12 Questions
is launching a new national suicide prevention training programme, LifeKeepers, this week. The chief executive of Pacific social service provider Le Va wants to build communities of care nationwide
1 What is LifeKeepers training? It’s like first aid training, giving people in the community the skills to recognise and support those at risk of suicide. It’s available free to anyone likely to interact with people at risk, especially those in frontline community roles like sports coaches, clergy, caregivers and ambulance drivers. It’s a blend of e-learning and face-to-face workshops with registered clinicians. We aim to create communities of care nationwide so everyone can play a part in preventing suicide.
2 Lifeline used to provide this training — what happened?
An evaluation by the Ministry of Health two years ago found that, among other things, the imported training was not meeting the unique needs of New Zealanders so they wrote a request for proposals for anyone, including Lifeline, to design and deliver New Zealand’s first homegrown suicide prevention training programme. Le Va won the contract. Our LifeKeepers training adapts international clinical best practice to New Zealand’s cultural mix. We have a specific Maori component because Maori suicide rates are at least 1.5 times higher than the general population and evidence shows indigenous populations do better with their own training.
3 Le Va launched the popular Aunty Dee app 18 months ago.
It’s a free online tool we set up to teach young people how to solve their problems in a structured way. It’s based on cognitive behavioural therapy which evidence shows decreases depression and can prevent suicide. Often when people are distressed they can’t see solutions. Aunty Dee helps you define the problem and break it down into manageable steps. Then she emails your plan so you can work through it with people you trust. We designed it for Maori and Pacific youth but it’s actually ended up being used by all ethnicities and by clinicians in their consultations with young people. It’s spread through word of mouth with support from the NRL’s State of Mind campaign and depression.org.nz.
4 Your recent blog on the controversial Netflix drama 13 Reasons Why went viral. Why was that?
District Health Boards put it in their newsletters and psychologists sent it around their groups because sometimes there’s a lack of a voice of reason in the media. There are some amazing thought leaders in suicide prevention working behind the scenes. It’s great seeing the Prime Minister’s science adviser get involved in the conversation. Mike King is fabulous. I was on the government suicide prevention panel with Mike; targets make sense. The panel hasn’t been