AUSTRALIA: Victorian Hospital Outreach Post-suicidal Engagement Expands to Include Wimmera
October 05, 2018
A program for suicide attempt survivors is expanding across the Australian state of Victoria. The Hospital Outreach Post-suicidal Engagement (HOPE) program provides follow-up support to people who have visited a hospital for a suicide attempt. For up to three months after their hospital visit, the program helps individuals and caregivers identify risk factors and develop strategies for addressing them. HOPE is a part of the state government’s plan to halve the suicide rate by 2025. “The HOPE program has already helped hundreds of Victorians who have attempted suicide and need an intensive response in the months following, which we know can be a period of heightened risk,” said Mental Health Minister Martin Foley. “By expanding the program to more sites across the state, we are continuing to take a proactive approach to suicide prevention, working together as a community to prevent devastating outcomes.”
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