ATSISPEP – Gerry Georg At Social Justice

“On the morning of April 16, after a 21 day vigil I left my father’s death bed for several hours to meet with the Federal Minister for Indigenous Affairs, Nigel Scullion at the Commonwealth Offices in Sydney. Our meeting was about the suicides crises sweeping through many First Nations communities nationwide, and the ways forward. My father had urged me to have the meeting sooner rather than later despite the risk that I would not be by his side during his last breaths.”

“The meeting secured what would become the ATSISPEP and begin the journey to the NICRS, which have saved lives.”

“My father passed away 48 hours later on Easter Friday…”

ATSISPEP – Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Suicide Prevention Evaluation Project

Gerry Georgatos was vital in launching the two and half years long ATSISPEP. Years of researching and reporting on the suicides crises – of migrants, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders, of young people, of elevated risk groups – and in relentlessly campaigning for more to be done led for instance to the ATSISPEP. The ATSISPEP was informally agreed on by the Commonwealth Government on April 16 2014 and subsequently formally in July 2014. On November 10 2016 the ATSISPEP reports, evaluations and tools were formally handed to the Australian Government. The ATSISPEP was commissioned by the Federal Minister for Indigenous Affairs, Senator Nigel Scullion and funded by Prime Minister and Cabinet.

Suicide trauma affected families travelled to Canberra to meet on November 10 with the Prime Minister, Malcolm Turnbull and Ministers Nigel Scullion, Sussan Ley and Ken Wyatt during a private meeting prior the formal handover of the ATSISPEP reports at a formal event at Federal Parliament. Norma Heaton Ashwinand three of her children, Sharnice, Ronan and Caeden from Leonora, Western Australia, and Lena Andrewsfrom Fitzroy Crossings, Kimberley, Western Australia, met with the Prime Minister.

Suicide is a leading cause of death and should be one of the pressing issues of our times, a priority.

The main report of the ATSISPEP: What the evidence and our people tell us – ATSISPEP report

The ATSISPEP also piloted a Critical Response Project in Western Australia during 2016 with the prospect that the Federal Government will establish the Critical Response nationally from 2017.