Suicide Programs was founded in 2017 by Melanie Schroder and Sandra Willie. Both founders have extensive experience in working in the suicide prevention space as well as lived and living experience of suicide.
They wanted to create an Australian organisation to develop and deliver evidence, lived and living experience-based training programs that were time and cost effective, flexible in delivery so different communities and cohorts could have their unique needs addressed. The program would provide, not only evidence-based models, but also the skills required so that ‘every person in every community across Australia to have a calm conversation that can save a life’.
They now have several different programs on offer and continually work to ensure that these are current, reflect feedback and are evaluated to ensure the safety of participants, given how many Australians are now touched by suicide.
The flagship program is CALM (Connect-Ask-Listen-Monitor), which is an 8-hour interactive program that takes participants through the four stages of an intervention. CALM is based on motivational interviewing, trauma and recovery-oriented practice and is also supported by an App for the person at risk to complete a safety plan and an App for the person doing the intervention that provides a summary of learnings to draw on during an intervention.
As they grew and based on feedback and demand, the Suicide Programs suite of programs as well as organisation grew and their offerings now including CALM Care, a 3.5 hour suicide awareness program, Accidental Counsellor, Motivational Interviewing but to name a few.
Their focus remains being a part of an incredible group of people and organisations who want to reduce the rates of suicide, the loss of lives and loved ones, and the tangible loss of hope we are feeling and hearing about in our communities. Proud to be a member of Suicide Prevention Australia, to have two of their programs accredited through the QIP program and to continue to grow, develop and engage.
To find out more about Suicide Programs, visit their website.