About the Program

BEING – Mental Health Consumers has been funded by the NSW Government as part of the Towards Zero Suicides initiative to pilot the Suicide Support and Awareness Program (SSAP).

As a part of this program, we are offering peer-led and co-designed support groups specifically tailored for people who identify as living with mental health issues and suicidal crisis such as attempts or thoughts.

The Suicide Peer Support Groups are closed and confidential, meeting once a week for three-months. Each group provides a culturally safe and trauma informed space where conversations on suicidality can be explored and supported by peers, people who have their own experiences with mental health issues and suicidal crisis and have been through similar issues.

Participants explore different themes each week, guided by a custom workbook created via a process of co-design with group facilitators. Themes include self-care and authenticity, values, ‘big feels’, challenges and finding hope, mindfulness, stigma, self-talk, connection and community, gratitude and reflection.

The groups commenced in early February and are now meeting in a number of locations around Sydney. BEING – Mental Health Consumers is pleased to announce that the groups will also expand to new locations around NSW, including Queanbeyan, Newcastle, Blacktown, Inner West, Bondi Junction (for young people), Wollongong, Wagga and Bega/South Coast.

If you are interested in joining the groups, see the Information for Support Group Participants section below.

If you have experience of facilitating groups and are passionate about supporting others, please check out the Information for Peer Facilitators section below. Peer Group Facilitators are needed to lead new groups being established in new areas.

Information for Support Group Participants:

Have you experienced suicidal thoughts? Support is available.

BEING – Mental Health Consumers has established a number of peer-led support groups and we are seeking group participants.

We are looking for people who live with mental health issues and have experience of living with suicidal thoughts and/or attempts and who would benefit from additional, non-clinical, peer support.

The peer support groups will be facilitated by people with their own experiences of mental health issues and suicidal crisis, who have undergone specialist training in this area.

Each group will be a closed group, meaning participants will meet with the same group of people each week for the duration of the three-month program. The group will provide for a culturally safe and trauma informed space where conversations on suicidality can be explored and supported by peers – people who have their own experiences with mental health issues and suicidal crisis and have been through similar issues.

Participants explore different themes each week, guided by a custom workbook created via a process of co-design with group facilitators. Themes include self-care and authenticity, values, ‘big feels’, challenges and finding hope, mindfulness, stigma, self-talk, connection and community, gratitude and reflection.

These groups are part of a pilot Suicide Support and Awareness Program, operated by BEING – Mental Health Consumers and funded by the NSW Government as part of the Towards Zero Suicides initiative.

The groups will commence from early February and will be held for two hours each week during the three-month program.

Groups will be held in the following areas. Click the links below for further details or email info@being.org.au

To learn more and to register your interest, please enter your details in the form below or email info@being.org.au. All information you provide is strictly confidential.

Information for Peer Facilitators

As a consumer organisation, BEING – Mental Health Consumers is looking for people who have their own personal experience of living with suicidal thoughts and/or attempts and who identify as living with mental health issues to become Peer Facilitators for this new and exciting program. As a Peer Facilitator, you will use your own experiences to inspire hope and recovery for others, while guiding group discussions around suicidal experiences and other forms of emotional distress.

Participants in the Suicide Awareness & Prevention Peer Support Groups explore different themes each week, guided by a custom workbook created via a process of co-design with group facilitators. Themes include self-care and authenticity, values, ‘big feels’, challenges and finding hope, mindfulness, stigma, self-talk, connection and community, gratitude and reflection.

Groups are opening in new locations around Sydney and NSW and facilitators are needed. For more information on the Peer Facilitator role and to apply, download the Expression of Interest form or email info@being.org.au.