In this course, Joe Calleja (BA, BSW, GAICD, Life Member Australian College of Social Work), explains why suicide prevention work needs the voice of lived experience, and outlines ways that that can happen. He also details other systemic changes and emerging innovations which can help address the rate of suicide.
About this course
In this course, Joe Calleja (BA, BSW, GAICD, Life Member Australian College of Social Work), elaborates on “the gap” - a lack of non-clinical alternatives for people who are having suicidal crises - and explains why deep listening from peers (others with a lived experience of suicide) is crucial in order to decrease the suicide rate. He proposes changes, such as that medical/health professionals relinquish power (allowing those with lived experience to be more centrally engaged from the outset); that government fund peer-to-peer support in PHNs without the constraint that an approach be evidence based; that there be board roles with voting rights for individuals with lived experience; and that language, auspicing, and training also shift to accommodate lived experience. Calleja discusses the importance of both whole-of-government and whole-of-organisation suicide prevention approaches and outlines several programs which are person-centred, some of which are also peer-run. Several emerging innovations are noted, and the talk ends with a question and answer session.