Suicide Aftercare Supporting our Community on The Way Back
29 February 2024
Wentworth Healthcare, provider of the Nepean Blue Mountains Primary Health Network, is pleased to announce that Stride has been successful in their tender to establish and operate The Way Back - Penrith, a new suicide aftercare support service.
The service, due to commence operation in April 2024, is based on The Way Back NSW model of care that offers trauma-informed, non-clinical psychosocial support to people after an attempt to end their life or following suicidal crisis.
Wentworth Healthcare is the regional funding body commissioning the service, which is co-funded by the Commonwealth and NSW Government under the Bilateral Agreement on Mental Health and Suicide Prevention. Following a rigorous tender process, they are excited to be partnering with Stride to deliver The Way Back, which will initially respond to the needs of the Penrith Local Government Area (LGA) with view to expand to additional LGAs across the region in the future.
Wentworth Healthcare CEO, Lizz Reay, said the aftercare service provided to people in the weeks and months after an attempt to end their life, or following suicidal crisis, is important in reducing the risk of further suicidal behaviour or crisis.
“Research indicates that the risk of suicide for people who have been hospitalised for a previous attempt is up to 20 to 40 times higher than the general population, and the three months after an attempt is a particularly vulnerable time,” said Ms Reay.
A recent review by the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry found that coordinated proactive aftercare has the potential to decrease suicide attempts by up to 19.8%. The Way Back NSW model of care ensures people have support for up to three months following a hospital admission for suicidal crises or a suicide attempt.
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