Eastern Health (in outer eastern metropolitan Melbourne) is one of the original pilot sites for the Hospital Outreach Post suicide Engagement (HOPE) program. This program provides enhanced support and assertive outreach for people who have experienced thoughts of suicide or survived an attempt. HOPE was recognized and endorsed in the Royal Commission into Victoria’s Mental Health System with the recommendation that it be expanded to all Victorian Mental Health and Wellbeing Services.
Eastern Health has two HOPE multi-disciplinary teams, offering therapeutic, practical and financial support. With a workforce including Nurse Practitioners, Occupational Therapists, Psychosocial Engagement Workers, Psychiatrist, Family Support Workers and Lived Experience/Peer Worker roles (both consumer and carer) the program wraps around both the consumer and their support network. People have access to a plethora of options from within the team. Together we are focused on building hope and connection in life for the people referred to our service. Extensive care and effort is put into ensuring people have knowledge and access to services and supports following discharge from HOPE; together we work towards their tomorrow.
Embedded in the way we work is the Solution Focused approach, often referred to in therapy areas as Solution Focused Brief Therapy. Upon understanding a person’s hoped-for outcome, together we build on what is possible; instead of problems. It honours the person and their perspective. The Solution Focused approach holds the belief and assumption that the person has the resources to move towards their desired outcome or future. Through conversation the person can identify their own resources that have kept them on this side of life. The power of language is valued and integral in this approach. Working together with the person, using their language, we co-construct a description of their hoped-for outcome for their preferred future.
HOPE plays a vital role in suicide prevention, wrapping around the person and their supporters, working together towards a tomorrow without suicide.
In our presentation, we will offer a practical demonstration, with a Solution Focused approach embedded our conversation.
A brief overview of recent outcomes will also be presented.