The Suicide Prevention Act 2021 (SA) and Suicide Prevention Regulations 2022 (SA) commenced on 5 September 2022.
Certain provisions of the Act related to annual reporting commenced on 1 February 2023. The Minister for Health and Wellbeing is responsible for the administration of the Act.
The objects of the Act are:
- to reduce the incidence of suicide in South Australia;
- to promote best practice suicide prevention policies across South Australia;
- to articulate the role of the South Australian Government in implementing suicide prevention strategies;
- to provide for training and education in relation to suicide prevention;
- to provide for the identification of priority population groups and implementing suitable initiatives to prevent suicide within such groups; and
- to provide a framework to ensure that suicide prevention response is a priority across all levels of government and community.
The Suicide Prevention Act 2021 (SA) and Suicide Prevention Regulations 2022 (SA) outline requirements for:
- a Suicide Prevention Council to be established;
- a State Suicide Prevention Plan (including a focus on priority groups) with prescribed State authorities to have individual suicide prevention action plans;
- the Minister to make recommendations relating to suicide prevention;
- the Chief Public Health Officer or Chief Psychiatrist to make recommendations relating to suicide prevention; and
- the Chief Executive to establish and maintain the South Australian Suicide Register, containing information and statistics in relation to deaths by suicide occurring in South Australia (with prescribed information gathering powers, reporting obligations, and regulation of access to the register).
Please visit the South Australian Government Wellbeing SA Suicide Prevention website for progress on the implementation of the State Suicide Prevention Plan.
The SA Health Bereaved by Suicide website outlines support services available to persons affected by suicide.
Suicide Prevention : Last Revised: Wed Sep 7th 2022
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