Grassroots Suicide Prevention is a small charity based in Brighton that provides mental health and suicide prevention courses in the South East England region.
Since 2006 they have trained over 5,000 people in suicide prevention and mental health on both a local and national scale. Theses numbers are constantly increasing.
The Youth Chances study 2014, undertaken by the LGBT support charity Metro, has found startling statistics that highlight the young LGBT communities’ susceptibility to suicidal thoughts, as well as being more likely to experience mental health problems like depression, anxiety and self-harm.
“In England, 42% of LGBT survey respondents report going for medical help for depression and anxiety, and 44% report having ever had thoughts of suicide.” (Youth Chances 2014)
While these statistics appear shocking, they highlight the numbers of people within the LGBT community that need help coming to terms with and dealing with their thoughts of suicide; it also highlights the fact that something can be done to help those who experience suicidal thoughts.
Suicide is as preventable as it is a serious problem and by teaching suicide awareness and intervention skills, everyone can learn to help those members of the LGBT community who are confronted with thoughts and feelings of suicide and how to overcome these thoughts and feelings.
Other members of the LGBT community are an excellent resource to aid the process of suicide prevention and mental health advocacy.
Having an awareness of the LGBT population’s prevalent susceptibility to mental health problems and thoughts of suicide, as well as the higher rates of attempted and completed suicide rates of the LGBT community can allow for earlier intervention and the prevention of suicide amongst the LGBT community.
In an attempt to address this, Grassroots has recently delivered a safeTALK course directed specifically at members of the local LGBT community. A selection of volunteers and staff from MindOUT, a mental health service run by and for lesbians, gay men, bisexual and transgender people in the Brighton and Hove area, attended the course and are now fully trained in suicide alertness skills.
These people are now able to identify persons with thoughts of suicide and connect them to suicide first aid resources that will enable the prevention of suicide, and facilitate the decrease in the high rates of completed suicide that are so prevalent within the LGBT community.
At Grassroots Suicide Prevention they are in the process of delivering a three year plan to designate Brighton and Hove as the UK’s first ‘Suicide Safer City,’ and are making significant progress towards achieving this award.
The designation is given by LivingWorks Education, the developers of ASIST and SafeTALK training programmes.There is a strong possibility that they may, indeed, be the UK’s first suicide safer city.
They aim to achieve this status by September 10, 2015 and it cannot be done without the help and support of members of the LGBT community.
In achieving this status, the Brighton and Hove community will be accredited as having a variety of characteristics that will make its community members safer against suicide. These include significantly improved access to suicide intervention services and suicide bereavement services, 1% of the local population will be trained in suicide prevention skills and a significant number of community members will have pledged to talk openly and directly about suicide if they are concerned for someone else, or themselves and are only a select few of the characteristics of a Brighton and Hove that is safer against suicide.
Recently, Grassroots offered a number of funded suicide alertness, suicide prevention and mental health training places provided by Public Health Brighton, Brighton & Hove City Council.
To be eligible for a funded place on any of their courses you must be working in the Brighton and Hove area and work with/for a target group, such as the LGBT community. This is an excellent opportunity to get more people trained in suicide alertness and intervention skills and a variety of mental health areas. This will help Grassroots progress towards becoming a Suicide Safer city and generally improve facilities and services surrounding suicide and mental health in Brighton and Hove.
Attending courses on their funded places is not the only way you can support Suicide Safer Brighton and Hove and help to reduce suicide rates within the local community.
You can also show your support for Suicide Safer Brighton and Hove by taking their “Tell Me” pledge. By taking the pledge you are agreeing to have open and honest conversations about suicide, whether you are worried about yourself or another person who may be thinking of suicide.
To find the “Tell Me” pledge on their website CLICK HERE:
All community members hold the power to prevent suicide, and together can make all communities safer from suicide!
For any more information regarding funded course places, the Suicide Safer Brighton and Hove initiative or anything else related to Grassroots Suicide Prevention, CLICK HERE:
To donate to Grassroots, Text LIVE 43 £3 to 70070
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