Suicide Prevention

The Way Back Support Service is a suicide prevention aftercare service that provides tailored psychosocial support for up to three months following a suicidal crisis or a suicide attempt. Neami National has been the continuing service provider, delivering The Way Back Support Service across the Central and Eastern Sydney region. The Way Back team have provided support to 426 clients throughout the past year.

Referrals to the program are made through Sydney Local Health District, South Eastern Sydney Local Health District, and St Vincent’s Hospital Network.

Under the NSW Commonwealth Bilateral agreement for Mental Health and Suicide Prevention, Central and Eastern Sydney PHN has been granted funding to expand The Way Back to a universal aftercare service.  

In October 2023, the PHN undertook a co-design process to better tailor the service to the region’s needs. The recommendations of the co-design process include the following enhancements to the service model:  

• Integration of a clinical care component through provision of psychological support in parallel to psychosocial support 

• Increased access to peer workers (lived experience workers) 

• Flexible length of support provided to participants 

• Participants being followed up after exiting the service. 

The above enhancements are being implemented to the existing service model from 1 July 2024.  

CESPHN has continued our support and involvement in the St George Suicide Prevention Collaboration which has a regular meeting convened for a community action group and a community response group. The collaborative is a broad representation from a cross section of the community including first responders, Department of Education, SESLHD, Standby support, headspace, Lifeline and several NFP community organisations. 

The PHN has also been involved in several planning meetings regarding the establishment of a third suicide collaborative in our region, for the Eastern Suburbs area. 

In late 2023, Central and Eastern Sydney PHN engaged Beacon Strategies consultancy firm to undertake a co-design process to identify priority areas for the Targeted Regional Initiatives for Suicide Prevention (TRISP).  

Several initiatives have been commissioned under TRISP, based on the recommendations from the co-design process.

Suicide Prevention Lived Experience Workforce Development Initiative
Beacon Strategies will facilitate and coordinate a coalition of Lived Experience Suicide Prevention workers from the Central and Eastern Sydney region to lead activities that support and provide development opportunities to the workforce in the whole region.   

Aboriginal youth suicide prevention events
Kurranulla Aboriginal Corporation and La Perouse Local Aboriginal Land Council will stage large-scale, culturally safe events for young Aboriginal people. These will promote community services with a social and emotional wellbeing focus with the aim of engaging the cohort in a conversation around wellbeing and suicide.  

Summer Hill Safe Space
Central and Eastern Sydney PHN has funded the existing Safe Space in Summer Hill. The service provides a non-clinical, lived experience, volunteer-led drop-in service for people in the area experiencing suicidal distress.  

Support for the Inner West Suicide Prevention Collaborative
Central and Eastern Sydney PHN has allocated funding to support the activities of the Inner West Suicide Prevention Collaborative.

Support for the SafeHavens 
SafeHavens are a NSW Health initiative. The service is an alternative to hospital emergency departments and a place people can go if they are feeling distressed or having suicidal thoughts. Safe Havens are led by peer support workers.
Central and Eastern Sydney PHN is offering additional funding to Safe Havens operating in our region to extend their current services.  

The Suicide Prevention team is currently commissioning and implementing several other initiatives under TRISP.