Stocktake of resources for suicide prevention

Agency / Activity / Description / More information and links
ACC / ACC has legislation guiding its cover decisions for claims for wilfully self-inflicted (WSI) injuries. WSI injuries include intentional self-harm, suicide attempts, and completed suicides. Under section 119 of the Accident Compensation Act 2001. / ACC is prohibited from providing financial assistance where there is personal injury or death that the client wilfully inflicts upon himself or herself, or with intent to injure himself or herself, or causes to be inflicted upon himself or herself. Wilful implies that the client had the cognitive capacity to understand the consequences of their actions.
ACC can provide cover for treatment costs for injuries wilfully self-inflicted. However, ACC is unable to provide direct financial entitlements, such as funeral grants, weekly compensation or a lump sum payment. The client in these circumstances is disentitled.
Where the WSI injury or death was due to a coverable mental injury (or there is evidence of cognitive incapacity), the client is not disentitled and has access to financial entitlements.
Children and young adults up to the age of 24 years who wilfully self-inflictinjuries may be given special consideration due to developmental and/or environmental factors
Suicide prevention fits within the remit of ACC Injury Prevention. The following ACC Injury Prevention initiatives supports or contributes to suicide prevention. / Accident Compensation Act 2001
ACC Injury Prevention Initiatives:
  • Mates & Dates
–Mates & Dates is a multi-year programme that is taught to years 9–13 in one 50-minute session each week for five weeks. It supports the four underlying and interdependent concepts at the heart of the Health and Physical Education Learning area, targeted at levels 4–8 of The New Zealand Curriculum.
–Mates & Dates aims to teach young people how to:
  • have healthy relationships based on respect, negotiation and consent
  • identify inappropriate behaviour
  • get help if they, or someone they know, are in an unhealthy relationship
  • safely intervene in situations that could lead to harm.
  • ACC and Waikato DHB suicide prevention pilot:
–We are working in partnership Waikato DHB to co-design a pilot service aimed at preventing repeat wilful self-inflicted injuries.
  • Rataora
–Rataora is a web-based client management system to screen young people and adults for alcohol use disorders and their associated co-morbidity disorders at Wellington ED. It also enables referral and clinical oversight to suitable follow up services for those identified as at risk of alcohol related harm. Rataora is not limited to screening for alcohol and the screening process does ask if the person is experiencing any suicidal ideation. As Rataora is a web-based client management system, various screens and questionnaires can be included within the Rataora system and can be adapted accordingly. / Mates and Dates
  • Le Va
–Collaboration with Pasifika NGO Le Va to design a national Pasifika injury prevention action plan and Pasifika Spearhead service to deliver and coordinate services in partnership with ACC, communities and providers. Includes integrated initiatives that focus on:
  • Healthy relationship education
  • Violence prevention
  • Self harm and suicide prevention
/ The Injury Prevention Portfolio Manager – Violence, will be co-chair of the working group along with the Clinical Director of the Emergency Department, Waikato DHB
  • FarmStrong
–ACC funds the Mental Health Foundation to deliver the FarmStrong initiative. FarmStrong is a mental health promotion campaign targeted for farmers. It aims to decrease injuries on farms by improving health and wellbeing, and therefore reducing injuries related to stress and fatigue. / FarmStrong
Corrections / The current focus is on increasing support for those patients who are experiencing mental distress with an increase in external contractors being brought in to provide support over and above what we have currently provided through our health centres. / Activities include:
  • Mental health and suicide screening (BAU)
  • Information and Training for Corrections staff (BAU)
  • Access to additional support from a health practitioner(increased number of mental health workers being provided in prisons)
  • Information and support to prisoners, staff and support people after a suicide or non-fatal attempt (done)
  • Reduce access to means of suicide in correctional facilities (done)
/ Preventing suicide and self-harm
CYF (to be integrated into the Ministry for Vulnerable Children Oranga Tamariki from 1April 2017) / The children and young people that Child, Youth and Family work with are one of the most vulnerable groups in Aotearoa to suicide. When suicide risk is identified, Child, Youth and Family works together with the child or young person, their family/whānau and other professionals to secure the immediate safety of the child or young person and help develop a plan of action to safely restore their wellbeing. / Current activities include:
  • the contracting of the Towards Wellbeing programme (an advice, support and monitoring service for social work practitioners in their work with vulnerable children and young people who are exhibiting suicidal ideation)
  • practice clinics for social work practitioners jointly facilitated by Clinical Advisory Services Aotearoa (CASA) and Child, Youth and Family’s Learning and Capability Development team
  • policy and practice guidance on the Practice Centre to support staff in their work with suicidality
  • suicide screening tools for use by social work practitioners
  • professional development for staff and caregivers on understanding and responding to suicide.
