Reach Out!
Web site: http://www.reachout.com.au/
Reach Out! is a web-based service that helps young people to get through tough times by providing support and helpful information in a format that appeals to young people, and is also a national database of services that can offer further assistance. While Reach Out! does not offer online counselling, the information and interactive features on their site provide young people with a good first step towards working through difficulties themselves, with the option of seeking further help if they choose to. Reach Out! is an initiative of the Inspire Foundation. Reach Out! combines factual information with inspiring stories about how other people have coped with difficult times.
Kids Helpline is a national telephone counselling service for young people aged 5 to 18 years - it is free, anonymous and confidential. Phone: 1800 55 1800
Anonymous statistical information is collated which is invaluable for research into youth problems and needs throughout Australia.
Web site: http://www.kidshelp.com.au/
Kids Help Line aims to:
- provide a professional counselling service accessible to all Australian Children
- empower the caller by assisting them to form opinions for themselves
- help children identify and understand the consequences of a particular course of action
- facilitate more productive relationships with parents, teachers and care givers
- fill in the gaps in existing services
- provide information on support services in the caller's local area
- advocate on behalf of these children where their interests are ignored or unrepresented
- care to listen.
Lifeline
Web site: http://www.lifeline.org.au
Help is available on the phone 13 11 14 or on the net on the net
Also see their page of useful links. Young people are encouraged to call Lifeline.
Government resources
The Australian Government Department of Health and ageing website contains information on Australian Government mental health and wellbeing and suicide prevention initiatives, including beyondblue – the National Depression Initiative, Better Outcomes in Mental Health Care, and the Youth Mental Health Initiative.
LiFe -- Living is for everyone
This is a Australian national suicide prevention web site, not a crisis service. The Living is for Everyone (LIFE) Framework was developed under the National Youth Suicide Prevention Strategy, or NSPS, to address the high rates of suicidal behaviour among identified population groups. It provides fact sheets, statistics, national and state policy information, resurces, research, reading lists and links to related sites, conferences and media reports. The website also has a good list of crisis services in Australia, and links to suicide prevention sites both in Australia and abroad. The LIFE site is part of the National Suicide Prevention Strategy and is funded by the Australian Department of Health and Ageing. For further information, contact the National Advisory Council for Suicide Prevention (NACSP) Secretariat, email: NACSPSecretariat@health.gov.au
OzHelp Foundation is a workplace-based early intervention suicide prevention and social capacity building program. It aims to enhance the resilience of apprentices and workers in the construction and building industry. See their website
Mindframe-media is an online companion to the publication 'Reporting Suicide and Mental Illness - a resource for media professionals'. The website aims to help people who are involved in mental health to communicate effectively with the media about suicide, mental health and mental illness.
See their page of useful links and their page of useful resources.
Other resources
SPINZ (Suicide Prevention Information New Zealand) is a New Zealand-wide suicide prevention information service.
The Australian Network for Promotion, Prevention and Early Intervention for Mental Health (Auseinet)
Web site: http://www.auseinet.com
This national project, funded by the Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing under the Mental Health Strategy and the National Suicide Prevention Strategy, provides a communications and clearinghouse service for promotion, prevention and early intervention in mental health across all ages of the lifespan including a searchable resources database. The web site provides access to a wealth of information for individuals working in a range of contexts, carers and consumers of mental health services and also provides links and contact details to other services and sites, media information, fact sheets and suicide prevention information.
National Youth Suicide Prevention Strategy: This strategy ran from 1995 to 1999.
'Valuing Young Lives: Evaluation of the National Youth Suicide Prevention Strategy' was released on 9 October 2000. The report evaluates the Australian Government's $31 million National Youth Suicide Prevention Strategy. The report is online.