Our Towns and Communities Matters
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Our Towns and Communities Matter A Hinterland collaborative project April – August 2016 REPORT Equipping Hinterland communities to better support vulnerable people and determining next steps in suicide prevention Seek help through these National Services: Lifeline ............................................13 11 14 Suicide Call Back Service ..............1300 659 467 MensLine Australia .........................1300 78 99 78 Kids Helpline .................................. 1800 55 1800 or www.kidshelpline.com.au Standby Response Service ............0407 766 961 (Maroochydore) QLife ...............................................1800 18 4527 Beyond Blue Helpline .....................1300 22 4636 Cover Artwork & Illustrations: Jennie Morris Graphic Design: Julia Peddie www.juliapeddie.com “People of all races & colour need to get back to the land, to country & connect with their soul, spirit & consciousness itself.” Aunty Pam White (Dinnawhan) Acknowledgement We acknowledge the Traditional Owners for their stewardship of this land and pay our respects to elders past, present and emerging. Our Towns and Communities Matter Report | 1 Thank you The project team would like to thank everyone who contributed to this project – especially those community members who shared their stories and wisdom. Sunshine Coast Partners in Recovery for funding the project Project Steering Committee Lisa Price Nooreen Harris Ana Leigh Greenfield Amanda Cowley Tomas Passeggi Merilyn Keene Project Officer Janet Adena 2 | Our Towns and Communities Matter Report Dedication “Get to know your heart’s voice…” This piece of work and evolving structures, collaborations and practice are dedicated to Rhett and to other Hinterland people who have died by suicide and their families, friends and communities. Commitment We create a welcoming, safe and responsive space for all. Our Towns and Communities Matter Report | 3 Contents Executive Summary ..................................................................................................5 Introduction .................................................................................................................7 • 1.1 Purpose .........................................................................................................8 • 1.2 Background ...................................................................................................8 • 1.2.1 Study area .....................................................................................................9 • 1.3 Method .........................................................................................................9 • 1.4 Scope ..........................................................................................................10 • 1.5 Limitations ..................................................................................................10 Stage One • 2.1 Community engagement approach ............................................................12 • 2.1.1 Story gathering ............................................................................................12 • 2.1.2 Community and service provider forums ....................................................17 • 2.2 Community engagement findings ...............................................................18 • 2.3 Other research ............................................................................................21 • 2.3.1 Gaps in and barriers to service provision ...................................................21 • 2.3.2 Cross boundary issues in the southern Hinterland .....................................22 • 2.3.3 Gaps in services in the southern Hinterland ...............................................23 Stage Two • 3.1 Action Plan .................................................................................................26 • 3.1.1 Action Plan progress to date .......................................................................26 Conclusions ..............................................................................................................29 Recommendations ..................................................................................................31 Appendices ...............................................................................................................32 4 | Our Towns and Communities Matter Report Executive summary “ The latest Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS figures) into suicide deaths showing a 10 year high are ‘deeply disturbing and disappointing’ according to mental health Not for Profit SANE. The Causes of Death, Australia Report recorded 3027 deaths from suicide in 2015 – 8 deaths each day and a 10 year high”.1 In 2014 an estimated 627 people in Queensland took their lives.2 In addition, for every person who died by suicide, it is estimated there are at least another 20 people who attempt suicide.3 In small communities such as those in the Sunshine Coast Hinterland, loss of life by suicide does have impacts that ripple out and affect many. The Our Towns and Communities Matter project (OTACM), was an initiative to engage Sunshine Coast Hinterland communities to: • Provide better informal support for vulnerable people and • Determine the next steps in suicide prevention The project was funded by the Sunshine Coast Partners in Recovery (PIR) program and delivered collaboratively by Care Connect, Maleny Neighbourhood Centre and Caloundra Community Centre. The project is aligned with federal and state government initiatives for suicide prevention. The National Suicide Prevention Strategy (NSPS) provides the platform for Australia’s national policy on suicide prevention with an emphasis on promotion, prevention and early intervention.4 Aligned with this strategy is the recently released Queensland Mental Health Commission’s ‘Queensland Suicide Prevention Action Plan 2015-2017’ (QSPAP) that promotes a shared goal which “aims to reduce suicide and its impact on Queenslanders and is a step towards achieving a 50 per cent reduction in suicides in Queensland within a decade”.5 The OTACM project commenced in April 2016 and was delivered in two stages: Stage 1 – information gathering comprising community engagement, desktop research, gap analysis and a cross boundary issues study; Stage 2 - an Action Plan aligned with the four QSPAP priority areas: Stronger community awareness and capacity; Improved service system responses and capacity; Focused support for vulnerable groups; and a Stronger more accessible evidence base. Findings from Stage 1 confirmed that there are multiple factors which may contribute to the incidence of suicide in the Hinterland. These factors include: social and geographic isolation; financial hardship; unemployment; limited and relatively expensive transport and accommodation; paucity in primary health and service provider coverage – particularly for 1 Pro Bono Australia News, 26 September 2016 https://probonoaustralia.com.au/news/2016/09/australian-suicide-rate-deeply-disturbing/ 2 Australian Institute for Suicide Research and Prevention (2015), Suicide Mortality Data in QLD for 2014, Griffith University, Brisbane. 3 SANE Australia Factsheet – Suicidal Behaviour Last updated: 12 January, 2016 https://www.sane.org/mental-health-and-illness/facts-and- guides/suicidal-behaviour 4 Australian Government Department of Health - http://www.health.gov.au/internet/main/publishing.nsf/Content/mental-nsps 5 Queensland Mental Health Commission, Reducing suicide and it’s impact: Queensland Suicide Prevention Action Plan 2015-17 Summary, p.1 https://www.qmhc.qld.gov.au/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/Queensland-Suicide-Prevention-Action-Plan-SUMMARY_WEB.pdf Our Towns and Communities Matter Report | 5 high risk groups; lack of a coordinated process for locating, navigating and accessing existing services and; cross boundary issues creating difficulty in accessing services for vulnerable people. The OTACM Action Plan was ratified in July by the PIR Partnership Council. Despite the relatively short time frame, significant progress was made by the project steering committee in implementing many objectives outlined in the plan including: • Initiation and development of a Hinterland Steering Committee to oversee the Action Plan • Initiation and development of working groups in each of the three study areas – Glasshouse Country, Maleny and Kenilworth – to progress projects in the Action Plan • Drafting of governance documents and members list to support the formation of a Hinterland Strategic Reference Group • Either ASIST or SafeTALK training delivered to over 50 community members from diverse backgrounds across the study area • Consultation and stronger relationships with key stakeholder organisations e.g. Roses in the Ocean, Standby Response Service, Suicide Prevention Australia and • The delivery of a successful, well publicised World Suicide Prevention Day event in Maleny A set of recommendations is found at the end of this report highlighting the need for stronger community connection, better services and support for high risk groups, partnering for sustainability, building on community strengths and supporting formal and informal community networks. 6 | Our Towns and Communities Matter Report Introduction Although suicide affects people from a diversity of backgrounds, research indicates Figure 1: Suicides by state and that people living in regional and rural territory between 2009–2013 communities experience higher rates of (age standardised rate per 100,000) suicide and are generally at greater risk of