OUR REACH

STANDBY QUEENSLAND

“Collaborating with the StandBy Support team has been an invaluable experience. Together, we’ve developed a comprehensive guide that empowers our Community Rugby League Clubs to navigate the incredibly difficult process of losing a club member to suicide. The overwhelming positive feedback we’ve received from Clubs that have used the guide highlights its profound impact, this resource is having within our Community,” Ryan Charles, Education and Well-being Manager for Central QLD Region.

As part of UnitingCare StandBy’s 2023-2024 activity plan, a key initiative focused on cultural safety and building community partnerships across Queensland. One of the most significant collaborations was with Queensland Rugby League (QRL), co-creating a postvention plan, training, and support services tailored to the rugby league community. This initiative was implemented during a critical period of QRL’s calendar, and despite the postvention plan still being in draft form, StandBy’s team quickly provided essential support.

The outcome has been overwhelmingly positive, with QRL representatives expressing gratitude for the resources and guidance StandBy provided during a sensitive time. This partnership exemplifies StandBy’s commitment to cultural safety and community-focused suicide postvention, helping strengthen the resilience of Queensland’s rugby league community.

MONEY MATTERS

*Carol and *Jim, both over 70 years of age, worked extremely hard to make their living. Carol, as a cleaner and Jim as a farmer on their own family farm.

The couple first reached out to Youturn’s Money Matters program after becoming involved in what they thought was an online investment group. Since becoming involved in the group, Carol and Jim had not been able to pay their mortgage, and had struggled with their bills. After struggling for four years, the couple realised that this investment group was in fact a scam.

With their mortgage in arrears, their bank had started to take legal action and were preparing to foreclose. Jim had always planned to sell their farm to their two sons, however the bank was not in favour of this and was insisting on selling the farm on the open market.

After engaging with a Financial Resilience Worker through Money Matters, Carol and Jim were able to secure grants to pay their outstanding bills and make an official report to Scam Watch.

With help from our Financial Counsellor who was able to liaise with the bank, Carol and Jim were able to arrange the sale of their farm to their two sons as they had always hoped.

Having sold the farm to their sons, Carol and Jim have put a legal granny flat arrangement in place providing them somewhere to live for the rest of their lives, and with the earnings from the sale they have fully repaid their mortgage debt to the bank.

They are both now receiving the full Age Pension. Jim is no longer sending money to the online investment scammers, and they are both able to retire from work comfortably after so many years of hard work.

*Names Changed

SUPPORTED INDEPENDENT LIVING

Harry* was just 16 years old* when he first joined Youturn’s Supported Independent Living (SIL) program, after being supported through Youturn’s Residential Care Program. Over the course of his young life, Harry had experienced domestic and spousal abuse, and significant trauma, and as a result had difficulties self-regulating his emotions. Harry engaged in significant substance misuse, often used as a means to regulate his feelings and emotions.

When first entering the SIL program, Harry was motivated to make a change in his life. Throughout his time with the SIL team, Harry worked extremely hard to achieve some outstanding outcomes. Making the decision to minimise substance misuse was a big goal for Harry. His SIL team supported Harry to connect with a psychologist that understood his experiences, and that Harry felt comfortable with. Through this support, Harry was able to start to recognise his triggers, and learned to express his thoughts and feelings in a positive way. Over time, Harry was able to minimise his substance misuse, which gave him a clearer mindset to work toward achieving his goals. Harry explored alternate strategies to manage his emotions by developing a strong connection to country music and taking time to process triggers, prior to reacting.

Over time, Harry’s confidence grew, and he was able to identify relationships that were no longer healthy for him. With support from the SIL team, Harry worked hard on his self-worth, and became more and more empowered to make decisions about his life. Dedicated to completing his studies, Harry worked extremely hard and graduated from high school, enrolled in a Cert IV in Youth Work, and would now like to give back and help others who find themselves in a similar situation to his own. Harry now wants to use all the knowledge and experiences he has gained to help others. Now living independently, Harry can see the great things his future may hold and is working harder than ever to achieve his big dreams.

STANDBY SE NSW

Bereavement following a suicide presents unique and profound challenges. The availability of timely, effective and specialised support services are critical. In regional and rural communities, access to appropriate services and support can be particularly challenging.

StandBy’s South Eastern (SE) NSW team provides post suicide support to a population of approximately 650,000 people living in 680 towns over 50,000 square kilometres. South Eastern NSW is a diverse and unique region, with almost half of the population living in inner and outer regional areas. The StandBy SE NSW team is diverse and multidisciplinary, including Karen (Regional Coordinator), Jemma (Outreach Worker) Helen and Miranda (Lived Experience Peer Workers) and Andrew and Lauren (Casual Support Team).

StandBy’s SE NSW staff adapt their support to meet the needs of regional areas with reduced access to other forms of support.  This year, the team supported a person who had lost her best friend to suicide. A particular concern for this individual was the approaching anniversary of her friend’s death and this led to increased anxiety. This person also reported to be quite isolated. The StandBy team was able to offer flexibility and wraparound support in the lead up to the anniversary. This support included face-to-face peer support, regular phone calls and text message check ins, linking her in with a local bereavement group and helping her identify the other supports in her life including her StandBy counsellor, neighbour and GP.

