For the first time, the Mental Health Commission’s funded suicide prevention workers from across Western Australia came together to attend a three-day workshop in Perth between 13 and 15 June 2023.

The inaugural Suicide Prevention Workshop 2023 provided a platform to establish a unified approach to community-led suicide prevention that aligns with the WA Suicide Prevention Framework 2021-25. Suicide Prevention Coordinators (SPCs) and Community Liaison Officers (CLOs) came together to share their experiences of working in their communities and identify further opportunities to collaborate.

The SPCs and CLOs are established across Western Australia, from a variety of organisations including Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations (ACCOs), Community Alcohol and Drug Services and WA Country Health Services (WACHS).

SPCs and CLOs coordinate activities to build the capacity of stakeholders and empower the community, through community-led activities, to build resilience and social and emotional wellbeing.

To open the workshop, Aunty Liz Hayden conducted a Welcome to Country followed by the SPCs and CLOs participating in a Rhythm to Recovery drumming session to establish a space that paved the way for open communication and collaboration for the duration of the three days.

The workshop provided the SPCs and CLOs the opportunity to hear from a range of researchers and service providers.

Presenters included: Dr Yael Perry and Jacinta Freeman from Telethon Kids Institute, who provided an overview of the development of best practice guidelines for clinical and community service providers in the context of suicide prevention efforts for LGBTQA+ young people, and a new youth suicide prevention modelling project.

Dr Nicole Hill from Telethon Kids Institute presented an overview of the current evidence-base for postvention responses.