A Suicide Prevention Steering Group (comprised of staff from Child, Youth and Family, CASA and Towards Wellbeing) which ensures that the Child, Youth and Family maintains effective policies, practice and programmes regarding suicide prevention and management, and that the Towards Wellbeing programme is aligned with the strategic direction of Child, Youth and Family, retains its operational integrity and is aligned with national and international policy trends and developments on suicide prevention. / Towards Wellbeing Programme
Defence / In 2007 NZ Army Psychology developed comprehensive suicide awareness training packages for recruits, NCO promotion courses, Officer Cadets and Junior Officers (MacDonald, 2007). / The packages were of approximately an hour’s duration and were developed based on information taken from best practice research. These packages were then adopted by the RNZAF and with some adaptations were delivered to NCO Promotion courses.
The RNZN currently delivers suicide awareness training to the Divisional Officers, and Petty Officer Promotion courses. This training is both developed and delivered by the NZDF Chaplain Service.
In 2007 NZDF developed a comprehensive suicide awareness training packages for recruits, NCO promotion courses, Officer Cadets and Junior Officers. The training was refreshed in 2013 to align with reported research and best practice in the area. / There is some variability in the frequency with which the training is delivered across these groups. A mix of training providers is used, comprising internal specialist groups including chaplains and psychologists and externals.
Information about suicide awareness and management is also provided through online resources and leadership guides. Recent efforts have focused on encompassingthis training as part of a broader life skills programme, recognising that it is importantto provide skills for managing a range of life challenges that may be precursors to risk of suicide (relationship management, performance management,, finances, substance use. Other activities include:
  • rolling out resilience training for all new recruits as well as for leaders and to civilian staff and families
  • an integrated wellness programme is underway to build an enhanced suite of services
  • resilience module on mental health website and have produced a pocket book covering healthy habits, breathing strategies, general wellbeing tips and support resources
  • the Whare Tapa Wha model of health is promoted across the NZDF
  • the NZDF has an 0800 confidential helpline that fields around 10 calls each month from NZDF personnel or their families.

Education / Preventing and Responding to Suicide / Preventing and Responding to Suicide: Resource Kit for Schools
‘A Resource Kit for Schools’ is the targeted intervention/ postvention developed by the Ministry of Education. This resource kit provides information for creating a positive, safe environment in schools. It is an update and synthesis of two previous guides for schools on suicide prevention:
  • MoE provide workshops for school staff
  • MoE provide workshops for agencies who have a school presence
/ Preventing and Responding to Suicide: Resource Kit for Schools
The way a traumatic incident is managed strongly influences people’s recovery and can minimise further risk / Bullying Prevention and Response: A Guide for Schools
Traumatic Incidents: Managing Student and Staff Wellbeing a guide for School Crisis Management Teams
MoE provide workshops for school staff / Bullying prevention and response guide
Traumatic Incidents: Managing Student & Staff Wellbeing
A number of interventions provide a whole-school approach to promoting student wellbeing, and are considered to contribute to a number of protective factors for children and young people. / Wellbeing programmes
  • Wellbeing at school – self-review tool kit
  • Wellbeing at school provides evidence-based tools, resources, and services, a five-step whole school self-review process to build safe and caring school climate
/ Wellbeing at school
As part of the wider suite of resources there are also supports to teachers in early childhood facilities through to secondary school staff to strengthen practice that promotes the wellbeing of children and young people in education.
