COREStm COmmunity Response to Eliminating Suicide   

Received the Honourable Mention in the SPA 2007 Life Awards 
Healthy Communities Category.

In what ways has the group or organisation contributed to the promotion of life and the prevention of suicide?

This unique Cutting Edge community project aims
The CORESTM  Package has developed the skills and confidence of community members to intervene in suicide and hence assist in the development of a community’s capacity to eliminate suicide.
Our community knows that education, training and fully implemented suicide prevention strategies are essential in the pursuit of limiting suicides in the community and we draw on expertise where it can be found.  It requires the efforts of all kinds of people with differing backgrounds and different helping experiences.  The one day course will help develop those skills and confidence of community members to intervene in suicide and hence in the development of community’s capacity to eliminate suicide and life assist.

The CORESTM   Kentish (COmmunity Response to Eliminating Suicide) Team (2003), CORESTM  Circular Head Team (2005) are located in NW Tasmania and CORESTM Workco Donald Victoria (2007) were established because of the growing community concern around the issues of Suicide and the effect on not only families but the communities as a whole.
The aims of the CORESTM  projects is:

• To reduce the incidents and overall effects of suicide from the perspective of the individual, their family and the community as a whole
• To work in partnership to provide the best quality service to the community and to use key figures in the community to be part of an overall network
• To provide relevant and affordable training to the rural community where social issues prevent people from meeting the costs
• To provide support to people in need
• To provide practical help to those seeking to prevent the immediate risk of suicide.
• To help the community to move beyond awareness and help participants develop skills in how to recognise, engage and refer a person at risk of suicide
• To provide ongoing training to maintain future sustainability of the project within both communities and beyond.

In what ways has the group contributed to the promotion of life and the prevention of suicide?
The CORESTM   Kentish Team & CORESTM  Circular Head Team is made up of volunteers. The implementation of the CORESTM Teams has seen a number of achievements:

• Monthly Team meetings incorporating extra training to further develop skills to be able to identify those people at risk of suicide occur.
• Team members activity work within their communities to highlight the problem of suicide by  bringing the  issues into the open
• 12 Team Leaders  have or are completing training to deliver the CORESTM   one day course and they also facilitate the monthly meetings of team members
• Training continues for community members in the CORESTM  one day course
• Networking other services such as Drugs and Alcohol Services, Sexual Assault, Mental Health, Working it Out.
• Increase in support for team members and the community as a whole.
• Improvement in knowledge on referral options, communication skills, listening skills and team working skills.
• Intervene and provide appropriate support thus preventing a suicide and in turn benefiting the community as a whole. CORESTM Teams members play a vital role, as community ownership is imperative for the CORESTM Project to work, and achieve its goals. 

Team members have all purchased shirts, jackets or t-shirts with the CORESTM logo, stickers have been produced and given out to community members and both teams have provided information displays at major events such as the “Challenge, Choices and change in mental health forum in Circular Head and the Regional Health conference in Alice Springs. Floats have participated in Christmas parades in Circular Head, Stanley, Railton and Sheffield where pamphlets and stickers were given out.  Displays, community talks to groups and information session have all contributed to the promotion of life and the education of community members on prevention of suicide in both municipalities.

Working together both teams have built up good resources and networking skills they can now refer people onto the appropriate services or support networks.  They have the confidence, support and encourage each other and their communities to deal with the problem of suicide

            How has this contribution been measured?
467 people have complete either the one day or two day training since the CORESTM project began. Discussions are taking place with other municipalities and work places around one day course and the package as a 12 month project.  2 other communities now have the project running.

The Kentish team has participated in 9 ABC radio interviews throughout Australia.  October 2006 saw the ABC Landline program film for the episode aired on 26th November on depression, suicide and how a community responds. Landline receives national coverage 3 times a week.  Over 100 enquires were taken up after the show went to air from all over Australia.  Two States South Australia and Victoria have grasp the project with WORKCO a company in and around Horsham and Donald commencing training in August 2007 and  the Official Launch is 20th November which the Project Manager from Kentish will be attending

The Hon. John Dawkins MLC SA has embraced the project and is strongly advocating a project in SA.
 
Two articles have been published on the CORESTM  projects one from Circular Head in the TAS Region magazine and one in the National Rural Health Alliance Inc Partyline magazine.

The CORESTM  program has had a number of articles printed in local and statewide papers.

Team members are constantly being asked for help from family, friend, work mates and community members who are aware they belong to a CORESTM  Team. In Kentish there has been a dramatic reduction in the number of suicides recorded in the municipality since the inception of the CORESTM project in 2003. Nil suicides were recorded in 2003/2004

The level of interest from other municipalities has increased with a number of requests for information sessions and training for 2007. A State wide forum will be held on the 16th November to promote the CORESTM   package to other communities in Tasmania this will also be the day we promote the 12 new Team Leader training packages funded by the Tasmanian Community Fund.

The CORESTM project which is now self funded has and will continue to contribute to the promotion of life and continue to promote intervention and prevention through the one day course and the Community Package.   We will continue to promote the project and assist those people who are at risk of suicide and those with suicidal tendencies.