On Thursday, February 13th the Crowne Hotel in Blanchardstown was the backdrop for a celebration to mark the publication of the Best Practice Guidance for Suicide Prevention Services: Working together for high-quality services and the involvement of all those who contributed to the project.
Co-produced by the HSE National Office for Suicide Prevention (NOSP), and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) working in the area of suicide prevention, the guidance is underpinned by the best available evidence. It aims to support organisations to deliver high-quality, evidence-based suicide prevention services and is an important step in assuring quality in the provision of suicide prevention services.
The development of this best practice guidance is set out under goal 5 (Action 5.1.1) of Connecting for Life: Ireland’s National Strategy to Reduce Suicide 2015-2020.
MCd by John Meehan, HSE Assistant National Director and Head of National Office for Suicide Prevention, the event saw contributions from Dr Jane Pillinger, Independent Researcher and Policy Advisor, Moninne Griffith, CEO, BeLonGTo, Paula Lawlor, Programmes Manager, Suicide or Survive, Catherine Brogan, Development and Training Manager, Mental Health Ireland and Brid Casey, National Programme Manager, NGO Sector with responsibility for the Best Practice Guidance Project.
Topics covered by these contributors included; the importance of co-production, a learning approach to quality improvement and the strengths and challenges of implementation.
Claire Hickey and Anne-Marie O'Riordan, representing the Centre for Effective Studies (CES), spoke about the Evaluation of Best Practice Guidance Implementation and NGO strategic alignment with Connecting for Life (CfL) while Ger McHugh, a coach, trainer and facilitator, showcased her introductory workshop on self-care.
