Giving young people the skills to become suicide-alert helpers

Can young people experiencing homelessness be part of the solution in suicide prevention?

That is the question youth mental health researchers at Embrace at The Kids Research Institute Australia will investigate following on from the Informing youth suicide prevention for Western Australia report. 

The project, funded by Suicide Prevention Australia, will trial the use of a program called safeTALK in young people experiencing homelessness. safeTALK — registered by suicide intervention training company LivingWorks – is three-hour course that prepares anyone aged 15 and over to become a suicide-alert helper.

Project lead Penelope Strauss, a Research Fellow in Suicide Prevention at Embrace, said young people who are experiencing homelessness are at a greater risk of suicide.

“We hope that by training this population in how to help someone who is having suicidal thoughts, we can increase their understanding of suicide and help-seeking behaviours and help to decrease the rates of suicide in young people experiencing homelessness,” Ms Strauss said.

Embrace project manager Jacinta Freeman said young people experiencing homelessness involved in the suicide prevention report had driven the new research because they overwhelmingly wanted to know how to support each other in times of crisis.

“Youth suicide is really high in Western Australia and if we can upskill as many people as possible, including those who are at greatest risk of suicide, then young people experiencing homelessness can actually be part of the solution,” Ms Freeman said.

The program will be delivered in partnership with Lifeline WA, Mission Australia and Perth Inner City Youth Service. Researchers hope to recruit 30-50 young people to participate.