Programmes that support strengthening parenting skills are aligned to the principles of early intervention as a primary entry point of child wellbeing. /
  • Inclusive Education Guides for schools – Inclusive Practice and the school curriculum
–Inclusive Practices Tool Kit building inclusive practices for all students / Inclusive education information
  • Positive Behaviour For Learning – PB4L
–PB4L School-Wide – an intervention that looks at behaviour and learning from a whole-of-school as well as an individual child perspective. / Positive Behaviour for Learning (PB4L)
  • The Incredible Years: target group 3–8 year olds
–Parent Programme
–Teacher Programme / Incredible Years Parent programme
Incredible Years Teacher programme
  • Restorative Practice (RP) known as the RP Kete
/ Restorative Practices
  • The Intensive Wraparound Service (IWS) is for the small number of students with highly complex, challenging behaviour across several settings
/ Intensive Wraparound Service
  • Kaupapa Māori programmes (under trial)
–Huakina mai combines whole-school and restorative practices approaches with a Kaupapa Māori world view
–Te Mana Tikiki – uses te reo and tikanga to provide a culture-rich medium to nurture mana in students. / Kaupapa Māori Programmes
  • Health and Physical Education in the New Zealand Curriculum(1999)HPE Programme Design
–taking action for wellbeing has been produced to support teachers at all school levels as they plan and implement quality teaching and learning programmes based on Health and Physical Education in the New Zealand Curriculum(1999). / Wellbeing through the Curriculum
At a local level: / A number of local MOE Education teams have an interagency relationship that has a postvention focus. Whilst this doesn’t generate specific resources these interagency groups (often led by DHBs) have generated examples of collaborative interagency practices.The responsivity of these groups ensure at a local level improved communication, proactively prioritising students wellbeing.
Additional programmes provided by other agencies in schools include: /
  • The Netsafe Kit for Schools – Netsafe
–promotes and enhances online safety through digital citizenship.
–Teachers and Social Media Guidelines
–Cyberbullying – guidance to understand and deal with bullying that takes place in cyberspace
–Take CTRL– a resource for schools focusing on cyberbullying, privacy
–Teaching digital kids: Advice from Facebook / The Netsafe kit for schools
  • Skylight programmes and resources
–Travellers Programme – funded by Ministryof Health, delivered by Skylight / skylight.org.nz
Travellers Programme
  • NZ Police Kia Kaha Programme
/ Kia Kaha Youth Education Programme
  • Le Va resourcesand support for Pasifikayouth and their families
/
Health / The Ministry of Health funds a range of suicide prevention initiatives. These initiatives sit within the context of government-led mental health promotion and services, and a wide range of other national and local initiatives that indirectly contribute to suicide prevention through their impact on reducing risk factors and enhancing protective factors for suicide. /
  • Waka Hourua – a National Suicide Prevention Programme for Māori and Pasifika communities aimed at supporting and coordinating suicide prevention in Māori and Pasifika communities.
/ wakahourua.co.nz
  • Family/ whānau suicide prevention information service – this service provides practical information on suicide prevention for family and whānau
  • Suicide media response service – media reporting on suicide in New Zealand is monitored as part of this service, and advice is provided to the media on safe reporting practices
/ Information service
  • DHB Suicide Prevention Toolkit – a suicide prevention toolkit for DHBs was developed and is available through the Ministry of Health’s website to support their role in suicide prevention
  • DHBs offer other services including: school-based mental health clinicians (CDHB), the ‘watchtower’ nurses in police centres (CDHB and CMDHB), Suicide prevention coordinators, and school guidance counsellors in school (and school based nurses)
  • Gatekeeper/suicide first aid training/ suicide prevention training – the Ministry of Health is currently in the process of re-tendering for the provision of suicide prevention training to enable community members to gain the necessary skills and knowledge to identify and support those at risk of suicide
/ Suicide prevention toolkit DHBs
  • Like Minds Like Mine is a programme to increase social inclusion and reduce stigma and discrimination for people with experience of mental illness.
