Self-Harm and Attempted Suicide Response

Resources

Guidelines for schools

• Preventing and responding to distress in primary schools: a guide for addressing self-harm, including suicidal behaviours (DOCX)
• Preventing and responding to distress in primary schools: a guide for addressing self-harm, including suicidal behaviours (PDF)
• Responding to self-harm, including suicide attempts, in students: a guide to assist secondary schools (PDF)
  • Specialist schools may use the guidance (primary or secondary school) that best aligns with the developmental age of the students involved
• Suicide Response (Postvention)
• Schools can also access supporting resources including:
  • Responding to incidents of self-harm in primary students – step-by-step guide (DOCX)
  • Responding to incidents of self-harm in primary students – step-by-step guide (PDF)
  • Preventing and responding to distress in primary school students implementation resource – tips for communicating with students, parents and carers (DOCX)
  • Preventing and responding to distress in primary school students implementation resource – tips for communicating with students, parents and carers (PDF)
  • Preventing and responding to distress webinar

Department of Education resources

• High Impact Wellbeing Strategies– promote student wellbeing and form part of a whole-school approach
• Mental health and wellbeing toolkit – provides advice to help promote and support student mental health and wellbeing
• Mental Health in Primary Schools (MHiPS) program – provides government and low-fee non-government Victorian primary schools with funding to employ a Mental Health and Wellbeing Leader (MHWL)
• Promoting mental health and wellbeing in the school– explains School's role in Tier 1 promoting mental health and wellbeing
• Schools Mental Health Fund and Menu – supports Victorian government schools to select programs, staff and other support from an evidence-based menu
• Child Safe Standards Guidance– provides best practice advice for applying the new Child Safe Standards to better protect children and young people in all organisations that work with children
• Information Sharing and Family Violence Reforms: Guidance and Tools– support education workforces to implement the Child Information Sharing Scheme (CISS) and Family Violence Information Sharing Scheme (FVISS) in their workplaces
• SAFEMinds training is available to Victorian government primary, secondary and specialist schools staff to increase their foundational knowledge of mental health, including preventing and responding to self-harm and emerging mental health concerns

Community mental health services

• Beyond Blue – service providing mental health support
• Child and adolescent mental health services – provide specialist mental health treatment and care to children and adolescents up to 18 years of age
• eheadspace phone 1800 650 890, 9 am to 1 am AEST – service providing online and phone support
• Kids Helpline phone 1800 551 800, 24 hours a day 7 days a week – service providing support and resources for children and young people aged 5 to 25, including webchat and phone counselling
• Lifeline phone 13 11 14, 24 hours a day 7 days a week – service providing 24-hour crisis support and suicide prevention services
• Mental health services for children and adolescents– information on specific state-funded mental health services are available for children, adolescents and youth
• Orange Door– help for people who are experiencing family violence or who need support with the care and wellbeing of children and young people
• QLife– provides anonymous and free LGBTIQ+ peer support and referral for people in Australia
• ReachOut Australia– online mental health service providing chat support and resources
• Suicide Call Back Service1300 659 467, 24 hours a day 7 days a week – service providing 24/7 phone and online counselling to people affected by suicide

Online safety

• eSafety Commissioner– Australia's independent regulator for online safety

Early intervention

• SAFEMinds: Schools and Families Enhancing Minds– helps school communities apply the NIP it in the bud! (Notice, Inquire, Plan) early intervention approach
• Be You– provides educators with knowledge, tools and resources, including:
  • Mental Health Continuum
  • Wellbeing tools for educators
• NIP it in the Bud!– an early intervention approach
• Safe Socials– provides tips and resources for parents/carers and families to support students to be safe when using social media

Trauma informed practice

• HITS Trauma Informed Factsheets and Resources– a suite of resources to support teacher's classroom practice
• Managing Trauma e-Learn modules– support principals, school leadership teams and allied health staff in managing and responding to critical incidents and emergencies in schools
• Supporting students impacted by trauma– managing trauma response and recovery planning
• Managing Trauma: a guide to managing trauma following an incident (DOCX) (staff login required)– supports principals, Student Support Services (SSS) and other recovery team members to take action to manage trauma for students, staff and school community members following an incident
• Managing Trauma: a guide to managing trauma following an incident (PDF) (staff login required)

Resources for parents/carers

• Mental health and wellbeing toolkit – parents and carers– provides guidance to help strengthen your child’s mental health and wellbeing at home, and how to work with your school and seek help if you have concerns
• Beyond Blue Resource library – fact sheets, booklets and other resources to support everyone in Australia achieve their best possible mental health
• Kids Help Line Self-harm explained – explains what self-harm is and suggest things that you can do