Suicide watch

By LILLY O’GORMAN
SCHOOLS in Casey and Cardinia can no longer stand back as students continue to take their own lives, a Beaconsfield principal has said.
Head of St Francis Xavier College, Paul Desmond is calling on local secondary schools to act as teenage suicides in the region reach alarming levels.
“Kids are taking their lives at a frightening rate,” Mr Desmond said.
“Kids see it as an option. It’s a problem across society.
“Schools have a responsibility as part of educating students, to not only teach kids curriculum but also teach them (about) life, and that life is valuable.”
St Francis Xavier College is the first school to sign onto a pilot program by Windermere Child and Family Services that has been specifically designed for schools to reduce the incidences of suicide in the region through both prevention and intervention.
Mr Desmond said teachers needed specific training to deal with suicide among teens.
“Teachers are not experts in this field and nor should we be,” he said.
“That is why we need to take advice and take training from the experts such as Bronwyn Owen from Windermere.
“We’ve got to work with the parents to help them be brave enough and say that it is wrong.
“Schools need to put their hands up and say, we realise society has a problem, let’s work on this problem. Let’s co-ordinate it, let’s get it happening properly.”
Windermere social worker and project manager Bronwyn Owen designed the school-based program and has been working in suicide for about 10 years.
She said she was thrilled schools were finally showing interest in the program, which was set to be rolled out in July this year.
“We met with Paul (Desmond) about two weeks ago, because he had a student who killed himself a month ago,” she said.
“Paul said to me that he really felt he didn’t know exactly what to do.
“We’ve now got a whole model of practice which includes the ability to work with parents, schools and young people in schools.
“It’s a pretty innovative and unusual idea, but all schools are saying they want to definitely be involved in this.”
Ms Owen is in talks with welfare staff at three other secondary schools in the Pakenham, Officer and Berwick areas.
The program has five separate components, including in-classroom support, written by Ms Owen, which is to be added to the school curriculum.
It also includes: Intensive training for teachers and parents; general awareness training for parents which seeks to reduce the ‘mythology’ around suicide by talking openly and honestly about it, as well as explaining the involvement of Facebook and social media; a community awareness forum for the wider community and anyone interested in knowing more about suicide and a critical incident debriefing service for schools as well as other community organisations such as sports clubs.
Some of the start-up costs have been covered by donations from local businesses and Ms Owen said she had made an application for Federal Government funding, but was yet to hear back.
“We need about $300,000 to run this,” she said.
“Our fund-raising team is also working really hard to get donations on board.
“If we can get this up and running at the four schools, prove that it is good and then get funding, then we can take it wider.
“This program provides a set of tools that are well tested and proven, which will help (teachers and parents) through those really difficult conversations with a person at risk.”
Visit beyondblue.org.au, call Suicide Helpline Victoria on 1300 651 251, or Lifeline on 131 114 if you are in need of immediate assistance or to talk to someone you trust.