The LiFE Awards (Living is for Everyone) are designed to acknowledge the extraordinary work being done throughout the country in suicide prevention and showcase dedication, innovation and leadership.
The ambition of Suicide Prevention Australia is to 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 LiFE Awards are a vehicle for highlighting best practice across the sector so that everyone can learn from them and be able to introduce new suicide prevention solutions into their own communities.
On Thursday, 14 March 2024 Suicide Prevention Australia hosted the NT LiFE Award at the Novotel Darwin. The evening showcased the important work being done in the NT by individuals and organisations to prevent suicide and support those in need.
The evening was led by the NT State Committee Chair, Nicole Pietsch who alongside Suicide Prevention Australia CEO, Nieves Murray announced the following recipients:
Communities in Action Award: Karyn Moyle, Perfectly Imperfect Consulting
Karyn is a Warlpiri, Eastern Arrernte, and Djaru woman with a vision to provide the community and Indigenous people with the education, support and guidance to live and heal with grief, loss, trauma and mental health. Drawing on her own lived experience, including the profound impact of the Stolen Generation on her own family, Karyn established Perfectly Imperfect Consulting in 2021, in response to a need to provide high-quality and culturally appropriate training programs in suicide, trauma and mental health for Aboriginal Australians. With a deep understanding of the issues impacting urban, regional and remote communities, Karyn recognises the importance of delivering suicide prevention and postvention programs in an interactive and culturally safe environment. The training and awareness programs and services for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island people include Aboriginal Mental Health First Aid, Youth Aboriginal Mental Health First Aid, Deadly Thinking Youth (for youth to yarn about things that affect them), Youme Whichway Program (suicide prevention and postvention support), and Support and Mentoring Services for childhood trauma, grief and loss.
Outstanding Contribution Award: Karen Moyle, Perfectly Imperfect Consulting
Karyn is a Warlpiri, Eastern Arrernte, and Djaru woman with a vision to provide the community and Indigenous people with the education, support and guidance to live and heal with grief, loss, trauma and mental health (see the description in ‘Communities in Action’ above).
Priority Populations Award: Heather Latimer, Villy Australia
Over the last 10 year there has been an over-representation of veteran suicides. 465 Australian Defence Force (ADF) members and veterans have died by suicide between 2001 and 2018. The age-adjusted suicide rate for male ex-serving ADF members is 22% higher than for the Australian male population. The age-adjusted rate of suicide for female ex-serving ADF members is 127% higher that the Australian female population.
Heather Latimer developed Project Villy to deliver meaningful support to Australian Defence Force members, veterans and their families who are preparing for transitioning and integration into the community after their service. This support is provided through the creation and application of the Villy App. The core purpose of the Villy App is to create a village or community environment that recreates the protective factors of the ADF by remaining connected with the community they know so well but within a broader Australian society. At the same time, it creates a safe place for veterans and their families to ask for help. In this way they can meet other ADF families to connect over shared experiences, military family life, service life and post service life. They can meet people in the same situation as themselves without needing to justify past traumas and can also access support and services.
Suicide Prevention Australia would like to thank all those who submitted a nomination for the awards. We recognise that through our collective efforts, we are stronger together in preventing suicide.
Recipients of the NT State LiFE Award automatically progress into the running of the National LiFE Award which will be held during the 25th National Suicide Prevention Conference, 30 April to 2 May 2024 in Adelaide, South Australia.
For more information about the LiFE Awards, click here.
