Tasmanian LiFE Awards – 2026 Nominee
Communities in Action for Suicide Prevention LiFE Award
The Communities in Action for Suicide Prevention LiFE Award acknowledges the crucial role that communities play in identifying and taking action towards suicide prevention. This award recognises any group or community, whether it’s a sports club, community group, or a hobby group, that works together to prevent suicide. This may involve developing a local plan for mental wellbeing and suicide prevention or organising activities that bring the community together to facilitate social connection and provide opportunities to discuss mental health and suicide prevention.
Live4Life Break O’Day
Break O’Day has taken community wellbeing into their own hands, implementing Live4Life, an evidence-based mental health education and youth suicide prevention model designed for rural communities. Led by Fingal Valley Neighbourhood House, a local school and a Community Partnership Group, the program provides mental health first aid training and mental health ambassador opportunities for youth.
The Break O’Day community has long faced the challenges of rural living, including distance from services, and the impact of suicide on a small, close-knit population. Through their involvement in the National Suicide Prevention Trial, a group of residents and service providers recognised a critical gap. While many initiatives supported adults, there was little available for young people, who were increasingly struggling with anxiety and depression.
When the opportunity arose to implement the Live4Life model, they saw the next step.
Live4Life’s purpose is to bring communities together to support young people. What makes Live4Life unique is its peer led approach. Young people help co-design school events, lead campaigns, and inform community priorities, ensuring their perspectives are at the centre of every decision.
Findings to date show encouraging community-level change. Evidence suggests Live4Life has improved mental health literacy, encouraged open conversations, reduced stigma, and increased confidence in both help-seeking and help-offering. It has strengthened relationships between young people and trusted adults, and created opportunities for youth leadership. Through this teamwork, Live4Life Break O’Day is building a generation of young people who are confidently leading a lasting shift in how their community talks about mental health and suicide prevention
Proudly sponsored by Lifeline Tasmania
