AddressStories | April 24, 2024
Content Warning: The story in this letter refers to suicide, which may be distressing for some readers. If you or someone you know is in need of support, please consider calling Lifeline Australia on 13 11 14.
Mary Ann is a single parent of four children from the Philippines. She is a strong advocate for greater suicide prevention and mental health care and was the first to initiate the pilot Suicide First Aid Training in her local area.
Working as a nurse, Mary Ann was alarmed by the increasing number of suicide cases that she was hearing about in her locality.
She was hit hard when her sister’s friend committed suicide – a traumatic event that left her worrying about those left behind – grieving, lost, asking themselves how and why.
This prompted Mary Ann began to think of interventions to help prevent further suicide cases. However, she realised that she could not do this alone. So, she asked for assistance from one of CBM’s local partners who is implementing a project supporting community mental health. Mary Ann got involved in suicide first aid training which gave her the tools and techniques to identify the signs, symptoms, and root causes behind suicide.
Beyond training, the project partner also worked with a volunteer theatre group who ran outdoor activities to increase community awareness of mental health.
“The training and seminar series shared by the project partner has been a big help to develop awareness about our mental health care. We are very grateful that our wish for Suicide First Aid Training was granted to intervene and stop the increasing number of suicide cases in our area.” -Mary Ann
Now Mary Ann is more motivated in pursuing her goal as an advocate of caring communities by tirelessly providing service and assistance to people needing care in her community.
Image caption: : Alarmed by the increasing rates of suicide, Mary Ann has dedicated herself to helping those at risk of suicide.
CBM Australia would like to thank our implementing partner for their support in this project.
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https://www.cbm.org.au/stories/a-light-of-hope
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