“Thank you so much for you time on the phone yesterday. I really appreciate all your support and encouragement through this grief.  I feel really supported and safe. I feel seen and heard and I am immensely grateful” – individual supported by StandBy SE NSW.

STANDBY MELBOURNE METRO & GIPPSLAND

Three members of the Jesuit Social Services StandBy team attended an evening event for a Football Club following the loss of a 17-year-old member who died by suicide.  Nearly 30 attendees including the Club President, Secretary, wellbeing support personnel, coaches, players and parents.

Resources were distributed and information shared about StandBy and other support services. The StandBy team spoke with club coaches to provide support. StandBy support team members were able to validate and normalise the group’s feelings and concerns, and the club was supported in planning to keep the routine of training nights. The StandBy team discussed how to check in with the players at the start and end of training and about having a BBQ/Pizza night.

A few months later a referral was received into StandBy for the parents of the deceased. Contact was made and a support session delivered where it was identified that further ongoing counselling support may be beneficial. The StandBy team, connected the couple into services and they were provided with ongoing counselling through the Jesuit Social Services suicide bereavement service.

Comments from the StandBy team included “It was great to deliver effective and timely wrap around support to a lot of people who had been impacted by the suicide of this young person.”  “We received gratitude and thanks by everyone involved”.

STANDBY TASMANIA

The StandBy team in Tasmania recently assisted a mother of two grappling with the death of her son in his early-20s, who died by suicide just a week prior. In deep shock and grief, she expressed the urgent need to organise his funeral while navigating ongoing police and coroner matters, leaving her feeling confused and anxious.

During her initial call, StandBy Coordinator Jordyn connected empathetically with the mother, assessed her safety and together, they devised a plan, scheduling a face-to-face support session for the next day with herself and her husband.

At the session, the couple found a compassionate space to process their pain. StandBy workers facilitated discussions about their feelings and helped to clarify police and coronial processes. They collaboratively created a written plan that included contacting the funeral home and their GP for mental health support. The couple had taken time off work and arranged for close relatives to stay with them for added support. StandBy also provided an information pack with support resources and emergency contacts.

At the session’s conclusion, the couple felt they had received sufficient support and preferred a follow-up call after the funeral. StandBy assured them they could reach out any time before then, emphasising their ongoing availability.

Jordyn stated “after the initial support session and follow up call the participants spoke about how thankful they were for StandBy’s support and felt like they had developed a connection with the team that allowed them to talk openly and put a narrative to their feelings.”

STANDBY NORTHERN TERRITORY

The Central Desert Youth and Communities (Northern Territory, East) experienced several serious suicide attempts in a small community. This region, accessible only by dirt roads, becomes isolated during the wet season, adding further challenges.

In response, the StandBy team was invited to present at the Community Safety Forum for Night Patrol staff from across the region. Night Patrol members are often the first responders to suicides or serious attempts in their communities, which are deeply rooted in traditional Aboriginal practices and have endured compounded grief due to multiple losses from suicide.

In collaboration with the Forum Organiser, StandBy delivered the “What Do I Say” workshop using activity-based learning. This approach allowed participants to adapt the content to their cultural context. A notable example is the word “suicide,” which has no equivalent in Aboriginal languages. The StandBy team facilitated a process where participants were empowered to define the concept in their own terms, ensuring the training was both meaningful and culturally sensitive.

YES ADELAIDE

Youturn’s YES Adelaide recently launched a new wellbeing initiative called Canine Connections. Led by Rosie, Peer Support Worker, this group features visits from Jada, a certified therapy dog, and her owner, Cate, a dedicated volunteer from the charity PAWS Pet Therapy.

So far, Jada and Cate have made five visits to the centre, where Jada has been a hit. She has delighted many with her enthusiastic tricks, and excitedly providing a source of cuddles and pats. Jada and Cate’s visits have sparked positive conversations and provided a heartwarming source of comfort and joy for the young people at YES Adelaide.

“This is just what I needed” – Canine Connections participant

WESTERN AUSTRALIA

StandBy Western Australia lead by Anglicare WA StandBy State Manager Karri Ambler developed a new support resource together with those impacted by suicide and Family & Domestic Violence (FDV). This co-designed resourced was developed with those with a lived experience and also those work in supportive roles.

“The project was developed because of the increased numbers of women accessing StandBy Support After Suicide in Western Australia who had lost their partner to suspected suicide and had experienced family and domestic violence. We learnt quickly that the support needed for these women was different to other bereavement support we were providing, due to the conflicting emotions of relief and guilt.” Quote from those that worked on the resource.

A working group was set up through an EOI process which comprised of a multidisciplinary team, inclusive of Lived Experience. Over a period of 8 months, the resource was developed through monthly working group meetings and consults.

The resource combines education and awareness, help seeking information and self-care strategies to be used in face-to-face sessions sensitively with those we are supporting.

‘’We are so fortunate that people have the courage to share their personal stories which may bring relief and comfort to others’’.
‘’You asked me how I felt after reading the resource and I guess the best way to describe it would be that it took away the isolated feeling by being able to relate to it unlike other suicide stories and content’’. – Quotes from those that contributed to the resource

The team would like to acknowledge and thank all those that contributed, shared their stories and insights. This resource is now available via local StandBy support teams, and is designed to be specifically support those impacted by suicide and FDV.