Best Practice Programs & Services

Best Practice Programs & Services

The Centre of Best Practice in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Suicide Prevention (CBPATSISP) evaluates and promotes evidence-based suicide prevention practice that empowers individuals, families and communities and respects their culture.

The Clearing House shares promising and best practice programs and services in order to recognise the important work that communities are doing and to support others to further develop their own suicide prevention initiatives. The programs listed include all or most of the following criteria:

1. Indigenous Ownership

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people were involved in the development, implementation and governance of the program or service, and lead the operations and delivery of the program

• • Evidenced by Indigenous-led steering committee or advisory group.

2. Community Leadership

The program or service is working within or with the local Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Service, and/or has relationships or integrates with other Indigenous community organisations, programs or services.

• • Evidenced by formal partnerships or collaborations.

3. Community Consultation and Co-design

• • An Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community reference group was established for the program or service, and included key stakeholders or members of the target group (e.g., youth, elders, consumers, carers, LGBTIQ, lived experience) and meetings were held regularly.

• • Evidenced by minutes of meetings.

4. Evaluation

Ongoing program or service evaluation is in place to ensure continuous quality improvement, including feedback from participants or community, during delivery or after completion of the program or service.

• • Evidenced by internal review documenting any resulting action plan, including timeline and status update when actioned.

5. Cultural Responsiveness

Non-Indigenous staff have undertaken cultural responsiveness and safety training.

• • Evidenced by documentation of completion of training.

6. Capacity Building

The program builds Indigenous community capacity through the training, mentoring and support of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to lead and deliver future similar programs or services.

• • Evidenced by plans for training and other capacity building activities.

Programs and services which have been assessed as best practice in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander suicide prevention are listed in one of the seven categories below. Programs that fit in several categories are listed in each relevant category. Programs and services initially assessed as promising practice in the ATSISPEP project report, Solutions that Work have since been reviewed and updated by the CBPATSISP team. In addition, new programs are also being assessed in accord with the criteria above.

If you would like to share your program or service on the CBPATSISP Clearinghouse website please click here for further information. The seven categories are as follows: