Queensland-based MATES in Construction Australia last night won a LiFE Award for its community development program of suicide prevention and intervention for construction workers in Queensland, New South Wales, Western Australia and South Australia.

The program is based on the ideas that everyone in the construction industry in Australia has a part to play in improving the mental health of workers and reduce suicide.

“MATES in Construction’s community engagement really demonstrates that suicide is everyone’s business,” Suicide Prevention Australia chief executive officer Sue Murray says.

“In a traditionally macho workplace culture, the ‘mates helping mates’ approach is inclusive, safe and encourages help seeking.

“It enables workers to confidently recognise signs that they or their colleagues may be doing it tough, and that everyone in the industry must play their part.”

Since it was founded in Queensland in 2008, MATES in Construction Australia has provided more than 5000 hours of support to more than 2,500 construction workers across Australia and has been involved in 283 suicide interventions.

More than 47,000 Australian construction workers have had General Awareness Training and 3,615 workers are trained as ‘Connectors’, while nearly 500 workers have volunteered to be suicide first aid workers on construction sites.

MATES in Construction chief executive officer Jorgen Gullestrup says the LiFE award meant a great deal to everyone participating in the program.

“We strongly believe that everybody in the community has a role to play in suicide prevention,” Jorgen says.

“This issue really is relevant to a huge cross-section of people and we’re getting to talk to those people site by site. We don’t make a lot of noise about what we’re doing we just get on with the job of helping people who need us.

“I guess you could say we are the quiet achiever. Our staff are getting the word out in the construction industry but an award like this reminds us that not only are other people noticing what we do: they are seeing that we do it very well,” he says.

Queensland Mental Health Commissioner, Dr Lesley van Schoubroeck supported the nomination and said MATES in Construction’s fit-for-industry approach had seen it achieve significant results.

“As well as pioneering and successfully expanding suicide prevention work within Queensland’s construction industry, MATES in Construction have surmounted all expectations in their successful engagement of an industry not traditionally active in seeking help or support,” Dr van Schoubroeck says.

MATES in Construction is independent and works across the industry regardless of employer and/or union affiliations.

Murray Thomas, Chief executive officer of the MPA Group (comprising the Master Plumbers and Gasfitters Association, Master Painters and
Decorators Australia and MPA Skills) has personally completed the ‘Connector’ training program.

“The fact that the program empowers people to be able to identify and assist their ‘mates’ in need not only ensures that support is given quickly but also helps remove the stigma of mental health issues,” Murray says.

The annual LiFE Awards recognise excellence in suicide prevention across eight different categories including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander, Business, Communication, Community Engagement, Public Sector, Research, Service Delivery and Leadership.

They were presented as part of the 2014 National Suicide Prevention Conference in Perth. Australia’s leading suicide prevention sector event provides a platform for more than 300 delegates to share in the latest research, policy and practice with a focus on delivering better outcomes for vulnerable communities.