Transition of SPconnect to The Way Back Support Service

10 November 2020

*A Beyond Blue initiative providing non-clinical care and practical support to individuals following a suicide attempt or suicidal crisis.

Since 2017, CESPHN has commissioned Neami National to deliver the suicide aftercare service, SPconnect, to support people referred from St Vincent’s, Royal Prince Alfred and Prince of Wales Hospitals, who have experienced a suicide attempt or suicidal crisis. From October 2020, SPconnect will become The Way Back Support Service (The Way Back).

The reason for this is that CESPHN, with the support of Beyond Blue, will now commission The Way Back model to cover the whole of the CESPHN region by expanding to include referrals from St George and Sutherland Hospitals in our southern sector and Concord and Canterbury Hospitals in our northern sector. 

The Way Back is a collaboration between the Australian Government Department of Health, the NSW Ministry of Health’s Towards Zero Suicides initiatives, and Beyond Blue.

Local enhancements to the model in CESPHN include augmented funding to the Local Health Districts and Specialty Network to provide a Way Back Project Officer at each of the participating hospitals, to facilitate the referral process and build awareness of the program across hospital and community mental health staff.  

While referrals from St Vincent’s, Royal Prince Alfred and Prince of Wales hospitals continue to be supported, CESPHN is working with Neami National, Sydney and South Eastern Sydney Local Health Districts to expand the service to the other 4 hospitals.

More information will be provided as these hospitals come on board and The Way Back goes ’live’ across the region.

For more information about The Way Back Support Service, visit the Beyond Blue website.