Suicide Prevention
LGBTIQA+ suicide prevention
As a service of Switchboard, at Rainbow Door it is part of our core work to respond to the challenges of suicide among LGBTIQA+ communities.
Rainbow Door is passionately involved in providing dedicated LGBTIQA+ peer-led suicide prevention programs, services and initiatives across Australia.
We are a LGBTIQA+ leading service for Victoria to provide suicide prevention, intervention and postvention programs to LGBTIQA+ people with a strong emphasis on building community resilience through peer-led and lived experience activities.
On this page you will find information for yourself, someone you know who has or may be experiencing distress related to suicide and those seeking to get involved in the programs run by Switchboard.
LGBTIQA+ suicide awareness
All Rainbow Door peer support workers receive LGBTIQA+ suicide awareness and crisis intervention training. It is part of our commitment at Switchboard Victoria to creating safer, resilient, and compassionate LGBTIQA+ communities.
RESOURCES TO KEEP YOU SAFE
LGBTIQA+ Suicide Safety Plan Card
Thinking about suicide can be distressing. It can be hard to know what to say to reach out for help or what to do to keep yourself safe. We’ve made this LGBTIQA+ safety plan card to help you identify what you can do to support your safety and stay alive.
You might like to fill in this card with a friend, counsellor or helpline worker. Keep it somewhere close by, it can help you cope through difficult times.
LGBTIQ+ ASIST and safeTALK
Switchboard Victoria delivers suicide awareness and suicide intervention skills trainings using empirically tested models developed by LivingWorks.
COVID-19 Update: Due to COVID-19, our ASIST and safeTALK trainings are postponed until it is safe for us to resume face to face workshops. To stay up to date with suicide prevention, including access to suicide prevention webinars, sign up to our mailing list here:
For all enquiries, please contact: SPenquiries@switchboard.org.au
ASIST
ASIST is a two-day workshop that teaches participants how to apply a model of suicide intervention. Switchboard proudly employs LGBTIQ+ trainers who are educated in an LGBTIQ+ specific ASIST model. This workshop is suitable for anyone 16+ years.
Max capacity per workshop: 26 participants
safeTALK
safeTALK is half-day workshop designed to increase community awareness about suicide in which participants are prepared to become suicide-alert helpers. This workshop is suitable for anyone 15+ including school students.
Max capacity per workshop: 32 participants
Let’s talk about suicide podcast
Experiencing loss through suicide is a grief like no other. It can be difficult to find others who have similar experiences and are open to talking about their loss, especially other LGBTIQA+ people. You can hear Hamish Blunck, Joe Ball (Switchboard CEO) and Dr Louise Flynn (Support After Suicide) and other LGBTIQA+ people talk about loss through suicide on this podcast produced by JOY 94.9fm with Switchboard and Support After Suicide.