Suicide Prevention Australia has announced the recipients of the 21st Annual National LiFE (Living is For Everyone) Awards which celebrate the commitment and determination of those working towards the reduction of suicide within our communities.
Recipients were announced at the National Suicide Prevention Conference LiFE Awards Gala Dinner in Adelaide on Wednesday 1 May 2024.
The LiFE Awards are designed to acknowledge the extraordinary work being done throughout the country in suicide prevention and showcase dedication, innovation and leadership of individuals and organisations.
Suicide Prevention Australia CEO, Nieves Murray said, “Today, as we acknowledge the inspiring contributions of our LiFE Award recipients, we are reminded that change is possible and that there is always hope and help available.
“The awards celebrate and amplify initiatives that are breaking new ground so that others can learn and embed best-practice suicide prevention solutions across their communities.
“The awards are a vehicle for showcasing innovative approaches to suicide prevention so that together we can all work towards a world without suicide.
“Every step taken towards suicide prevention is a step towards a more compassionate and informed society. Our award recipients have taken not just steps but leaps forward in this endeavour.
“We extend our congratulations and gratitude to the 2024 recipients for working so tirelessly to help improve the lives of others in our local communities,” said Ms Murray.
2024 National LiFE Award recipients
- Communities in Action category: Live4Life, Victoria – a registered health promotion charity which began in the Macedon Ranges in 2010, brings together rural communities to improve youth mental health and reduce suicide. Live4Life delivers Teen and Youth Mental Health First Aid training in schools and wider community, creates local partnership groups to lead conversations about mental health and suicide prevention, and promotes young leaders as mental health ambassadors. Over 18,645 young people in Live4Life communities have improved their mental health literacy, help-seeking and help-offering.
- Outstanding contribution category: Dr Claire Kelly and Dr Laura Hart, (Joint winners for their collaboration on teen Mental Health First Aid), Victoria – Dr Claire Kelly of Melbourne University along with Dr Laura Hart of Mental Health First Aid Australia developed the teen Mental Health First Aid program to train adolescents in how to better support peers with mental health problems, including those with suicidal thoughts. Since 2014 when it was first launched, 4,735 programs have been run across 578 Australian schools to almost 100,000 students. The program has also been licensed in 17 other countries, including the USA, Canada, India, UK, Germany and NZ. In the USA, Lady Gaga’s Born this Way Foundation funded its adaptation and roll out, leading to more than150,000 US teens having been trained. The course teaches students how to apply a 5-step action plan to help a friend experiencing a crisis, including suicidal thoughts and behaviours. The international version of the program has been adapted locally to address the culture for each country.
- Priority Population category: 13YARN National, Lifeline Australia – 13YARN began in March 2022. It is entirely staffed by First Nations peoples, designed and created in consultation with community (including with Gayaa Dhuwi (Proud Spirit) Australia – the national peak body for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander social and emotional wellbeing) and self-determination that trains only First Nations staff to carry out the supports and encourages engagement in a culturally safe and appropriate manner. 13YARN is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and provides cultural connection, education and understanding back into Lifeline Australia. As of 15 Dec 2023, 13YARN has responded to 41,132 calls. Direct review and feedback from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities and help seekers ensures that the program remains connected and close to the help seekers engaging with the service.
- Innovative Practice and Research category: Dr Sandersan Onie, The Hope Exchange, New South Wales – Dr Sandersan Onie leads The Hope Exchange, a suicide prevention intervention that employs online search algorithms to identify people at risk of suicide and provide support. When searching suicide-specific keywords, an ad for the Hope Exchange is triggered, providing links to emergency help, video-based community stories, calming resources. 250,000 searches have led to over 3000 people seeking help. Hope Exchange can be tailored to support people across demographics worldwide, indicating an engaging, far-reaching and cost-efficient way to reach enormous numbers of people at risk of suicide. This is a new and innovative idea, harnessing artificial intelligence, knowhow of big business and commercial entities for suicide prevention.
- Best Practice in Workplace category: Bupa Suicide Prevention Strategy – The Strategy is a formal plan aimed at achieving meaningful support for the Bupa workforce and the greater community to align with their mission of helping people live longer, healthier, and happier lives. They use a pillared approach – Awareness and Stigma Reduction, Skill and Capability Enhancement, and Customer and Community Focus. Bupa shifted focus to initiatives centering on heightening awareness of suicidal thoughts/behaviours, managing associated risks, and enhancing people’s ability to engage in difficult conversations with vulnerable individuals. Particularly, the focus was on business leadership, recognising their role in early intervention. Bupa established support systems, emphasising immediate assistance to individuals, and their teams for postvention support.
“We’ll be opening nominations for the 2025 LiFE Awards soon so keep an eye out and start thinking about those in your community or workplace that are doing innovative work in suicide prevention,” said Ms Murray.
If you’d like to learn more about the LiFE Awards and the various categories, head to our website for more information.
ENDS
To get help 24/7, phone Lifeline on 13 11 14 or the Suicide Call Back Service on 1300 659 467 or the National Debt Helpline on 1800 007 007. If you or someone you know are in immediate danger, phone 000 for emergency services.
Help to report about suicide safely is available online: Go to https://mindframe.org.au/
Media enquiries:
Tom Anderson 0409 718 271 toma@suicidepreventionaust.org
About Suicide Prevention Australia
Suicide Prevention Australia is the national peak body and we’ve been providing support for Australia’s suicide prevention sector for more than 25 years. We support and advocate for our members to drive continual improvement in suicide prevention policy, programs and services. Our reach is broad, including member organisations, governments, businesses, researchers, practitioners and those with lived experience. We are focused on an integrated approach to suicide prevention encompassing mental health, social, economic and community factors. We believe that through collaborative effort and shared purpose, we can achieve our vision of a world without suicide.
