Suicide Prevention – Breaking the Silence

Suicide Prevention – Breaking the Silence

Tuesday 9th February 2016

Suicide is a serious health and social issue. Suicide rates are a sign of the mental health and social well-being of any population. For the year June 2014- May 2015, 569 people died by suicide or suspected suicide in Aotearoa-NZ. The Dunedin based Life Matters Suicide Prevention Trust (LMSPT) was established in 2014 to address this crisis , and to work at all levels to help bring these tragic statistics down. As part of this important work, everyone is invited to attend a panel and community discussion on “Suicide Prevention – Breaking the Silence” to hear from people who are passionate about suicide prevention. The event will be held on Thursday 18th February from 7pm in the Salvation Army Haven Hall, 575 Princes St Dunedin. There will be an opportunity to engage in discussion with the panellists and to ask questions. Supper will be provided. The Life Matters Trust believes that we need to include those with the “lived experience” in such discussions to be part of the solution, hence two women who have been bereaved by suicide (both have lost their sons) will be on our panel. Lived experience means those who have experienced suicidal thoughts, survived a suicide attempt, cared for someone who has attempted suicide, or been bereaved by suicide. At our panel discussion we will include you in the conversation and take it further for you. Here is some information about each of our panellists :

Jane Stevens grew up in Dunedin and has whakapapa to Otakou and Kokorarata marae. Her whanau have been battling for an open and honest investigation into what happened to cause such a systemic failure in the provision of safe appropriate services and support to Nicky.

Corinda Taylor is Chairperson of the Life Matters Suicide Prevention Trust. She is advocating for system changes both locally and nationally. She has spoken at many conferences nationally and internationally about suicide prevention and actively advocating to include those with the “lived experience” to be part of the solution. She believes suicide thrives on silence and that more therapy and support for people struggling with mental distress is needed.

Collette Ryan is a Nurse Educator - Mental Health, with the Southern District Health Board. She trained at the Glasgow Eastern College of Nursing & Midwifery in Scotland. Her past experience includes work as Deputy Sister at East Dorset Healthcare Trust and as a Nurse Therapist and Liaison worker with the SDHB.

Grant Cooper is manager of the Otago Mental Health Support Trust which is a peer support and advocacy service for people with experience of mental distress. Suicide is an ongoing issue in New Zealand that is not going away. Grant believes that this panel discussion is an opportunity to further bring out this issue into the public limelight where it belongs. Grant believes that our discussion on the 18th needs to feed into a wider ongoing discussion of how we all live in society.

Nils Barth was born in Germany and has been in NZ for 20 years. He has been with the NZ Police for the last 10 years as a front line officer. He has worked for the last few years as a Neighbourhood policing team member, involved with proactive preventative policing. He has a passion for suicide prevention. He is often attending situations where people are threatening suicide, attempting suicide or have completed suicide. He feels we need to work on filling the gaps in the current system and to build further safety nets.

The panel discussion will be facilitated by Rev Greg Hughson, LMSPT Trustee and University Chaplain, who has experience of offering support to those bereaved by suicide over many years. If you want your voice heard please attend on Feb 18th. There will be plenty of opportunity to ask the panellists some questions or share your story. Your story is important to us.

ENDS

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