Suicide, QUestions, Answers and REsources (square)
Toni Prochazaka, project officer for South Australia’s Department of Health and Ageing, says: ‘Working with the community to build strength, resilience and capacity in suicide prevention is at the core of what square does.
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square is a suicide prevention resource for people who work in primary health care. The resource promotes assessment and management of suicide risk in patients in the primary health care setting through training programs and follow-up sessions.
Program duration
2001: pilot phase.
2006 to current: roll-out of the program throughout SA includes GP and community training.
Location
Initially South Australia only. Recently tools and resources have been developed for a national rollout of the program in late 2008.
Aims
square aims to:
- provide answers and resources to people in primary health care who work to prevent suicide
- provide a model to address suicide prevention
- encourage reflective thinking that will assist the community to notice signs of risk.
Activities
Square training provides up-skilling for GPs in suicide risk assesment and referral. It also carries Continued Professional Development (CPD) points.
Resources:
square resources include tools to:
- conduct risk assessments
- make effective referrals
- incorporate suicide prevention skills in the workplace
- conduct community service provider networking events.
Model
Square provides an educative model to the community. This involves:
- assessing and prioritising training needs of community members
- up-skilling people in contact with community members at risk of suicide and self-harm
- delivery of tailored training programs
- follow-up sessions to develop effective referral pathways.
Lessons learnt
- offer incentives for GP and police involvement such as time in lieu or remuneration
- ownership of a person’s role in suicide prevention is not universal - e.g. GPs perceived role in suicide prevention is not consistent
- tailoring the approach to the community’s needs ensures increased effectiveness and uptake of the program
- follow-up after training improves the effect of a suicide prevention program.
Evaluation information
In the early stages of the program all resources underwent external evaluation to ensure their quality. Square now performs ongoing internal evaluations, which include interviewing focus groups and conducting surveys.
Umbrella organisation
South Australian Department of Health and Ageing.
Project partners
Square’s partners include:
- South Australia Department of Health and Ageing
- SA Divisions of General Practice Inc
- Relationships Australia
- hospitals
- emergency services
- mental health services
- GPs
- Drug and Alcohol Service South Australia (DASSA)
- culturally and linguistically diverse communities
- Indigenous communities
- communities representing the elderly
- Vietnam Veterans
- consumer and carer organisations
- job networks
- non-government organisations eg Centacare, Salvation Army and Anglicare.
Contact
Email square square@rasa.org.au or visit the square website.