Lifeline plans to establish Tamworth's first-ever specialist service for suicide survivors this year.
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The charity held the first meeting with local mental health providers this week, in order to "co-design" the new program.
Lifeline Direct Regional General Manager, Julie Wicks, said the program is based on the American-designed Eclipse model.
The specialist new service designed to help them overcome the health crisis will be a first for Tamworth.
"What we found was that this was potentially a gap in what is needed in the region. There is a lot of clinical services available, but this service is more non-clinical," she said.
"Low to moderate health care, more person-centred, very much a lot of community access."
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Survivors of suicide are among the most at-risk from suicide of any group, she said.
But unlike existing services it won't prescribe drugs or diagnose mental illness problems.
Instead the scheme will provide an eight-week group therapy program.
The benefit of the two-hour support group meetings is that survivors can meet with other people with a similar experience and provide each other support, Ms Wicks said.
"It's a very empathetic model," she said.
"We want to keep those people safe, we want to help those people not to have a further attempt on their life."
The new program will also provide a late-night hotline for suicide survivors.
The new service may also reduce pressure on emergency-level mental health services like the Tamworth Rural Referral Hospital, she said.
And it could even help drive down Tamworth's suicide rate. Some 75 locals have died by suicide in the five years to 2018.
"We would love to think that this program supports [reducing] the suicide fatality rate, absolutely," she said.
"There certainly has been some eclipse groups that have already been established in other regions through Lifeline centres. And there's been some good reports of people going through the programs and feeling more sense of belongingness, more sense of purpose."
The new Eclipse service should be open by about April or May, depending on the co-design process. It will employ a community support worker to help link in to other local mental health services.
Singleton and Foster will also get their own tailored version of the Lifeline service.
- If you or anyone you know needs help, contact Lifeline: 13 11 14.