To mark World Suicide Prevention Day (10 September), – we focus on the Southern Area Protect Life Resource Service – a partnership between Action Mental Heath and Pips Hope and Support (funded by the Public Health Agency) and the Southern Area Protect Life Community Voluntary Forum with a series of videos.
AMH MensSana – Roisin Tallon
For more information email [email protected]
Pips Hope & Support
for more information contact [email protected]
AMH everyBODY – Deborah McCready
for more information contact [email protected]
Samaritans – Newry & Dundalk – [email protected]
AMH MenSana – Heather Robinson
for more information email [email protected]
Women’s Aid – Armagh & Down – [email protected]
Links Counselling Service – [email protected]
Samaritans – Newry & Dundalk [email protected]
Sail NI – [email protected]
Cause NI
Background – ‘Protect Life – A Shared Vision, the Northern Ireland Suicide Prevention Strategy and Action Plan (2006 – 2011)’ was launched by the DHSSPS in 2006.
In 2007, the Southern Health and Social Care Trust (SHSCT) established a Southern Area Protect Life Implementation Group, the members of which are all fully committed to the aims and objectives set out within ‘Protect Life – Northern Ireland Suicide Prevention Strategy 2006 – 2011’.
The Southern area Health and Social Care Trust (SHSCT) established a local Mental Health/Protect Life Implementation Group (MH/PLIG) in 2007, which provides cross-sectoral support and direction for the implementation of a local Action Plan. The Group is Chaired by the Assistant Director of Mental Health in the SHSCT and co-Chaired by the Colin Loughran, Service Manager in Action Mental Health.
The Protect Life Community Resource Service (a partnership between PIPS Hope and Support & Action Mental Health) was commissioned by the Public Health Agency (PHA) to provide the majority of suicide prevention/emotional health and wellbeing and awareness raising sessions across the Southern locality.
Action Mental Health (AMH) and PIPS Hope and Support continue to be commissioned by the PHA to provide the Protect Life Resource Service in the Southern Area The PL Resource Service provides outreach and engagement with individuals and communites in crisis and can provide early surveillance of suspected death/s by suicide in a
given community.
The Protect Life Community Voluntary Forum sits in parallel to MH/PLIG with a function for disseminating information on the wider MH/PLIG agenda to
all members of the Voluntary and Community Sector, and feeds back to the main MH/PLIG. The Protect Life Community Voluntary Forum is Chaired by our Service Manager Colin Loughran in Action Mental Health (AMH).
The publication of a revised Protect Life 2 – Suicide prevention strategy for NI has been anticipated for some time and we continue to await its publication. In the absence of a new strategy to set the direction the PHA have rolled forward with existing commissioned projects in relation to Protect Life*.
Source: Protect Life and Mental Health Promotion Implementation in the Southern area Summary Report for 2017/18. SHSCT
*Update 10/9/19 : the long-awaited Protect Life 2 suicide prevention strategy has been published today by the Department of Health.
https://www.health-ni.gov.uk/news/suicide-prevention-strategy-protect-life-2-published-today
