We are seeking suitable providers to deliver a suicide aftercare service in the Nepean Blue Mountains region which includes the Blue Mountains, Hawkesbury, Penrith and Lithgow Local Government Areas (LGAs). The service will initially respond to the needs of the Penrith LGAs with a view of expansion into the other LGAs in the future.

The service is co-funded by the Commonwealth and state governments under the Bilateral Schedule on Mental Health and Suicide Prevention: New South Wales.

The aftercare service provided to people in the weeks after an attempt to end their life by suicide or following suicidal crisis will aim to reduce the risk of further suicidal behaviour and align with The Way Back NSW Service Delivery model of care offering trauma-informed, non-clinical psychosocial support via proactive outreach through support coordinators who have a lived experience of a suicide.

The Way Back NSW support coordinators link clients to existing clinical and community-based services and supportive networks (carers and peers), to ensure they are safe, there is an increase in their social connectedness, and they are accessing the community-based support that is available to meet their individual needs. A strong collaborative relationship between The Way Back NSW provider and the Nepean Blue Mountains Local Health District is also essential to enable support to people who present at emergency departments and are referred to the service.

The service will need to be operational no later than March 2024 with an approximate prior establishment phase of 10 to 12 weeks.