Suicide Counselling: Too Little, Too Late

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I know that this blog is supposed to be ranting, raging and raving. This post is just sad.

In The West today (21 Apr 12) is an article about the high level of suicides in Aboriginal communities. Fatal despair of the young. "There is something dreadfully wrong in our community, but what can we do?"

When they took away our CDEP, more people started drinking.

When "they" took away our CDEP...

Whoever "they" are, they have a lot to answer for.

Yet I can't find it in me to believe that the Aboriginal community can drag itself out of the mire. It does need help. Not just money. Help to raise its own ability to manage its own affairs.

The "they" who are at fault are not the people who provide -- or don't provide -- money for local make-work. If any "they" are to blame it is the "they" who demand the right to self-management for people who are not yet able to self manage.

The Standby Suicide Response Service... visits every community after a suicide to give counselling and to organise activities. But... counselling is not always possible because people are grieving and want to be alone.

I'm sure that the Suicide Response Service means well, but just look at what its co-ordinator has said: We turn up at the wrong time.

Listen to yourself!

Okay, it's a response service. So they may be restricted in what they do.

So set up a more timely service... One that has the resources to provide support when it is needed. At a more appropriate time. A time which suits the needs of the people who need the support.

The article mentions a new mental health facility in Broome. A $30 million facility. In Broome.

Do potential suicides go to Broome on their way to kill themselves? Well, no.

The article does not link the new facility to suicide prevention. Perhaps someone else has? In the article, the new facility is simply a major expenditure which will not affect the remote community suicide rate.

There are several points to be drawn from this article.

• People need something to do. Something which makes them feel useful, perhaps even wanted, maybe even valuable.
• Paying for make-work is better than nothing. Generating real work -- even with external financial support -- is even better.
• When a community is not able to manage itself, that is when it needs help. Forget the fear of "paternalism". Provide people who can show how a community could be run -- and who will take charge until the community has grown into self-management.
• Provide the necessary support where it is needed and when it is needed. Fly in fly out is of very limited value.

And if all that costs too much... Start somewhere. Pick one community. Try to make it work. And then do it again in another community.

Independent thinking & independent analysis of your problems. Agamedes Consulting: Support for your thought. email nick leth at gmail dot com