The Pharmacy Guild of Australia, Queensland Branch invite community members and pharmacy staff from Brisbane, Logan and the Redlands and surrounding areas to participate in four free local early suicide prevention programs to support their local community.
With evidence indicating that the Covid-19 pandemic is having an impact on mental health, the program aims to train pharmacy staff and community members to engage in conversations with people at risk, to receive early intervention.
The programs, ‘Conversations for Life’ and ‘Stronger Smarter Yarns for Life’, are being run as four fully funded workshops in Brisbane, Eight Mile Plains, Logan Central and the Redlands from Monday 16 August to Thursday 19 August 2021, for both community members and local community pharmacy staff.
“By educating and upskilling Queenslanders in early suicide prevention, we hope to increase the confidence of community members and pharmacy staff so they can engage in conversations with people at risk for early intervention,” says The Pharmacy Guild of Australia, Queensland Branch’s Acting President, Chris Owen.
“We’ve had such a great response from the community already that the Eight Mile Plains and Redlands workshops are full. There are limited places left at the Logan Central workshop on Tuesday 17 August.
“There are only 15 spaces per workshop and limited places remain. Now’s the time if you’ve ever wanted to join training around early conversations, building community connections and social inclusion.”
Mr Owen says that the “program will also highlight referral pathways to locally-led suicide prevention services to support practical and ongoing community collaboration”.
Brisbane South PHN’s Chief Executive Officer, Mike Bosel says that supporting mental health services is a high priority for the primary health network (PHN).
“Brisbane South PHN is proud to support this training for pharmacy staff and community members to help increase their confidence to engage with people who may be at risk.
“Building relationships between local pharmacy staff and people who attend the pharmacy is an important way we can work together for the benefit of our whole community,” says Mr Bosel.
Mr Owen adds: “Community pharmacists are trusted healthcare professionals who are in a unique position not only to recognise suicidality, but to encourage others in the community to recognise it, respond appropriately and with this kind of training too.”
The program is supported by funding from the Australian Government through Brisbane South Primary Health Network (PHN).
Limited places are left at the Logan workshop on the evening of Tuesday 17 August.
Pharmacy staff and local community members can register for the free training at guild.org.au/qldsuicideprevention.
