IN response to alarming national suicide statistics the Orange branch of Lifeline Central West has stepped up to help people at risk and answered a record number of calls last month.
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On average the volunteers in Orange answered 1000 calls for the month, up from 18 months ago when the three Central West branches, Orange, Bathurst and Dubbo received 500 calls combined in a single month.
Lifeline Central West crisis support services manager Stephanie Robinson said the three centres combined answered 2218 calls last month and the increase was from a targeted campaign in rural and regional areas where she said suicide rates were highest.
“The Australian Bureau of Statistics figures they came out about six months ago now, it showed there was an increase of 13 per cent in the suicide rate,” Mrs Robinson said.
“Every eight hours there is a suicide, three a day, it’s something we have to respond to.”
She said 2600 calls are made to Lifeline’s 35 call centres each day including the three in the Central West, and although the national service has phones manned 24 hours seven days a week the number picked up by each branch is limited to how many volunteers are available.
Although she said there is a paid service to pick up calls between midnight and 6am in Sydney they try to divert calls to more local crisis support workers whenever possible.
She said in the 18 month time frame, Orange increased to 40 volunteers up from 15 as a result of the campaign to provide crisis support seven days a week. Last month there were also 72 hour phone marathons around R U OK Day and Suicide Prevention Day with 100 per cent of calls answered.
“We ran a program called reconnect aimed at older crisis support workers last year and it was the most successful campaign that we’ve ever run,” she said.
Mrs Robinson said people from all sectors of the community phone Lifeline for a wide range of matters including loneliness and recently the greyhound racing ban, while the impending debate on marriage equality has been flagged for future calls.
She said previously the organisation offered training once a year but this has been increased to twice a year with some taking place in Orange on Saturday.
For crisis or suicide prevention support call Lifeline on 13 11 14.
Tanya Marschke
I am based at Orange and cover a wide range of subjects as well as the weekly business column. I've worked consistently in the the media industry since 2006 including the past seven years at the Central Western Daily. Before moving to Orange, I worked as a journalist at weekly newspapers the Beaudesert Times and the Gold Coast Sun in Queensland, as well as the Scone Advocate in the Hunter Valley. I started my career at the Ridge News in Lightning Ridge while I completed my journalism studies remotely at Charles Sturt University in Bathurst.
I am based at Orange and cover a wide range of subjects as well as the weekly business column. I've worked consistently in the the media industry since 2006 including the past seven years at the Central Western Daily. Before moving to Orange, I worked as a journalist at weekly newspapers the Beaudesert Times and the Gold Coast Sun in Queensland, as well as the Scone Advocate in the Hunter Valley. I started my career at the Ridge News in Lightning Ridge while I completed my journalism studies remotely at Charles Sturt University in Bathurst.
