We Know Our Strengths

The We Know Our Strengths Project is funded by the Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing as part of the National Suicide Prevention Strategy.  It is a partnership program with Mental Health Asssociation of Central Australia. The project is based on evidence that suggests that people can be protected from suicide by being part of a strong family and by staying physically healthy.  Also by having meaningful activities in their lives, by having spiritual connections to life and by being well informed about mental health and suicide risk factors.  People can also be protected from suicide if they have knowledge about where to get additional help and support when they or someone they know is suicidal and how this might help. 

Firstly the project will provide some activities and support that Aboriginal people have already identified as keeping them strong. From here we will get more ideas to help communities stay strong. The project acknowledges that there is still much that we do not know about ways to reduce the rates of suicide, especially amongst Indigenous communities and there are few resources developed that accommodate the mental health needs of remote Central Australia. So the project is also working to develop some better tools to use in our region.