/ Like Minds Like Mine
  • Waves –training facilitators of Waves, a specialist-facilitated grief education programme for adults bereaved by suicide established by Skylight
–A service to guide people bereaved by suicide – providing advice and guidance for people setting up peer support groups for people bereaved by suicide
–Initial postvention response service – a specialised service providing support to people after a suicide / Waves-Skylight.org.nz
  • Community Postvention Response Service (CPRS) – CPRS provides support to communities when there is concern about suicide contagion or a suicide cluster. CPRS provides consultation and clinical advice to communities, when requested, to support their local response to reduce suicide risk and address community concerns
/ CPRS Information Sheet
  • Preventing suicide: Guidance for emergency departments – this resource was developed to improve the quality of care for people who present to emergency departments as being at risk of suicide. depts. The guidance incorporates clinical risk assessment and referral pathways, but also focuses on the nature of interactions between the person and clinicians involved in their care. The guidance builds on, but does not replace, the 2003 Assessment and Management of People at Risk of Suicide guidelines.
/ Preventing suicide guidance emergency departments
  • Coronial Data Sharing Service (CDS) – this service provides a means for DHBs to access up-to-date coronial information on suspected suicides in their area via a secure channel to assist suicide postvention.
/ Coronial data sharing service FAQ
  • MH101 – this one-day mental health and awareness literacy training aims to give frontline workers in the health and social sector greater confidence to recognise, relate and respond to people experiencing mental illness.
/ MH101.co.nz
  • Kia Piki te Ora – this service aims at addressing suicidal behaviour in Māori communities through nine Kia Piki te Ora community development initiatives in eight districts.
/ Kia Piki te Ora – Suicide Prevention Programme
More information at health.govt.nz
Police / The aims here have been to provide a much better Police response (in all respects) to suicide. /
  • Training at the RNZPC for new Police staff – this is more generally how to recognise mental distress and what it means.
  • On line Police training for Frontline and Communications staff – three modules around mental health, one of which is specifically around suicide.
  • 111 calls receiving a proper MH triage – this work once rolled out will provide better handling and response to MH related call, including attempted suicide type calls, and calls one would consider to be “cries for help”.
  • Ongoing work from the Police National Mental Health Team with Police Districts to embed good practice and increase communication and better responses to people suffering mental distress.
  • A number of “workshops” around the country have been facilitated to bring together Police – MHS – EDs to increase communication between them and set agreed goals (always with what is best for the person suffering mental distress at the focal point).
  • Work is progressing on standardised reporting mechanisms for missing persons from MH facilities (some of which tragically go on to die by suicide).
  • Mandatory Custodial Management training which has always been in place, but we have now got into that suicide prevention / awareness training after the initial course there is a refresher every two years.
/ Police National Mental Health Team
Te Puni Kōkiri / The Rangatahi Suicide Prevention Fund was allocated in 2015 to provide support for organisations working directly with rangatahi Māori suicide prevention. / The fund focuses on three broad areas:
  • growing rangatahi leadership – ensuring a by rangatahi for rangatahi approach that is culturally and generationally appropriate
  • building local capacity and capability
  • building the evidence base through research and evaluation.

In 2017/2017 Te Puni Kōkiri has funded 38 Rangatahi Suicide Prevention projects. Thirty projects are funded through the Rangatahi Suicide Prevention appropriation and eight are funded through the Māori Potential Fund. A total of approximately $2.4 from both funding sources. This includes an evaluation which will generate some case studies, a conference in March 2017 and online video resources. / The main themes are:
  • Rangatahi leadership – that rangatahi are involved in planning the programmes and sometimes in delivering them
  • a tikanga Māori approach to design and delivery.
There are three main focus areas:
  • A general approach (workshops, wānanga)
  • Cyberbullying
  • Takatapuhi
Products and programmes include:
  • Rangatahi lead planning for suicide prevention
  • Resource development, both online and also specifically for takatapuhi
  • Wānanga, noho marae and workshops using either indigenous models (Ko te Mahi, He tapu) or culturally adapted models (resilience doughnut, Upstander)
  • On the ground staff
  • Building networks.
/ TPK – Rangatahi Suicide Prevention
Work and Income / Work and Income upskill their staff to respond to people who are at risk – completed through the following training programmes: /
  • Empathy – Lives Like Mine
  • Mental Health-101
  • QPR Suicide Awareness
  • Stress & Stressors resilience learning.

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