Businesses need to make suicide prevention part of their culture, said Lifeline’s South Coast executive director Grahame Gould.
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Mr Gould was speaking at the launch of a campaign to attract more people to become Lifeline telephone crisis supporters.
The launch was held at BlueScope’s Port Kembla steelworks, which funds the training program for crisis supporters.
“Three-quarters of people who die from suicide are men and the majority of people who die from suicide are employed at the time,” Mr Gould said.
“Employers are an important group in preventing suicide.”
Mr Gould said it was pleasing to see the level of BlueScope’s involvement.
“Not only is BlueScope Steel helping us to train more volunteers for the Lifeline crisis service; but they are also dedicated to making suicide prevention part of their own business by encouraging help-seeking in a largely male-dominated workplace,” Mr Gould said.
The campaign will feature the voice of John Nowlan, General Manager of Manufacturing for BlueScope, in radio ads calling on people to volunteer their time to offer help down a Lifeline phone line.
Mr Nowlan said BlueScope was a supporter of the suicide prevention work of Lifeline South Coast.
“The Lifeline training course develops valuable skills in local people to build a stronger and more supportive community,” Mr Nowlan said.
Mr Gould said the training was a crucial part of becoming a Lifeline phone supporter and that people weren’t allowed to take calls until they had the required skills.
For a telephone crisis supporter, a lot of the job is simply listening, Mr Gould said.
“If someone calls and they’re considering suicide, the first thing we do is listen to the pain,” he said.
“Often that person is in a difficult situation but by hearing their pain it enables them to become more calm and start to look at what options there are to begin to see some light the end of the tunnel.”
For details visit www.lifelinesouthcoast.org.au