The Morrison Government will invest more than $36 million in national suicide prevention projects to raise awareness of the impact of suicide and to support Australians who may be at risk.
The funding, through the National Suicide Prevention Leadership and Support Program, will help to deliver important awareness and stigma reduction activities, research, and leadership through variety of projects. These initiatives aim to reduce deaths by suicide across Australia.
Fifteen highly respected organisations will receive funding including Suicide Prevention Australia who will receive $1.2 million to continue its national leadership role for the suicide prevention sector.
Suicide is a national tragedy and close to 3,000 Australians take their lives each year.
One life lost to suicide is one too many.
The support I have announced today will be vitally important in helping to reduce the number of people we lose to suicide each year.
Male suicide rates are three times greater than females and the rate among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people is around twice that of non-Indigenous people.
Awareness, prevention and intervention programs for occupations where larger numbers of men typically work will be delivered by the OzHelp Foundation and MATES in Construction to give men the confidence and support to open up and seek help for themselves, and their mates, when in need.
Funding will allow the University of Western Australia to continue critical research to ensure the best support and services are being provided to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island people in our community.
A number of organisations, including R U OK?, Everymind, and Reach Out Australia, will receive funding for communication projects such as media and online campaigns to reduce stigma, encourage conversations and provide vital support and resources to individuals and communities at risk.
Mental Health First Aid Australia and Roses in the Ocean will receive funding to provide training, education and support for medical professionals and individuals with a lived experience of suicide.
A leadership role will be provided by Suicide Prevention Australia to build partnerships across the mental health sector and the community to change behaviour and attitudes to suicide behaviour.
The National Suicide Prevention Leadership and Support Program was launched in 2017. This funding boost today brings the total funding for the program to $79.9 million.
The Morrison Government is committed to investing in mental health services for all Australians. It is a key pillar of our Long Term Health Plan.
In the 2018–19 Budget, mental health funding increased by $338.1 million to boost support for suicide prevention, research and programs for older Australians.
