Investigators: Penelope Strauss, Yael Perry, Charlotte Pugh, Jacinta Freeman, Nicole Hill, Jo Robinson, Dani Wright Toussaint, Ashleigh Lin
Overview: In partnership with existing The Kids Research Institute Australia partners who provide crisis and transitional accommodation services we are delivering safeTALK training to young people experiencing homelessness. safeTALK is a suicide alert program created by LivingWorks Australia that aims to increase literacy around suicide, decrease stigma associated with suicide, improve the ability of young people to seek help for suicidal behaviour, and increase the ability of youth to support and encourage help to peers for suicidal behaviour.
Contact: For more information please contact Penelope Strauss on (08) 6319 1297 or Penelope.strauss@telethonkids.org.au
Summary: This program will equip young people experiencing homelessness with the skills to respond to peers experiencing suicidal thoughts, and connect them to life-saving interventions and resources. The project will deliver safeTALK trainings to young people in the Perth metro area currently experiencing homelessness and evaluate changes in stigma and literacy of suicide, the acceptability of safeTALK, and explore future targets for suicide prevention in young people experiencing homelessness. This study will establish preliminary information on the effectiveness of safeTALK in this population.
External collaborators: Perth Inner City Youth Service, Mission Australia, Lifeline, Orygen
Funder: Suicide Prevention Australia