A Talk at Parliament House, SA

This week, GLASS EMPTY & The Whisperer Team founder Jono Hart, was invited to speak at the Parliamentary Friends of Men's Wellbeing Forum, organised by Family First representative and Member of the Legislative Council of South Australia, Sarah Game and her team.

Jono shared the mic with Thomas Docking from Dads Group (www.dadsgroup.org) who is doing amazing work supporting the mental health and positive parenting of father's across the country.

Jono's talk centred on how we, as members of society, and as part of local communities, can each play a role in assisting those who are struggling with suicide distress with a simple way to check-in and notice when someone's not at their best.

Jono discussed how getting involved with a local group of helpers, a Whisperer Team in their own area, people would no longer need to be spectators to the stats and could play a more active role in suicide prevention in their community.

Jono addressed the 2020 statistic which found that almost 25% of Aussie men who take their own life don't reach for help to anyone.

Jono told the crowd of around 50 politicians and distinguished guests how a simple signal could help lower that stat.

Jono reflected on the fact that the suicide rate rose from 8 to 9 people a day on average in Australia in 2019 and despite many campaigns encouraging people to reach out to a mate who they think may be struggling, as well as campaigns dispelling the myth it's weak to speak up when someone's in distress, the stats have not lowered in those past 8 years.

Jono drew on his experience from the 12-month Aldinga trial of GLASS EMPTY & The Whisperer Team, and asked his audience the question: could a simple suicide prevention signal/coaster and teams of helpers (Whisperers) be introduced to communities across the country? And by doing so could it make a dent on those statistics?

Because by encouraging those who wouldn't normally seek help, to reach out to someone in their community that they trust or are willing to be vulnerable with, using a quiet suicide prevention signal/coaster in the places they go for connection, it could be a way forward to address the statistic that tells us almost 25% of men who suicide choose suicide above seeking any sort of support.

View the video of Jono's talk below.