Jesse Park National Suicide Prevention Conference 2025

Jesse Park

Jesse Park is a dedicated Youth Suicide Prevention Community Engagement Officer at headspace Ballarat, bringing years of experience in youth mental health and community services. With a passion for supporting young people, Jesse leads a wide range of suicide prevention initiatives focused on risk assessment, safety planning, and service navigation. He has been instrumental in co-developing the Ballarat Youth Mental Health Service and Referral Guide and the accompanying Where Can You Go for Mental Health Support in Ballarat resource, which map and align local services using the IAR-DST. These tools empower young people, parents, and carers to understand the level of care they need and identify appropriate local supports. Jesse also created a family conversation resource, On the Same Page—co-designed with young people, parents, and carers—to support safe, open dialogue about mental health and suicide, reduce stigma, and promote help-seeking. Informed by a community consultation project, it has been used in both schools and workplaces. He has led service navigation workshops, built a Youth Suicide Prevention Workers Network, and regularly delivers training on how to ask about suicide and structure risk and safety plans. Jesse works closely with Everymind and local media to support safe communication around suicide, particularly in the lead-up to World Suicide Prevention Day. Jesse’s approach is grounded in trauma-informed care and meaningful co-design. He works alongside multidisciplinary teams, service providers, and the broader community to create lasting change for the community, with the community.