The Embrace Suicide Prevention Pilot (ESPP) Project kicked off in earnest in January 2023, Phase 1 concluded in February 2024, with final resources available from April 2024. The Embrace Project's funding has been extended to enable the Embrace Suicide Prevention Pilot to enter its second year, moving from the pilot phase (phase 1) to the scaling-up phase (phase 2). Commencing in mid-2024, Phase 2 will endeavour to amplify and build upon the learnings, partnerships, and outcomes from the Pilot Phase.
Pilot Phase 1
A collaboration between Embrace, Suicide Prevention Australia (SPA), and R U OK? (the Consortium), the ESPP sought to further inform best practice and increase sector and community capacity to prevent suicide in multicultural communities. Specifically, the ESPP piloted the below in Phase 1:
- expanded use of the Embrace Framework for Multicultural Australia within suicide prevention through organisation-wide implementation within R U OK? and SPA, combined with
- an approach for effective CALD community engagement and resource co-design with three community groups - Arabic, Hindi and Vietnamese – led by R U OK?
In doing so, the pilot achieved the following key outputs and outcomes:
- Insights and learnings that begin to inform expanded best practice guidance and improvements to the Framework to increase usability
- R U OK? resources, co-designed with Arabic, Hindi and Vietnamese communities across Sydney and Melbourne, that help to empower communities and provide a sustainable way for communities to begin conversations for suicide prevention (Resources linked below)
- A living blueprint to support others when undertaking co-design with CALD communities in the context of suicide prevention, building capacity throughout the sector
- Early development of a comprehensive repository of relevant suicide prevention resources for CALD communities, sector capacity and research, linked across Embrace and SPA resource/learning hubs.
R U OK? Co-Designed Translated Resources
R U OK? has implemented a series of co-design workshops with 3 different community groups (Hindi, Vietnamese, and Arabic speaking) to develop resources that start meaningful conversations and contribute to suicide prevention within these communities.
The completed resources are free to view and download here:
R U OK? CALD translated resources
Embrace Suicide Prevention Pilot Project Evaluation
Verian (formerly Kantar Public) was engaged as the evaluation partner of the Embrace Suicide Prevention Pilot Project.
The key questions answered through the evaluation were:
- What is national and global best practice in suicide prevention programs in CALD communities?
- Was the R U OK? resource co-design implemented as intended?
- Did the co-design process and resulting resources achieve the intended outcomes?
- How was the Framework implemented?
- How effective was the consortium in the delivery of the Pilot Project?
Answering these evaluation questions has helped to inform future efforts and resources intended to guide Framework implementation and community engagement in other mainstream suicide prevention organisations.
A link to the report can be found here: Embrace Suicide Prevention Pilot Project Evaluation Report
Living Blueprint Document
R U OK? have developed a living blueprint to support others when undertaking co-design with CALD communities in the context of suicide prevention, building capacity throughout the sector.
A link to the Blueprint can be found here: R U OK? Co-design Living Blueprint Document
Phase 2 of the Pilot
The aim of the ESPP, Phase 2 is to improve the accessibility of suicide prevention resources and services for CALD communities through achieving the following objectives:
- Supporting broader implementation of the Embrace Framework throughout the suicide prevention sector.
- Formalising and strengthening relationships across the sector to strengthen Embrace as a national platform for multicultural suicide prevention.
- Facilitating information sharing, collation of learnings, collaboration, and a shared understanding / alignment around CALD suicide prevention needs and responses.
- Facilitating equity in access to key sector forums and opportunities for CALD community representatives / leaders.
Phase 2 will amplify and build upon the learnings and outcomes from Phase 1, with a focus on broader sector engagement and capacity building for larger-scale, sustainable impact. Phase 2 activities will enable the integration of a heightened focus on CALD suicide prevention within the core Embrace Project. This will be done in continued partnership with Suicide Prevention Australia.