Maureen O'Sullivan (Dublin Central, Independent)

Dublin's north inner city has been devastated by the drugs industry and allied to that was and is the number of suicides. It is very significant that some of those are in families who suffered institutional abuse.

I want focus on a particular project and model from the north inner city, the Oasis Deora Counselling Centre in North Wall, which has been to the fore in providing counselling and services for those facing loss through suicide. One of the ways it does this is by providing the ASIST - Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training - programme, to which the Minister of State referred. This is suicide first aid. What is most significant about this centre and the training it provides is that the training is being given to those working directly in projects with people at risk of suicide.

The emphasis in ASIST training is on helping a person at risk stay safe and seek further help. Those who have done this training learn how to recognise the signs for seeking help and identify people who have thoughts of suicide. They can reach out and offer support, apply a suicide intervention model and then link the person with community resources and other supports. This ASIST training has been evaluated and the evaluations have shown that the workshop increases the caregiver's knowledge and confidence to respond to a person at risk of suicide. The intervention skills are retained over time and put to use to save lives. In one year this project in six training sessions trained 150 people in the two-day workshop and it also provided a tune-up refresher. In that one year alone it managed 47 clients who were suicidal.

When I chaired the North Inner City Drugs Task Force I had the opportunity of doing the two-day ASIST training course, therefore, I know its value. I also attended the refresher half-day course, which was also attended by youth workers, community project workers and staff from hostels for the homeless. The first question we were asked was how many of us had used the training since we had received it. I was very struck by those workers all saying that they had used on many occasions, thus saving lives.

We have the National Office for Suicide Prevention but I believe the model I have discussed from Oasis Deora has been invaluable because the training is going to those directly involved with vulnerable people at the risk of suicide. They do the training voluntarily. It is not seen as part of their job and they use the training.

I also acknowledge the support from the previous Minister of State, the former Deputy John Moloney, for this project to rollout further training. Some of that training will involve mindfulness-based training, which is a proven technique in managing stress, depression, anxiety, loss and also for relapse prevention for those in recovery from addiction to help in managing cravings. It is training that should be introduced in our prisons.

In terms of the cost of what I have discussed from that one project, the amount of €10,000 annually with Deora enabled ASIST training for 140 to 150 people, including follow-up time and crisis intervention. The amount of €15,000 annually provided training in mindfulness for 150 people who could go on to train others. The amount of €25,000 annually could make such a difference in preventing suicide and we know that suicide is preventable. I stress the value of that project because the training it provides is going to those who are directly working on a daily basis to those who are at risk of suicide.

One in four people in this country experiences a mental health issue but mental health does not get a proportionate amount of the health budget that would acknowledge that. A person can present at an accident and emergency department with a particular physical ailment and he or she might be on a chair or a trolley for a number of days but that person will be seen and will get treatment. However, if a person presents with a self-harm issue, an eating disorder, an overdose or depression, the scenario is very different.

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