SafeSide Interview on Suicide Prevention in CALD Communities | Michael Elwan

I was recently invited to participate in an on-camera SafeSide interview with the team at SafeSide Prevention Australia, as part of their commitment to strengthening culturally responsive suicide prevention approaches across Western Australia.

This opportunity was more than just an interview; it was a meaningful dialogue about what safety, support, and connection truly mean for people from Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CaLD) backgrounds who may be experiencing suicidal distress.

As someone who carries the lived experience of deep grief, caregiving, migration, and the painful reality of suicide loss, I often reflect on how mainstream models of suicide prevention can inadvertently miss the mark for CALD communities. Too often, systems designed to help are framed through a monocultural lens, overlooking the profound role that language, cultural identity, intergenerational dynamics, and belonging play in shaping how distress is experienced - and how help is receive

In my SafeSide interview, I emphasised that at the heart of effective suicide prevention for CALD communities is genuine human connection. Not tokenistic engagement. Not transactional checklists. But a commitment to deeply listening, being curious, and building trust across cultural differences. When someone feels seen - not as a problem to be solved, but as a person with history, family, culture, and dignity; the possibility for safety and hope becomes real.

I am genuinely heartened to see SafeSide Prevention reflect on these complexities and embed the voices of lived experience (particularly from diverse communities) into the fabric of their training programs. This work matters. It’s an important step toward ensuring that suicide prevention in CALD communities is not one-size-fits-all but responsive, relational, and relevant to the people it seeks to serve.

The SafeSide program is now being rolled out across Western Australia, with funding support from the Mental Health Commission of WA. It’s encouraging to know that organisations across the state will benefit from a model that better reflects the diverse realities of the communities we live and work in.

I’m proud to contribute to this dialogue, alongside others with lived experience, passionate practitioners, and organisations committed to transformation.

LEXs is Michael Elwan's Perth-based practice, working online across Australia. Services include training and workshops, lived experience consultancy, Social Work Supervision, Lived Experience Leadership Supervision, Frontline Supervision, therapy and keynote speaking. Training and workshops can be commissioned for organisational leaders, practitioners and frontline teams, and carers, families and communities. Explore LEXs services.