What’s Happening at LifeLine
by Annie Bradshaw
KidsLine Go Camping!
Twice a year the Kidsline team pack an overnight bag and head off to Huia for a weekend of self awareness and fun. They brave the cold and wet (if they’re unlucky...) and get to know each other better! The weekends are always a huge success and this one was no exception – with 55 eager and talented minds there’s bound to be some great innovations borne. Here are some of the fun photos of the weekend.
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| Meanwhile back in Auckland, volunteers under the expert guidance of
Sarah Frayne, are sorting and packing pads and papers to be distributed
throughout the country for this year’s poster competition. It is an
extremely busy time for Kidsline and it is a logistical wonder to
behold if youspend some time in the engine room where boxes are being made up, pads
packed and sorted and all thanks to the volunteers who donate their
time to make this exercise the success it is. | |
We cannot thank enough
the people who turn up and work tirelessly to ensure the poster
competition goes ahead and a very special thanks to Sarah Frayne who
has headed the operation for the last two years. If you have or know
of kids at school watch out for the poster packs and encourage them to
enter as the prizes are pretty impressive, but more on that in future
newsletters!
As if this wasn’t enough the Kidsline parents evening was held on the
3rd April with Buddies parents’ visiting LifeLine to get a glimpse of
how the service operates and the valuable input their teenagers have
into making Kidsline the success it is. Parents got the chance to meet
the Kidsline Resource Team (KRT), see a roleplay of a call and see
displays and a presentation on the operation of Kidsline.
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Living Works
In
March Brendan Bergin and Dylan Norton attended the official launch of
the NZ Suicide Prevention Action Plan (2008-2012) hosted by the Hon.
Jim Anderton in Wellington. The Action Plan is like the clothes on the
coat hanger of the NZ Suicide Prevention Strategy (2006-2016) or the
means by which local organisations will be able to achieve their goals
in suicide prevention over the coming years. Community-based
initiatives receive special mention in the Action Plan and Lifeline is
well-placed to meet the training needs of local communities in suicide
prevention.
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So far this year our facilitators have
presented nine ASIST workshops around the country. This is a
commendable achievement as organisations are always a little slow to
get their training programmes off the ground early in the New Year.
Needless to say March and April have been busy months for the Suicide
Prevention office. Awareness of our suicide prevention training
continues to increase among key organisations in the health sector such
as District Health Boards. Our Lifeline kaumatua George Hill has been a
wonderful kaitiaki (guardian) for our facilitators accompanying them on
several trainings around the country as well. Kia ora George!
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Chinese Lifeline
Another
exciting development for our office has been the nomination of two
Chinese Lifeliners for ASIST T4T training in Brisbane earlier this
month. With wonderful determination Cannis and Jiehua completed the
ASIST training along with participants from Singapore and Australia.
They will be an important part of our team as we aim to serve the
growing mental health needs of the Asian community around New Zealand.
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