Equipping Locals With Invaluable Knowledge

Across Airlie Beach, Cannonvale and Proserpine, there are now 16 more trained suicide prevention experts.

Undertaking the free training at Proserpine Community Centre, facilitated by Ross Romeo from Community Response to Eliminating Suicide (CORES), 16 community members are prepared and ready to intervene when they encounter an individual they believe to be suicidal.

“This is a community focussed, non-clinical training,” explained Ross.

Since 2017, over 100 local community members have completed the training, with five locals taking the next step and completing facilitator training, becoming Suicide Prevention training facilitators for the region.

“We are extremely appreciative and thankful for the volunteers who stepped up to become facilitators. They are the backbone of our training,” Ross explained.

Ingrid Ruck is now trained and is now qualified to teach others suicide prevention.

“But we like to think of ourselves as intervention friends,” she said.

The three local facilitators are Ellen Farquhar, Kate Mitchell, and Gill Graham.

“Our plan is to offer more regular suicide training chances for community members,” explained Kate.

“We are able to facilitate the training more often.”

Last Friday’s training was made possible by a generous donation from the Prince of Whales Hotel.

“They donated the money, with the plan that it was used for suicide prevention training, and we thank them for that,” Ingrid said.

‍

Ellen Farquhar, Kate Mitchell, Ross Romeo, and Ingrid Ruck. Photo credit: Bronte Hodge