HealthWISE gets suicide prevention funding to help people and families in the New England

While a dollar figure is yet to be announced, it is set to have a major impact on the organisation's reach and abilities at a local level.

Mental health services manager Anne Galloway said the new funds will allow them to continue their work assisting not only those experiencing issues, but also those around them.

"This substantial investment allows us to continue to provide the service across the New England - north west," she said.

"And that reaches into small communities through community education as well as direct service delivery.

"So we have quite a broad reach in this program, and it also is a program that has been able to be adapted to what local communities feel they need."

Ms Galloway described it as a "huge problem" in regional and rural NSW and said it was right of NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian to list suicide prevention has one of her priorities.

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She said over the past 12 months around 900 hours of outreach has gone into helping more than 100 people who have either made or been affected by a suicide attempt.

"Our program provides support to individuals who have had a suicide attempt and can be supported in the community," she said.

"And also provide support for family and community members who have been impacted."

The fact HealthWISE is based throughout the region and staff live in the community makes them perfectly place to help understand and overcome the problems people are facing, Ms Galloway said.

Sadly though, she stated the need for suicide prevention services was growing every day, so the additional funding has been much welcomed.

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