Lifeline WA, in partnership with CSBP Fertilisers, is calling for regional communities to share their lived experience of mental health issues or suicide online to help reduce the stigma in the community.

Targeted at regional WA, the “Regional Stories of Hope and Recovery” initiative hopes to empower those communities to speak up about mental health issues and suicide.

The initiative calls for people with lived experience of mental health issues or suicide who want to be involved in suicide prevention to submit their story.

Lifeline WA Chief Executive Officer Lorna MacGregor said personal stories played an important role in changing the narrative around mental health.

“Powerful stories can shape how people feel about suicide, mental health and the recovery journey,” she said.

“Through sharing your experience, you can help raise awareness, start conversations and reduce the stigma around mental health and suicide across the state.

“We are pleased to be working with an organisation like CSBP Fertilisers with a deep, genuine connection to regional WA.”

CSBP Fertilisers General Manager Tanya Rybarczyk highlighted that suicide rates in rural and remote areas of Australia were significantly higher than the national average.

“We feel that there is a lot more we can do to help raise awareness around mental health issues and suicide prevention and that it is okay to talk about it and to seek help,” she said.

People with lived experience of mental health issues or suicide can fill out a form and upload their story to the Lifeline WA website.

CSBP Fertilisers and Lifeline WA will work together to review the submissions to identify stories to appear on the websites of both organisations, and potentially be published in print, online or other media.

Applicants who are selected will be contacted for final consent before publication.

You can submit a story at https://www.lifelinewa.org.au/About-Us/Your-Stories.

Lifeline’s 24/7 telephone crisis support service is available on 13 11 14.