Metro North Mental Health is the largest public mental health service in Australia with a multidisciplinary workforce of over 2000 workers. In 2022 Metro North Mental Health embarked on an aspirational goal of reducing preventable deaths, and launched the ASPIRES Suicide, Self-harm and Overdose Prevention Plan (2022-2024). The ASPIRES plan included several initiatives, including the co-development and implementation of a suicide prevention pathway and contemporary suicide prevention training, alongside system-wide efforts to embed Restorative Just and Learning Culture. The two-day multi modal ASPIRES suicide prevention training was delivered to mental health workers to support evidence-based suicide prevention practices. Providing access to contemporary suicide prevention training is a strategy that supports mental health workers build capacity and confidence in evidence-based suicide prevention practice.
The aim was to assess training efficacy in increasing staff confidence and intentions to engage with the pathway. Using a pre post design, data from a multidisciplinary workforce (n = 261) was analysed. Participants (including clinicians, healthcare workers, and lived experience staff) were compared on outcomes before and after the two-day training and data was collected from training conducted between 2023-2024. Findings showed significant improvements in self-reported confidence and intention to engage with the suicide prevention pathway. However, differences in confidence and intention varied by discipline and years of experience.
The ASPIRES training has a positive impact on all staff confidence and intention to engage with the ASPIRES suicide prevention pathway. The variations in outcomes across disciplines and years of experience offer valuable learnings that inform the development of future training programs for a diverse and complex mental health service.
Note to the organisers*: This abstract is part of a broader symposium submission, comprising a collection of related research projects.