Free Suicide Prevention Training for Wagga Wagga and surrounds

Individuals over 18 years and community groups are being offered a free opportunity in November to learn the skills of suicide prevention .

Recognising the warning signs of suicide, offering hope to someone who may be in crisis and referring onto appropriate support services are key aspects of responding to someone experiencing thoughts of suicide.

Rural Outreach Counselling is facilitating four two-hour training sessions and is proudly supported by Wagga Wagga City Council.

Council’s Youth and Community Development Officer Mel Fattore said, “Providing this kind of community training is important in the lead up to Christmas, which can be a stressful and lonely time of year for many in our community.”

“QPR (Question. Persuade. Refer.) is a short and meaningful suicide prevention training response that the local service of Rural Outreach Counselling teaches on a regular basis because there is an identified need in our community and surrounds.”

Once a person is trained in QPR, they become a ‘gatekeeper’, someone who is better equipped to recognise a crisis and the warning signs that someone may be contemplating suicide.

Rural Outreach Counselling has developed a regional program called the ‘MateKeeper’, which gatekeepers can volunteer to be a part of and support local people experiencing poor mental health.

MateKeeper volunteers are everyday people in our local community who are proactively reaching out to those struggling with their mental health and wellbeing. MateKeeper volunteers will be available at all upcoming QPR training sessions to support participants and share more about their experience as a volunteer.

"This is a free accredited training opportunity to upskill our community, to understand how to navigate and refer on to support services in a time of crisis.”