The visit follows the release of the NSW Government’s Strategic framework for suicide prevention in NSW 2022-2027, one of the Commission’s major projects for 2022.
The Framework aims to remove barriers between mental health services, organisations, and people so distress can be identified earlier, with faster responses.
“Our visit to Blacktown is an important part of the follow-up work to the release of the strategic framework, which outlines a comprehensive whole-of-government, whole-of-community approach to suicide prevention,” Ms Lourey said.
“We want to continue our work with communities and discuss the steps that as communities we all need to take in helping prevent the tragic loss of life to suicide.”
Ms Lourey said: “Blacktown is home to a culturally and diverse community, including one of the state’s largest urban Aboriginal and Torres Straits Island communities.
“We encourage people from all communities to come along and discuss these issues and share their insights with us.
“Our goal is to seek community input that will help us understand what progress and success looks like when measuring and reporting on suicide prevention. We want to hear what the community of Blacktown says is important for theme.”
The discussion will focus on two critical questions relating to suicide: ‘What is the change that you would want to experience in the suicide prevention system? ’And ‘How will we know we have made a positive impact?’
“Suicide is one of the most far-reaching and devastating challenges that we face today,” Ms Lourey said. “Seeking to reduce its incidence is of paramount importance and a responsibility that we all share.”
The consultation, entitled “Listening Louder-Measuring what matters in suicide prevention” will be held on Tuesday, October 18, from 5.30-7.30pm, at the Max Webber Function Centre, 61 Flushcombe Rd, Blacktown.
Blacktown Counsellor named Community Champion
Blacktown mental health counsellor Kylie Smith has been named Commissioner’s Community Champion by NSW Mental Health Commissioner Ms Catherine Lourey.
Kylie runs a highly successful online drop-in and peer support group called Embracing Arms that works to connect people in western Sydney who are experiencing mental health issues.
“I started the group in 2014 after battling with some of my own mental health issues,” says Kylie, 39. “I had come to realise through my own experience that there were gaps in the system when it comes to connecting people who are going through similar experiences.”
Kylie, now a fully qualified counsellor, started the group after she encountered problems seeking professional help for post-natal depression after the birth of her son in 2012.
“What motivated me was this feeling of being tremendously lost,” recalls Kylie. “I had called a lot of counsellors but couldn’t find the right person to help me. I went to GPs and was told that I had to wait three months until I could see someone professionally.
“It had been a nightmare. I’d had panic attacks and many trips to the hospital as well as suicidal ideation, but nobody was able to point me in the right direction.”
Almost in desperation, she put up a post on social media revealing what she had been through. Within moments, others responded saying they, too, had experienced similar feelings.
“I was stunned by the response,” says Kylie, who survived a suicide attempt when she was 19 after her younger sister discovered her note and initiated a successful recovery. “So many people were coming back with ‘Me, too’ or ‘that’s what happened to me’. That started me thinking about ‘how do we all connect?’”
The result was Embracing Arms. “The night I started the group 100 people joined,” she sais. "At its peak we had 500 online members. Right now, we have almost 200 people active in the group.”
“Kylie is a highly motivated person who has created a warm, supportive and comforting online environment where people can feel safe and confident to share their experiences,” says NSW Mental Health Commissioner Catherine Lourey.
"Embracing Arms is an excellent example of how lived experience and peer support can make a real
difference in people’s lives when they are dealing with challenging mental health issues."
