Launch of QPR for Business

This month LifeSpan launched its QPR (Question, Persuade, Refer) Training for businesses.

In conjunction with the Hunter New England Central Coast Primary Health Network (HNECCPHN) we are now able to offer QPR Training for free for all local businesses to equip their employees with QPR lifesaving skills.

QPR is currently the only online training available in suicide prevention with a firm evidence base. It has been demonstrated to help save lives and to equip people with the confidence and skills to be able to help someone who may be experiencing psychological distress, including where to go to get help.

How will my business be supported by LifeSpan?

Your business will have a LifeSpan business team member contact you to discuss how QPR for business can work for you and your business, what resources are available to support you and to find out what you need to start the QPR journey. We’re here to support you each step of the way.

We have resources to support you and your managers and for your employees. Resources that link people to crisis numbers, support lines and on-line resources and face to face support.

You will also be regularly contacted by your LifeSpan representative and be supported throughout your QPR journey.

A big thank you to our partner, the Hunter New England Central Coast Primary Health Network for being able to assist LifeSpan to make valuable QPR Training available to all businesses who want to train their staff in suicide prevention skills. This is an exciting time for LifeSpan and we are looking forward to building a suicide safe Central Coast.

If your business is interested in training staff in QPR please email us at info@suicidepreventioncentralcoast.org.au

We look forward to working with you soon.

Positive Goal Setting n the New Year!

Happy New Year from the LifeSpan Team! We had a lovely break over the Christmas and New Year period but we are back on deck and hitting the ground running. There are lots of exciting plans for 2019 so keep an eye on our blog for updates.

With the New Year comes the intention of setting positive goals and resolutions for the year ahead. Here’s some tips on how you can stick to and make positive changes in 2019.

  1. Strive for goals that are attainable and realistic.

The surest way to break a New Year’s resolution is to make your goal unattainable. An example is to never eat ice cream again when ice cream is your favourite treat or snack; it is setting yourself up to fail. Instead say you will treat yourself to ice cream once a week or once a fortnight and to have a smaller portion.

  1. Plan In advance

 

Planning for a goal, giving it a lot of thought, weighing up the pro’s and con’s sets a good foundation for achieving your goals.

Here’s a good goal setting program Self Authoring Program , this helps you set a good vision for each of your goals.  A vision board with picture of your goals helps you to keep focused on what you want to achieve- it’s also fun to make.

 

  1. Make a pro’s & con’s list

Make a list of the pros and cons of each particular goal to make sure you are not selling yourself short in order to obtain the goal. For example, you may want to take an overseas holiday. The pro is that you are going to have a lovely time in Europe but a con may be that in order to save the money you will have to cut your gym membership. Weigh up the positives and negatives and see if it is going to be worthwhile to make some sacrifices.

  1. Talk about it

Don’t keep your goals or resolutions a secret, talk to your friends and family about what it is you are want to achieve, they can help keep you on track or even help you with your goal.. Your friends can hold you accountable by and you can help each other.

  1. Reward yourself

Make sure that you are also rewarding yourself. If you are denying yourself experiences or things in order to achieve a goal you can almost be guaranteed that you will slip up and be tempted to stop trying to achieve. For example, you may want to save $5,000 this year and not spending any money on anything fun. Instead, maybe each time you save $500 you can allow yourself to go and buy a something for yourself as a celebration. This way you are still feeling like you are not denying yourself of things in order to save money.

 

  1. Don’t be so hard on yourself

Don’t beat yourself up over the occasional slip up; this doesn’t help you to achieve your goal. Just take each day as it comes and if you slip up just get back on track again. Tomorrow is another day.

 

  1. Stick with it

Research says that it takes 21 days to form a habit and six months for it to form into part of your personality so stick with it. Persistence pays off eventually.

 

  1. Keep trying

Don’t despair if you have not stuck to your resolutions by February, just start over and keep going. Tomorrow is a new day, just keep on going, if you slip up, get back on track. . Talk to friends; get some ideas on what they suggest to help you stick to your goals. If you become despondent consider a life coach or a counsellor.

 

  1. Do free QPR Training (save a life in 2019)!

Make 2019 the year that you do free QPR training to help save a life. QPR is Question, Persuade, Refer and is a free online suicide prevention training course. QPR will help you to recognise the warning signs for suicide and help you to start a conversation to help those in need. Click here to access free QPR Training.

Central Coast Suicide Prevention Website Launch

The new Suicide Prevention Central Coast website was launched at the Gosford Entertainment Grounds on 9 August 2018 with great interest from the local community.

We were thrilled to have Rob Sams, General Manager of Services for Lifeline as MC for the event and to give an Acknowledgement of Lived Experience.

Steve Ella, Central Coast Local Health District (CCLHD) Manager for Aboriginal Health, gave an Acknowledgement of Country and said suicide prevention was an important issue for the local Aboriginal community.

Anthony Critchley, Director of Mental Health, spoke on behalf of CCLHD Chief Executive, Dr Andrew Montague. Mr Critchley highlighted how Lifespan would make a significant impact on the Central Coast community and its potential positive effects on mental health care across the Central Coast.

Dr Fiona Shand, Senior Research Fellow at The Black Dog Institute, explained the LifeSpan model and how it is implemented in different areas of the health system and community. Dr Shand was interviewed by NBN News. Mr Sams thanked Dr Shand for being so gracious with her time and  for being a fantastic spokesperson for local media.

Liz Hammond, Coordinator, LifeSpan gave a great presentation on Youth Aware Mental Health (YAM) and explained the positive work that is happening in Central Coast schools with young people in year nine. More information about YAM can be found here.

Our lived experience representative, Peter Bagnall shared his story about how suicide has personally touched his life. Peter is a very inspirational man, and his story is a powerful one. Peter was personally struggling after a relationship breakdown, financial stress and the loss of his job about six years ago. Peter’s mission in life is now about helping others, in particular men, by encouraging them to talk about their problems.

Katie Sewell, our Suicide Prevention Central Coast Alliance Chair gave participants a tour of the new Suicide Prevention Central Coast website.

Chris Newman, the R U OK? Day Central Coast Ambassador spoke to our guests about the events in his life that led him becoming involved with R U OK? Day. He announced the R U OK? Day grant recipient winners with each winner given a grant to host an R U OK? Day event on the Central Coast. Stay tuned for an upcoming blog about R U OK? Day and our grant recipients.

Thank you to all those who have contributed to the new Suicide Prevention Central Coast website and to everyone who helped make the event a success.

We hope our guests were encouraged by the work on the Central Coast in regards to suicide prevention and that everyone left feeling inspired to become part of the local suicide prevention community.