'Practical' plans for mental health pass parliament

Australian Community Media

The plan will consider training for railway workers to identify and approach people in distress on platforms, site management in national parks, and revenue agency interactions with people under financial strain.

Transcript

00:00We have centred this issue at the heart of government decision making. It's got to be made

00:06clear that as long as we continue to see suicide prevention through a narrow frame, a narrow health

00:12response, we're going to miss people. People are going to slick through the cracks. We're going to

00:16lose people who, if we just had more connection points, more opportunities to reach out, more ways

00:22to bring people into services, we could provide them with the care and the connection that they

00:26needed. So I think we do amazing things for awareness in this country around suicide prevention,

00:31but this act is now a step into action. And for me, that's just something that's so imperative

00:37because on those days where you feel like it's too heavy tomorrow and I can't fight through it and I

00:42can't make it tomorrow and you're too much focusing on the strength of silence that you've now got

00:48someone who's a little bit more aware to reach out and ask you, are you okay? And now the response of

00:53no, I'm not okay is going to be something that's going to be helped.

00:57This will have a significant impact for people on the ground. So people who are experiencing

01:03distress, this will make a difference to them. This act will ensure that every part of government

01:10looks at anything that they do through the lens of the prevention of suicide.

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