Congratulations to SA Health and the Office of the Chief Psychiatrist, South Australia for receiving two Suicide Prevention Australia LiFE Awards:

• Communities in Action
  Recognises the critical role that individuals and organisations in communities play in identifying and taking action in suicide prevention. This may involve the development of a local plan for mental wellbeing and suicide prevention, or an activity that brings the community together to facilitate social connection and provides opportunities to talk about mental health and suicide prevention. This award acknowledges that communities working together are at the heart of suicide prevention strategies.
   
• Best Practice in Workplace
  Recognises an individual or organisation that demonstrates outstanding commitment to preventing suicide among its employees. These are individuals and organisations that provide significant support to their employees, assisting the health and sustainability of their workforce. This award recognises the good work being done to help their employees by providing structures and supports that prevent suicide and/or assist if they have been impacted by suicide. The workplace will reflect best practice and can be held up as an example of excellence.

4 Mental Health have successfully achieved accreditation with the first national suicide prevention accreditation program, with standards defined by Suicide Prevention Australia (SPA), Australia’s leading suicide prevention body.

4 Mental Health provides compassion-focussed, mental health training courses and free self-help resources, with modules on wellbeing, self-harm and suicide mitigation. Bite-sized training is delivered under the program name ‘Connecting with People’, which is geared to meet the needs of clinical, community and corporate settings via a range of cost-effective delivery modalities: face-2-face, webinar, e-Learning and Train-the-Trainer.

The Australian Quality Innovation Performance (QIP) Accreditation provides independent recognition that 4 Mental Health and the Connecting with People Training program meets defined criteria and standards developed by Suicide Prevention Australia, with accreditation offering quality and performance assurance through independent assessment.

Dr Alys Cole-King, 4 Mental Health’s Clinical Director: “We are passionate about promoting compassionate best practice and so are thrilled to be one of the first organisations to achieve this national accreditation. It recognises our focus on lived experience, safety and governance and our commitment to continuing quality improvement. We are particularly grateful to our international Expert Reference Group, Australian colleagues and Dr Peter Ilves, 4 Mental Health’s Training Director, who significantly contributed to our work in Australia.”

Dr Aaron Groves, Chief Psychiatrist Tasmania Health: “Many congratulations to 4 Mental Health for achieving full accreditation against the Suicide Prevention Australia Standards for their Connecting with People Training program. As the first Chief Psychiatrist in Australia to formally select the Connecting with People training to adopt throughout the state, I have worked hard with the team for many years and have seen first-hand their robust approach to safety and governance. Their focus on putting the voice of lived experience at the heart of everything they do ensures that whilst the training includes latest thinking, it is evidence-informed and promotes best practice, this is equally matched by a focus on compassion, coproduction and being culturally sensitive.”

4 Mental Health’s Lived Experience Expert Reference Group (ERG): “4 Mental Health recognises the essential nature and unique value that lived experience contributions and involvement bring to their work. As members of the 4 Mental Health ERG we feel that everything 4 Mental Health produces is coproduced with us and that our opinions are truly valued and respected. By recognising lived experience in this way, we feel assured that the content of their training is fit for purpose and the best it can possibly be."

Ian James, Principal Aboriginal Mental Health Advisor to the Office of the Chief Psychiatrist of South Australia: "Congratulations to 4 Mental Health-Connecting with People on achieving SPA Accreditation which reflects their care and diligence. I have had the privilege of working with the team over several years and appreciate their support and understanding in providing culturally responsive training and resources for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander South Australians.”

Professor Stephen Platt, Emeritus Professor of Health Policy Research, 4 Mental Health’s Expert Reference Group Lead: “I am continually impressed by the extraordinary care and diligence taken to ensure their training is evidence informed, accessible, culturally sensitive, outcome-focused and infused with values of compassion and respect. Their commitment to co-production with people with lived experience is widely recognised and the organisation has strong governance procedures and a lean and agile organisational structure, permitting timely response to requests for help and support.”

The company is honoured to win the prestigious Queen’s Award for International Trade for Outstanding Short-Term Growth in Overseas Business over the last three years.

4 Mental Health demonstrated exceptional agility and innovation, and significantly supported others, in adapting to pandemic challenges. New training delivery modalities were developed to support increasing focus on overseas training development, particularly in Australia. Overseas training significantly increased over the past three years, with this international growth mirrored within the UK, and facilitated by a substantial increase in staffing levels to support program delivery.

Alison Beech, Managing Director at 4 Mental Health: “We are passionate about making a difference and are thrilled to win this prestigious award. It reflects the commitment and dedication demonstrated by everyone in the organisation and the wonderful support of our international Expert Reference Group in helping us in the development of our training and free resources."

Professor Stephen Platt, Emeritus Professor of Health Policy Research: “As a long- term adviser to 4 Mental Health and member of its Expert Reference Group, I receive frequent requests to review materials associated with the various training programs offered by the organisation to a wide range of would-be beneficiaries. On every occasion I am impressed anew by the extraordinary care and diligence taken to ensure that their training is evidence-informed, accessible, culturally sensitive, outcome-focused and infused with values of compassion and respect. Their commitment to co-production with people with lived experience is widely recognised and admired. 4 Mental Health has strong governance procedures and a lean and agile organisational structure, permitting timely response to requests for help and support. It continues to be a great pleasure to work with an organisation that strives so assiduously to reduce emotional and psychological distress, promote positive mental health and prevent suicidal behaviour."

Ian James, Principal Aboriginal Mental Health Advisor to the Office of the Chief Psychiatrist of South Australia: "Congratulations to 4 Mental Health and their approach in improving the lives of so many suffering from poor mental health, not only across Europe but also here in Australia. I have had the privilege of working with the team over several years and appreciate their support and understanding in providing culturally responsive training and resources for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander South Australians. The success of the ‘Connecting with People’ training reflects the care and diligence of the team behind it.”

Professor Nicholas Procter, Chair of the Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Research Group at the University of South Australia: “This award is well deserved. At its core, the ‘Connecting with People’ approach led by 4 Mental Health is a compassionate framework crafted through the voices of lived and living experience and the best scientific evidence in mental health and suicide prevention. Through their tireless efforts 4 Mental Health have made their products and services available to thousands of clinicians, civil society groups and everyday Australians. It has been our privilege to collaborate with the 4 Mental Health team on this important work.”