NSW Police Force Mental Health Intervention Team recognised for
excellence in suicide prevention
Workplace
Tuesday 28th July 2015
Hobart, Australia: The NSW Police Force Mental Health Intervention Team was tonight
recognised with a LiFE Award for excellence in suicide prevention at the 2015 National Suicide
Prevention Conference.
“I am inspired by the changes that have taken place and I am inspired by the efforts of
Inspector Murchie to instigate those changes.”
Allan Sparkes CV VA, Ambassador
Soldier On and Beyondblue
NSW Police Force Mental Health Intervention Team has been led by Commander Joel Murchie
since July 2009 and are the subject matter expert for the organisation with regards to mental
health and suicide prevention. The team has spearheaded development of policy, strategy,
operational co-ordination and training of frontline officers in the response to mental health
crisis events within New South Wales and for suicide prevention issues.
“Joel is very dedicated to his goals, one of which is for improvement in the NSW Police Force’s
handling of people with mental health issues and thus prevention of suicide.”
Caroline McGrory, Telephone Crisis Supporter
Lifeline Harbour to Hawkesbury
Some key successes of the NSW Police Force Mental Health Intervention Team include:
 Training over 1500 frontline officers in an intesive four day mental health training
program to become Mental Health Intervention Team specialists and prioritised first
responders to mental health incidents within their local area.
 Adoption of the program by other states and internationally.
 Development of a one day mental health training workshop which will be delivered to
all NSW police officers by the end of 2015.
 A Biennial Mental Health Contact Officers Conference which was focused around
suicide prevention, intervention and post-vention in 2015.
 Training delivered to organisations such as Lifeline.
“Joel was a survivor of the tragic 2002 Bali Bombings and has used this experience as
inspiration and motivation for his work within the Police Force in developing the Mental
Health Intervention Team into what it is today.”
Rebecca Tupper, Nominator
Point Claire, NSW
The annual LiFE Awards recognise excellence in suicide prevention across six different
categories including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander, Workplace, Media, Community
Engagement, Community Development and Research. This year a LiFEtime Achievement
Award is also being awarded for a significant contribution to suicide prevention.
They were presented as part of the 2015 National Suicide Prevention Conference in Hobart.
Australia’s leading suicide prevention sector event provides a platform for more than 350
delegates to share in the latest research, policy and practice with a focus on delivering better
outcomes for vulnerable communities.
2015 LiFE Award Recipients:
 Workplace: NSW Police Force Mental Health Intervention Team
 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander: Julie Turner
 Community Development (Organisation): Living Proud WA
 Community Development (Individual): Lee-Ann Foord
 Community Engagement: Brian McErlean
 Media: ABC Mental As
 Research: NHMRC Centre of Research Excellence in Suicide Prevention (CRESP)
 LiFEtime Achievement Award: Professor Diego de Leo
ENDS
Media Contact: Kim Borrowdale, Suicide Prevention Australia
0409 149099 / 02 9262 1130 / kimb@suicidepreventionaust.org
About Suicide Prevention Australia (SPA): SPA provides national leadership for the suicide
prevention sector in Australia. SPA works collaboratively to develop a community that knows
how to ask for help and how to give help. As the lead agency of the National Coalition for
Suicide Prevention, we build and facilitate partnerships to reduce the stigma around mental
illness and suicide, and to assist the healing for people with lived experience of suicide
attempts and suicide. www.suicidepreventionaust.org
About the Annual Suicide Prevention Conference: The Annual National Suicide Prevention
Conference is the premier, multidisciplinary, educational event in the suicide prevention
sector. The Conference provides a platform for the exchange of ideas to help achieve our
agenda of halving suicides in Australia over the next ten years. This year the focus will be on
the intersection of suicide prevention research, policy, practice and lived experience.
www.suicidepreventionaust.org/conferences
Talking about suicide in the media: A reminder of the Mindframe Media guidelines http://www.mindframe-media.info/ - and http://www.conversationsmatter.com.au for tips
on how to talk safely and constructively about suicide.
Crisis support information
 Lifeline 13 11 14 www.lifeline.org.au/gethelp
 Suicide Call Back Service 1300 659 467 www.suicidecallbackservice.org.au
 Kids Helpline 1800 55 1800 www.kidshelp.com.au
 MensLine 1300 78 99 78 www.mensline.org.au