QPR New Zealand
QPR New Zealand is a wholly owned subsidiary of Clinical Advisory Services Aotearoa Limited, better known by its acronym, CASA. Much of our work in CASA is providing mental health services to government, non-government agencies and to the community in the areas of suicide prevention and postvention. One of the key service delivery areas is the training and equipping of people to deal with the issue of suicide at a level appropriate to their situation, e.g., family member, counsellor, psychologist, GP, etc. While CASA developed and delivered this type of training to organisations it was on an ad-hoc basis. What we wanted was an integrated, evidenced-based, multi-tiered system that delivered suicide prevention training at the level appropriate to the person taking the course, that was readily and easily accessible and that was relevant to us in New Zealand.
Enter Dr Paul Quinnett and the QPR Institute. Through networking with New Zealand and overseas researchers in the field of suicide prevention we began to hear about a training system called Question, Persuade and Refer or QPR. QPR is an evidence-based suicide prevention training model. Evaluation results show positive changes in participant's knowledge following training about suicide and their attitudes (self-efficacy) about intervening with suicidal individuals. For those talking with individuals in emotional distress, QPR training results in an increase in their rate of asking clients about suicide.
The rest is now history. QPR Institute granted CASA an exclusive licence to deliver QPR in New Zealand. We re-shot the video and tailored the programme to reflect our New Zealand situation, statistics and audiences. And then CASA launched the programme via the vehicle of QPR New Zealand.
Clinical Advisory Services Aotearoa
CASA is a nationwide New Zealand mental health consultancy company. With over 25 staff we have one of New Zealand's largest private sector teams of psychologists and a growing number of other health professionals. With our diverse backgrounds we bring a wide range of experience and expertise to our practice in mental health including clinical and research skills.
As a company we are:
- committed to best practice - innovative, pragmatic, responsive to need and research, evidence-based, professional and ethical; and
- committed to the well-being of the organisations and communities we work with.
Our culture is one of openness, strong supportive relationships, team involvement in decision making and collegiality.
CASA is a privately owned organisation. The company is governed by a board of five directors, two of whom are independent. These directors bring a wide range of skills, expertise and experience within and without the mental health sector including clinical, research, cultural, social services, information technology and business management.
The board is committed to high standards of corporate governance, leadership, risk management and internal control frameworks consistent with CASA's status as a privately owned company and the stakeholders it represents. In support of this practice CASA has appointed independent external auditors Hudson Kasper, chartered accountants, as the auditors of record.
Our clients and stakeholders are government departments, Crown entities, non-governmental organisations and community agencies.
To find out more about the team at Clinical Advisory Services Aotearoa, click here.
Consulting Services
With a team located throughout the country and the use of communications and information technology CASA delivers nationwide consultation services with strong local connections. Our skills and expertise cover a range of areas in the field of mental health. We endeavour to use our professional skills to develop and deliver services that support and advance the capabilities of individuals and organisations.
As a company and as individuals we are committed to practice that is:
- innovative;
- pragmatic;
- evidence based;
- responsive to need and research; and that is
- professional and ethical.
Workforce Development
CASA offers workforce development and skills training in:
- screening, assessment, monitoring and case management;
- general mental health;
- suicide prevention; and
- suicide postvention.
Training services are targeted to an organisation's specific needs and to the skill levels of it's staff. To maximise the ongoing benefit of the training and to minimise risk to the organisation or community, training programmes can include:
- selection of staff appropriate to the training;
- competency based assessment of staff ability to work effectively; and
- both initial and ongoing refresher training.
In consultation with organisations and community groups CASA will assess current clinical service and assist in identifying needs and gaps in service provision. In collaboration and consultation with stakeholders CASA will then formulate strategies and plans to address identified needs and gaps and, if required, develop and deliver appropriate clinical services.
Service Development
Service development and delivery offered by CASA includes:
- clinical oversight, supervision and monitoring;
- assessment, management and monitoring of suicide risk;
- suicide prevention and postvention response planning;
- community support and education;
- management of suicide contagion and the provision of emergency intervention; and
- mental health services resource identification, liaison and co-ordination.
Evaluation and Research
CASA undertakes practice based/applied research and evaluation of mental health services. We have experienced researchers to doctorate level with expertise in both qualitative and quantitative methodologies.
Community Postvention Response Service
Community Responses to Suicide
When a suicide occurs it can have a distressing impact upon those directly bereaved and upon others in the wider community (neighbours, colleagues, schoolmates). Those affected try to understand what has happened and concerns can quickly build in the community. On occasion others in the community may also attempt or complete suicide (referred to as "suicide contagion"). This can occur when the original suicide influences others through imitation, glorification of the person who died, sensationalisation of their death, and the presence of a highly charged emotional environment. Interagency co-operation and co-ordination becomes essential in this context. Because suicide contagion is relatively rare, communities may not always have people in their midst who have experience in managing such events. In other cases concerns are held for people who are not engaged with any particular provider (e.g., are not at school and are not under mental health services), and it is unclear who will take the lead to ensure they receive assistance.
