

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