Getting Immediate Help
For immediate crisis intervention when life may be in danger ring the police on 000 or go to your local emergency department and ask for the Psychiatric Emergency Team.
There are a range of professional and supportive services where you can get help in a crisis including:
Some tips for getting urgent help include*:
- Express the urgency of the matter without becoming aggressive
- Speak clearly
- Give the health professional specific examples of concerns
- Give a brief history of self harm or harm to others
- Ensure that you listen to their advice
- If they are unable to help, ask them why and who you should contact. Don’t give up.
Taken from BeyondBlue
Information and Resources
There are a number of detailed factsheets available to help you understand the person with suicidal thoughts, deal with the situation and care for yourself through the process. Click on the links below to view the factsheets.
SANE
SANE provide a number of factsheets including SANE Steps – How To Help When Someone is Suicidal which lists practical things you can do to help someone in a crisis.
Lifeline
Lifeline publishes a number of toolkits designed to help people through times of crisis.
The Tool Kit for Helping Someone at Risk of Suicide provides a step-by-step process to help you understand why someone may be considering ending their life and what you can do to help them.
The Aboriginal Suicide Prevention toolkit provides advice to support an Indigenous person through crisis.
LifeForce
LifeForce, a suicide prevention project run by Wesley Mission, publish two factsheets outlining how you can understand and help a suicidal person.
Understanding the Person With Suicidal Thoughts aims to help you understand the what and why of a suicidal person’s feelings.
What You Can Do – the SALT Strategy provides an easy to follow strategy to understand warning signs, communicate with and listen to a suicidal person and to direct them to professional help.
Suicide Helpline Victoria
Suicide Helpline Victoria provides both general and Victoria-specific information on what to do in an emergency, understanding suicide and how to help someone who is suicidal.
The Samaritans
Loounder the Information section to view information on risk factors, warning signs, and information for parents of depressed and suicidal teenagers.
Mental Health First Aid – First Aid Guidelines on Suicidal Thoughts & Behaviours
These first aid guidelines will help you understand how to deal with mental health crisis situations. Both a quick guide to dealing with suicidal behaviour and detailed Guidelines to understanding Suicidal Thoughts and Behaviour for general and Indigenous communities are available.
MindMatters
MindMatters, the national mental health initiative for secondary schools, offers resources to assist schools and teachers deal with young people at risk of suicide.
Educating For Life: A Guide for School-based Responses to Preventing Self Harm and Suicide includes a section on how to respond to a student who is suicidal.
Reach Out!
Reach Out! is a web-based service that inspires young people (aged 16-25) to help themselves through tough times. This article offers suggestions on how to help a friend who has threatened to take their own life. The website also offers fact sheets, forums, and other resources designed specifically for youth.
NSW Multicultural Health Communication Service
This agency publishes a series of translated factsheets. The Preventing Youth Suicide: The risk factors for youth suicide and what parents can do to help prevent it factsheet is available in English, Arabic, Chinese, Croatian, Italian, Korean, Lao, Macedonian, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Thai, Turkish and Vietnamese.
Association of Relatives and Friends of the Mentally Ill (ARAFMI)
ARAFMI focuses on the provision of support for families, carers and friends with mental health issues. This is based on the principles of mutual self help and support to build the capacity of families and improve their quality of life. ARAFMI offers mutual support groups, information, library, telephone support and home-based outreach support.
Click here for the contact details of the ARAFMI office in your State.
Carers Australia
Carers Australia works with a network of carers associations in each state and territory to improve the lives of carers. Together, they provide important services like counselling, advice, advocacy, education and training.
Contact any State and Territory Association with Freecall number 1800 242 636 to find out how to access support services to help you through this time of crisis.
Click here for the contact details of the Carers Australia office in your State.