Suicide Awareness Online Vanessa Marsh 30 th May, 2012 GippsTAFE

Suicide Awareness Online – WHY Cost-effective Convenient Flexible Engaging Motivating Learner access in our regional areas Employment outcomes

The Project: Topic/Course - Community Service staff are increasingly faced with challenging situations involving suicide related issues To customise an existing program to a new learner cohort and industry To pilot the online program – to trial the model that can then be re-used for other training courses To evaluate the online program

Presentation Focus: Online Model Delivered over 3 weeks Pre-week - the purpose Week 1 – Understanding Suicide Week 2 – Responding to Suicide Week 3 – Suicide Intervention

Evaluation Quote from GippsTAFE: “We pride ourselves on our facilitated online model of delivery here at GippsTAFE. To be given the opportunity to customise an existing course to deliver to a new cohort that can reach across the borders is a real opportunity to expand the delivery and opportunities for learners.”

Evaluation Quote from one of our Partners: “Many of our members are from regional areas across Victoria so to offer a traditional face-to-face program is limited because of the low numbers in the different regions. This training brought the course to their door and increased training access across all of our members”

Evaluation Quotes from some of our Learners: “This style of training allowed some of us who may not contribute as openly in a group that’s physically present, to participate more easily” “getting to the class at 7:30pm was hard but 7:00pm would have been harder and 8:00pm was too late” “the facilitator was motivating and passionate about the content” “loved logging in from home…” “To study online is a perfect component of the work/life balance”

Quotes continued… “The flexibility was what attracted me to the course, I work full-time and have a hectic social life so for me to be able to login and access when it suited me was ideal. Getting to the online session at 7:30pm was a challenge but once I got there, I could settle in to the session.”

Quotes continued… Quote No. 2: “I found it really informative. I participated in the course for personal reasons and the information has made me far more aware of the warning signs and how to engage with someone at risk.”

Thank You Questions? Vanessa Marsh