Closed
Refugee, People Seeking Asylum and CALD community Suicide Prevention Capacity Building Initiative - Southern Melbourne Area
Tender ID: 437610
Tender Details
Organisation:
Tender #:
-
Status:
Closed
Publish Date:
6 November 2020
Closing Date:
4 December 2020
Tender Description
Primary Health Networks (PHNs) were established with the key objectives of increasing the efficiency and effectiveness of medical services for patients, particularly those at risk of poor health outcomes, and improving coordination of care to ensure patients receive the right care in the right place at the right time.
The South Eastern Melbourne PHN catchment encompasses an area comprising 1.4 million people and stretches from St Kilda to Sorrento and as far east as Bunyip, including the major population hubs of Monash, Dandenong, Moorabbin, Caulfield, Cranbourne, Frankston and Pakenham.
From 1 July, 2016 PHNs adopted a commissioning approach to procuring medical and health care services which is based on an assessment of the health and wellbeing needs of the community. This work determines the priority areas and guides the scope of the commissioning process.
The Victorian Government is partnering with PHNs to support local communities to develop and implement coordinated place-based approaches to suicide prevention. Guided by a common agenda, operating model, communications, and evaluation frameworks, these trials are harnessing local skills, expertise and resources to implement tailored, evidence-based initiatives in local communities. At each site, organisations, services and community work together to develop a plan to reduce suicides and to deliver effective suicide prevention at a local level.
In the SEMPHN catchment, The Place-Based Suicide Prevention Trials (PBSPT) were established in 2017 in the City of Greater Dandenong (GD) and the Frankston and Mornington Peninsula (FMP) region. In February 2020, the Victorian Government announced that the PBSPTs would be extended for a further two years until June 2022. It was agreed that the GD trial site would be expanded to become the Southern Melbourne Area (SMA) Place-Based Suicide Prevention Trial encompasing the local government areas (LGAS) of GD, Casey and Cardinia.
The PBSPTs draw strongly on the Black Dog Institute LifeSpan model. This nine strategy approach recognises the importance of capacity building to respond to and address suicide risk, including through:
- Engaging the community and providing opportunities to be part of the change;
- Training the community to recognise and respond to suicidality.
In addition to the nine lifespan strategies, four domains have been added that are informed by the needs of the SMA community. These are:
- Actions to lower the impact of death by suicide (postvention): recognising that postvention is part of suicide prevention given the heightened risk of those exposed to a death by suicide;
- Suicide prevention among groups or individuals with higher risk: recognising the need to target actions on the identified at-risk population in SMA;
- Actions to understand and enhance the protective factors for individuals and community: recognising a community appetite to act on enhancing wellbeing and protective factors.
- Promoting system reform and integration to enhance efficiency and effectiveness: recognising that there is a need to integrate suicide prevention activities across the service sector and place-based trials to enhance effectiveness, efficiencies and maximise sustainability.
Culturally and Linguitically Diverse (CALD) communities, Refugees and People Seeking Asylum: Priority Populations in the SMA Catchment
Cultural diversity in Victoria is increasing, with ABS data noting that close to half of all young people in the state were either born overseas or have at least one parent born overseas. SMA is home to a diverse range of new and emerging communities including refugee and people seeking asylum communities.
CALD communities, refugees and people seeking asylum, experience higher rates of psychological distress and mental illness than the general population. Historical exposure to traumatic events, the experience of migration itself, racism and challenges associated with separation from family all contribute to heightened psychological distress and risk of suicide for these populations.
Barriers to accessing mental health services for CALD, refugee and people seeking asylum communities include:
- Lack of accommodation of cultural perceptions of mental health
- Stigma around mental health in the community
- Lack of specialised torture and trauma counselling and support
- Lack or poor use of interpreter services
- Low levels of health literacy and unfamiliarity with the Australian health system
- Lack of private transportation
- Family violence.
Early in the PBSPT, Refugees and People seeking Asylum were particlarly identified as a priority group, following increased concern from local service providers about the vulnerability of a number of communities and anecdotal evidence of an increase in presentations to enhanced primary care and tertiary services. Refugees in South Eastern Melbourne are (1) 23% more likely to present to an emergency department than other residents; (2) 47% more likely to be admitted to hospital than other residents. In addition, the rate of long-term psychological conditions among refugees is higher compared to other migrant populations and access to family and community support is generally lower compared to other migrant populations.
Responses addressing these concerns for refugee and people seeking asylum populations, have focused on building suicide prevention capacity in both mainstream servi
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