WITH most mental health support programs aimed at suicide prevention, Share and Care Community Services suicide bereavement program focuses on those who have been left behind and may be struggling themselves.
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Based in the Wheatbelt, the program was founded in 2016 and is a 24-hour service that supports people who have been affected by suicide in some way.
Suicide bereavement support officer Jean Finnigan said since its inception Share and Care had supported more than 80 individuals who had lost someone to suspected suicide.
"Suicide postvention is a large part of prevention," Ms Finnigan said.
"Research has demonstrated that in the 10-year period of a person losing a loved one to suicide, there is a significant increase in the chances of them having suicide ideation as well.
"In those circumstances, the chances of another family member taking their own life is actually double."
Support is provided by the organisation not only in the form of grief and loss counselling, but many other aspects.
"For example, we can give them financial assistance to attend a funeral or look after the kids while the adults attend a funeral or even come with them when they view the body," Ms Finnigan said.
"We also can refer them on to other agencies if they require further assistance."
Hosting a small stall at the Dowerin GWN7 Machinery Field Days each year, Ms Finnigan said the stigma around mental health seemed to be gradually lifting in the country.
"Country people and farmers can have a tendency to be very proud and think they can deal with things on their own, so when we started going into communities people didn't tend to want to talk about it but we are finding they are becoming a lot more open these days," Ms Finnigan said.
"A high proportion of the suicides have been men that have concerns about money, are the main providers for the family and had stress and uncertainty about the environmental impact on their farming businesses.
"Once our clients start opening up they do a lot of grieving about their own experiences.
"We give out suicide bereavement packages in plain paper bags so that it's not there for everybody to see and in the packs there is a lot of information and tips on how to broach the subject of mental health and suicide."
Share and Care is also part of a Wheatbelt 'postvention' committee which works on policies and processes to help lift the stigma around mental health and not have it as a taboo subject.
A not-for-profit organisation, Share and Care is funded by the Lotteries Commission, Department of Communities and private donations, however Ms Finnigan said the funding of its suicide bereavement program was "a work in progress".
Covering the whole of the Wheatbelt, with clients as far east as Southern Cross and all the way down to Lake Grace to Jurien Bay, help is only a phone call away.
"It's important to make farmers and country people realise that their mental health is as important as their physical health," Ms Finnigan said.
"If somebody has a broken arm or a broken leg people will write supportive messages on their casts, but when it comes to a broken brain people don't know how to deal with it because they can't see it.
"If you're worried about someone it's important to not be frightened to talk to them about it - sometimes you don't need to say much - you just need to listen."
