PREVENTION OF YOUTH SUICIDE IN NEW OUTH WALES

1 Submission No 46 PREVENTION OF YOUTH SUICIDE IN NEW SOUTH WALES Organisation: NSW Government Date Received: 8 September 2017 Parliament of NSW Committee On Children And Young People Inquiry into the PREVENTION of YOUTH SUICIDE in New South WALES Submission from the NSW Government August 2017 Inquiry into the PREVENTION of YOUTH SUICIDE in New South WALES Page 1 of 43 Contents 1. Executive Summary .. 3 2. Introduction .. 4 3. Context .. 5 Overview of the NSW YOUTH population and SUICIDE .. 5 Reforming NSW mental health and SUICIDE PREVENTION .. 7 4. Gaps in the coordination and integration of SUICIDE PREVENTION activities and programs across all levels of government.

2 8 A systems-based approach to SUICIDE PREVENTION .. 8 Their Futures Matter - a new approach to child protection .. 9 Information exchange .. 10 5. NSW governance arrangements and accountabilities .. 11 NSW Government governance arrangements .. 11 NSW Health s governance arrangements and accountabilities for mental health and SUICIDE PREVENTION .. 12 Department of Education governance arrangements and accountabilities for SUICIDE PREVENTION .. 13 6. Provision of services in local communities, particularly in regional and rural areas .. 15 Whole of Health investment in mental health and SUICIDE PREVENTION .. 15 Strategic commissioning .. 17 Regions with higher than average rates of SUICIDE .

3 17 Enhancing community based services .. 17 7. Provision of services for vulnerable and at-risk groups .. 19 Overview of vulnerable young people in NSW .. 19 Addressing Aboriginal children and young people s health needs .. 20 Increasing psychosocial supports for young people in the 22 Supporting young people in contact with the criminal justice system .. 22 Supporting vulnerable children and young people with complex needs who are at risk of entering the child protection system or Out-of-Home Care .. 25 Supporting vulnerable children and young people through the education system . 26 8. Data collection about the incidence of YOUTH SUICIDE and attempted SUICIDE .

4 29 NSW Health administrative datasets .. 29 HealthStats NSW .. 29 9. Provision of high-quality information and training to service providers .. 30 NSW Health policies and guidelines around the PREVENTION of SUICIDE .. 30 Conversations Matter .. 31 Inquiry into the PREVENTION of YOUTH SUICIDE in New South WALES Page 2 of 43 Supporting YOUTH and other workers to recognise and respond to signs of psychological distress .. 31 Supporting young people s access to timely and appropriate primary care .. 31 Capacity and capability building for NSW Health staff .. 32 Capacity and capability building for Family and Community (FACS) staff .. 33 Capacity and capability building for Education staff.

5 34 10. Approaches taken by primary and secondary schools .. 35 Teaching and Learning .. 35 School Services teams and local school based specialist staff .. 36 Partnerships with Agencies .. 36 Procedures and processes for responding to SUICIDE and SUICIDE risk .. 37 11. Appendixes .. 38 Appendix 1: The public mental health system in NSW .. 39 Appendix 2: An overview of the NSW public education system .. 40 Appendix 3: 2017/18 Mental Health Key Performance Indicators .. 43 Inquiry into the PREVENTION of YOUTH SUICIDE in New South WALES Page 3 of 43 1. Executive Summary SUICIDE is a significant public health issue that requires coordinated and combined efforts from all levels of society.

6 The NSW Government has an ongoing commitment to reducing SUICIDE and ensuring that people who are at risk of SUICIDE receive effective care. The NSW Government takes a Whole of Government, system wide approach to SUICIDE PREVENTION , recognising that SUICIDE is a complex problem, and that only by addressing whole of health and community interactions, can SUICIDE rates be reduced. The NSW Government is moving towards a more coordinated and integrated approach to SUICIDE PREVENTION . The NSW Government s approach to SUICIDE PREVENTION is guided by Living Well, A Strategic Plan for Mental Health in NSW 2014-2024 (Mental Health Plan).1 Under Living Well, the NSW Government is committed to ensuring the unique needs of particular communities and populations are met, particularly young people and Aboriginal communities.

7 1 (1).pdf Inquiry into the PREVENTION of YOUTH SUICIDE in New South WALES Page 4 of 43 2. Introduction This is a Submission to the Parliament of NSW Committee on Children and Young People Inquiry into the PREVENTION of YOUTH SUICIDE in New South WALES (NSW). The Ministry of Health (the Ministry) provides this Whole of Government Submission in response to the Committee s invitation received on 29 June 2017. This Submission is led by the Ministry with contributions from Juvenile Justice, Family and Community Services and the Department of Education. The Ministry notes the existing terms of reference for the Inquiry.

8 This Submission focuses on how the NSW Government uses a system wide approach to deliver locally driven responses for the PREVENTION of SUICIDE in NSW, targeting priority populations and addressing service gaps. This Submission includes: a) Context of NSW mental health and SUICIDE PREVENTION reforms b) Gaps in the coordination and integration of SUICIDE PREVENTION activities and programs across all levels of government c) Governance arrangements and accountabilities for SUICIDE PREVENTION d) Provision of services in local communities, particularly in regional and rural areas e) Provision of services for vulnerable and at-risk groups f) Data collection about the incidence of YOUTH SUICIDE and attempted SUICIDE g) Provision of high-quality information and training to service providers h)

9 Approaches taken by primary and secondary schools Inquiry into the PREVENTION of YOUTH SUICIDE in New South WALES Page 5 of 43 3. Context The following statistical profile highlights SUICIDE and self-harm data by age and trends. Further statistical information for vulnerable and at-risk groups is provided in section 7. This section also provides an overview of the NSW mental health and SUICIDE PREVENTION reforms. Overview of the NSW YOUTH population and SUICIDE SUICIDE is a significant public health issue that requires coordinated and combined efforts from all levels of society. The NSW Government has an ongoing commitment to reducing SUICIDE and ensuring that people who are at risk of SUICIDE receive effective care.

10 Approximately one third of Australia s young people live in NSW. Figure 1 below is an extract from the NSW YOUTH Health Framework 2017-24 (PD2017_019).2 It depicts the diversity of young people living in NSW. Figure 1: Overview of young people in NSW. 2 NSW Ministry of Health. (2017) NSW YOUTH Health Framework. NSW YOUTH Health Framework 2017-24 (PD2017_019). Inquiry into the PREVENTION of YOUTH SUICIDE in New South WALES Page 6 of 43 SUICIDE is a leading cause of death for young people aged 10 to 17 in SUICIDE was the leading cause of death for 15-17 year olds in 2015 in NSW, and the SUICIDE mortality rate for this age group in that year was the highest since The Child Death Review Report 2015 states that: over the 15 year period to 2015, the NSW child death register has recorded the deaths by SUICIDE of 264 young people (under 18 years of age).