Associate Professor Nicola Reavley

Associate Professor Nicola Reavley

Associate Professor Nicola Reavley of the University of Melbourne was awarded $98,222 for the Innovation Research Grant project titled:

Evaluation of Australia’s first residential peer-support Suicide Prevention and Recovery Centre (SPARC).

Independent Community Living Australia (ICLA) and Roses in the Ocean have obtained funding to pilot a residential peer-support Suicide Prevention and Recovery Centre (SPARC) in close proximity to Prince of Wales Hospital, Sydney. This service will open in November 2019 and offers:

• 24/7 operation, capacity for up to 7-night stay for a minimum of four and a maximum of eight guests;
• A dedicated staff comprising Peer CARE Companions and Mental Health Community Support Workers, with clinical oversight;
• Befriending, support and psychosocial recovery plans and problem solving;
• Group-based therapeutic, creative and trauma-healing focused activities;
• Short-term intensive care residential stay (minimum two nights, up to seven days) for those with more acute need;
• Transition support and referrals for people returning home.

The research aims to:

• Evaluate the impact of SPARC on a range of psychosocial, suicide-related and service use outcomes in residents and their families through qualitative and quantitative measures.

In a statement, Associate Professor Reavley explains:

“I am delighted to have been awarded this funding! It enables us to evaluate the impact of NSW’s first non-clinical Suicide Prevention and Recovery Centre. Building the evidence base for programs like this is critical to better supporting people at risk of suicide and I look forward to working with the team at Independent Community Living Australia on the project.”

For more information on the funding opportunities available through the Suicide Prevention Research Fund please visit this page.

 Save as PDF