CORES
Providing community suicide prevention through training, education and early intervention.
CORES provides community suicide prevention through training, education and early intervention. CORES also links people at risk with crucial services, provides bereavement support and runs training programs in schools and workplaces. The team pitched to start a new program in Bowen and Airlie Beach that will involve training 100 people plus two local facilitators to ensure the program's long-term success.
2016 Pitch
Funds raised: $39,502
CORES presented at The Funding Network in Brisbane on 15 June 2016 and raised $39,502 to hire a Community Engagement Officer and provide suicide prevention training to the communities of Collinsville, Bowen, Airlie Beach and Proserpine.
The impact...
“Dealing with an ongoing situation with [X] – having suicidal thoughts due to ongoing bullying at school. As a result of an incident where he was pushed into a toilet urinal and held there, he put a belt around his neck and tried to strangle himself. We helped get [X] to a psychologist where he was assessed as high risk - now on medication for anxiety and he continues to see the psychologist weekly. There is also work ongoing with the school in relation to the bullying.
"Before CORES, I don’t think that I would have understood the seriousness of this situation. Because of CORES [suicide prevention training], I realised the urgency in helping [X] deal with his thoughts. I recognised that this was not just ‘talk’ on his part."
This testimony from a suicide intervention trainee with CORES (Community Response to Eliminating Suicide) sums up the empowerment inherent in a 'whole of community' response. Powered by pre-engagement and collaboration, there has been a significant increase in the uptake of this important learning opportunity over the past year. CORES has so far trained 97 individuals, set a new target of 200 trainees and continued its support for the fledgling Whitsunday Suicide Prevention network in collaboration with Wesley Mission Sydney.
Reinforced in its belief that one size does not fit all, the concept of becoming a CORES 'Early Intervention Friend' is being widely adopted in response to programs tailored to suit the particular needs of each community.
Listen to CORES' Queensland Coordinator, Ross Romeo, provide an update on the difference the funding support has made within on year...
Read their Impact Report