What does a "Community Postvention Response Service" do?
The Community Postvention Response Service is there to help communities in any way that is needed. Common requests include:
- Analysing available information to ascertain if a cluster of suicides or suicide attempts has occurred, or might be occurring.
- Facilitating co-ordination meetings between all the different sectors involved (e.g., community groups, Child Youth & Family, Mental Health services, Group Special Education, Victim Support) so that the sectors can plan together and have a co-ordinated approach.
- Providing training in suicide screening, or refresher training for professionals in suicide risk assessment as soon as it is requested.
- Assisting the community with strategies for working with media to ensure safe and helpful media reporting.
- Working alongside agencies to help them identify which people in the community may be at risk for suicide attempts, and planning how to mitigate the risks.
- Providing resources on topics such as bereavement by suicide, suicide contagion, and how to form effective postvention working groups.
- Providing advice on any specific issues that arise (e.g., memorial services, internet memorial sites, overcoming barriers to accessing necessary services).
- Facilitating a 'debriefing' meeting for service providers at the completion of the community response.
- Providing advice on how to address the long terms implications for a community (e.g., planning responses to anniversaries of the deaths, looking at how to address any gaps in service provision identified).
The team can either work with an individual agency that requests support, or alternatively provide assistance for all sectors across a community. The service is free of charge and is funded by The Ministry of Health.
Who staffs the Community Postvention Response Service?
The Community Postvention Response Service is run by CASA. All endeavours are be made to have a local CASA member lead the community response. CASA also has cultural advisors who link into local iwi services to ensure service is provided in a culturally appropriate manner.
How do we contact the team and how do we know it's time to contact them?
Sometimes it can be very difficult for communities to know whether suicide contagion is occurring, or whether the community should be concerned about the potential for this to occur. The Community Postvention Response Service is aware of this and hence we offer a service whereby anyone can make contact and simply discuss what is happening in their community and what they are concerned about. We will collect information and work with the caller to decide what steps, if any, may be needed. Service can be offered by telephone or through face to face meetings in the community and we will act to ensure we offer a timely response to any requests made. You can contact the service on free phone 0800-448 908 or via email.
Specialist Counselling Service
The loss of someone close to you from any cause can bring about intense grief and mourning. The emotions experienced by the bereaved following a suicide, while normal and expected, can be particularly painful. Family/whanau and friends may provide all the support you need. However, after the death of a loved one by suicide you may find the need for additional support that is different from what your family can offer. Counselling can provide support for both you and your relatives and friends who are experiencing their own grief.
When a family/whanau member or friend attempts suicide it can be a confusing and frightening time for everyone involved. Families often struggle to understand what happened. There may be feelings of anxiety and the fear of a repeat attempt. In addition to your concerns for your loved one, it is vital that you recognize and attend to your own needs. For many the stress and trauma of grief means that additional help is needed. Counselling can provide important information, guidance and support as you care for your loved one and yourself.
CASA maintains a network of health professionals who have experience providing support to family/whanau and significant others who are bereaved by suicide or affected by a suicide attempt.
What is Counselling?
Counselling provides an opportunity to talk, in confidence, to someone experienced in listening to people who have been bereaved by suicide or affected by a loved one's suicide attempt. Counselling can offer brief, practical support and guidance to help you handle the emotions and life changes associated with a suicide or suicide attempt by a friend or loved one. Counselling can provide help and support to:
- talk about the suicide or suicide attempt;
- have a safe place to express your feelings;
- obtain factual information about suicide and its effects ;
- understand and deal with other people's reactions to a suicide attempt;
- get advice on practical/social concerns;
- feel better about yourself.
The Service
CASA's Specialist Counselling Service is funded by the Ministry of Health and is free and confidential. This service offers the following support:
- Up to six sessions of free counselling;
- Counselling provided in your home if you prefer;
- Information on what to do after a suicide attempt;
- Counselling for anyone affected by a suicide attempt - family/whanau including children, friends and associates;
- Maori Cultural Service available including support by Kaumatua and Kai Atawhai.
This free confidential service is available in the following DHB regions:
- Waitemata
- Auckland
- Counties Manukau
- Tairawhiti
- Hawke's Bay
- Nelson Marlborough
- Canterbury
How to Contact
You can contact the service on free phone 0800-448 353 or via email.
Toward Well-Being
CASA provides the Toward Well-Being Suicide Consultation and Monitoring Programme ("TWB") for the Ministry of Social Development's Child Youth and Family Service. The programme is an evidence-based risk assessment, consultation and monitoring process established to support CYF staff in assessing and responding to suicide risk among young people in contact with CYF.
Key components of the service delivery include:
- maintaining a monitoring and case audit system for young people identified to be at risk of suicide;
- providing specialist advice and monitoring to support CYF social workers and their supervisors to enhance service provision and decrease risk;
- providing advice about targeting of welfare and mental health services to those at risk of suicidal behaviour; and
- providing CYF with up-to-date information and statistics.
CYF social workers and staff can contact the service through their allocated CASA Clinical Advisor.