Thread by @TracyWesterman

2yrs ago, I wrote this Opinion Piece. Indigenous suicides are escalating; all of the funding is quarantined by a handful of 'experts' who have failed to advance the science of suicide prevention in a way that is objective or measurable 1/14
indigenousx.com.au/aboriginal-sui…

We have enormous amounts of funding injected into this area; yet our Indigenous youth are dying by suicide at EIGHT times the rate of non-Indigenous children and it is only right that we ask why this level of funding has had little to no impact. 2/14

As a country facing this growing tragedy, we still have no nationally accepted evidence-based programs across the spectrum of early intervention and prevention activities. This needs to be our first priority. 3/14

Currently, and staggeringly, funding does not require that programs demonstrate a measurable reduction in suicide and mental health risk factors in the communities in which they are delivered. This needs to be our second priority. 4/14

What this means is we are not accumulating data driven evidence of ‘what works’. If we don’t OUTCOME evaluate programs & accumulate evidence we have no hope of informing future practice to halt the intergenerational transmission of suicide risk.This has to be our 3rd priority5/14

We have a virtual absence of mental health prevalence data. Until we have a widely accepted test for the screening of early stages of mental health & suicide risk early intervention will remain elusive; evidence based programs or treatments of best practice determined 6/14

There are actually two tragedies here; the continued loss of the beautiful young lives through suicide, and secondly, that all efforts to fund an adequate response capable of applying the science of what prevents suicide have failed. 7/14

When suicide becomes entrenched, approaches need to be long term and sustainable. Report after report has pointed to the need for ‘evidence-based approaches’ but has consistently ignored a data driven approach that measures OUTCOME including my TWO DECADES of work 8/14

When you have spent your life’s work working in Indigenous suicide prevention & SELF FUNDING evidence based, data driven research, as I have, the dismissal of this contribution from your peers is not about ego, its about ensuring our communities have access to 'what works' 9/14

Funding decisions that are unsupported by clinical and cultural expertise in suicide prevention must be challenged and redirected in the best way possible. Toward the evidence. 10/14

Instead we have inquiries, consultations, needs analyses, conferences, round tables, FRAMEWORKS that do not measure OUTCOME, and continued calls from those who receive all of the funding that they need “more funding” 11/14

It is time to start demanding evidence of what works when we look at funded programs. Until we can get these answers, rates will continue to escalate. 12/14

Wasted opportunities for prevention are like an endless cycle in which money is thrown at band aid, crisis driven, reactive and ill-informed responses that disappear as fast as the latest headlines.13/14

Will the decision makers join me in finding evidence-based ways to address this or continue to throw money at approaches and programs that are simply not working? Aboriginal people deserve better, our future generations deserve better 14/14