In just one year, Rural Alive and Well staff witnessed 31 occurring suicides, but the lifesaving program may have to shed staff amidst fears of federal funding cuts.
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RAW chief executive Liz Little has growing concerns that from June 30 next year, funding from the Commonwealth for the organisation’s outreach program will no longer exist.
The fears come as Tasmania remains the only state in the nation to see an increase in suicide rates.
“We’ve gone from a maximum of 12 staff members to just under nine outreach workers, and with the Commonwealth, when that cut goes through, we’ll be going down to less than six,” Ms Little said.
She said this meant the outreach service would have to completely withdraw from the Tasman Peninsula, Huon Valley and Derwent Valley areas, as the state government funds the program in the North and North-West regions.
“We go to places where other services just don’t go,” Ms Little said.
“One of the most powerful things you can do for someone who is at risk of suicide is to be with them, talk to them, and break down that isolation.
“If they want to service then they need to actually fund it.”
Tasmanian Liberal Senator Jonathon Duniam said Primary Health Tasmania had extended RAW’s funding to 30 June to allow for it to undertake consultation ahead of a tender process for suicide prevention services.
“RAW is a unique model that has proven success in the areas of mental health promotion and suicide prevention and has established itself as an integral part of health support services in regional and rural Tasmania,” Senator Duniam said.
Lyons Labor MHR Brian Mitchell said RAW deserved to have funding certainty for the future.
“Suicide in Tasmania is on the rise and we need more services like RAW, not fewer,” Mr Mitchell said.
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