With an average of more than two people a day taking their own lives in 2022, Lifeline has launched a new online service designed to help people who aren’t ready to talk about their situation or those who prefer to manage things themselves.

The new Support Toolkit available online at www.lifeline.org.au/toolkit is full of practical information written in plain language, plus curated tools, apps, techniques and services to help individuals take their next step in their wellbeing journey.

The Support Toolkit is also designed to help those supporting someone in need by providing tools and resources to help people understand and cater to the needs of someone in distress, while making sure they administer effective self-care at the same time.

Since its soft launch in September 2022, the Support Toolkit has been used more than 70,000 times, with anxiety, depression and substance abuse chosen as priority topics based on user demand.

Lifeline Australia CEO Colin Seery said the Support Toolkit will enable the organisation to support people who wouldn’t otherwise engage with mental health and crisis support.

“Our new Support Toolkit means help seekers at all stages of their journey can come to Lifeline to access help on their own terms,” he said.

“It helps people to make sense of their experience and take active steps to manage their wellbeing.

“We know that a lot of people looking for help might not yet be comfortable involving another person in their situation.

“The Toolkit makes it easy for anyone who feels they are ready to take positive steps forward but doesn’t know where to start.”

Lifeline Australia Executive Director of Service Design and Delivery Dane Glerum said the Toolkit has been designed to support the formation of long-term behaviours and skills that build resilience and prevent crisis.

“We’ve learned help seekers can feel overwhelmed with how much information is out there, and often don’t know where to turn,” said Mr Glerum.

“The site is designed to create an inclusive, accessible and personalised experience which allows people to engage at different points in their journey, find the next steps and have the option of coming back without having to restart the process.”

The development of the Toolkit was funded by health and medical insurance provider NIB.

Visit lifeline.org.au/toolkit to experience the new toolkit.