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DRAFTED EXAMPLE for Audrey to approve or edit: "Most distress never walks into a clinic. It shows up at the front counter, in a case note, in a phone call about something else. That is where training needs to start." Audrey Bevan, CEO, CALM Suicide Programs |
Distress Brief Support (DBS) is a non-clinical model being trialled across Australia to help people experiencing emotional distress before it becomes a crisis. Staff at community organisations are trained to recognise distress and offer a compassionate response, then connect the person to short-term practical support. It relies on everyday frontline workers having confident, compassionate response skills.
Distress Brief Support is based on the Distress Brief Intervention model designed and piloted in Scotland. In Australia, it is being trialled in New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland and South Australia, jointly funded by the Australian Government and state governments.
The model has two parts:
Many people in distress do not see themselves as having a "mental health problem", and would never approach a mental health service. The Scottish program deliberately did not present itself as mental health or suicide prevention support, which made it more accessible for people who do not describe their needs in those terms.
Distress is often driven by life circumstances: relationship breakdown, job loss, money worries, housing stress, grief. Responding early, in the places people already go, can stop that distress escalating.
A compassionate response is simple to describe and harder to do well under pressure. In practice, it means:
DBS is designed for people who are not in immediate crisis and do not need emergency care. But distress and suicidal thoughts overlap. The South Australian pilot, for example, states that people experiencing suicidal thoughts are not excluded.
That means staff at community engagement points need more than a warm manner. They need the confidence to ask directly about suicide, the judgement to recognise when someone needs urgent help, and clear knowledge of their organisation's escalation pathway.
CALM's accredited programs are built for exactly this workforce: people in community, health and government settings who are not mental health professionals but are often the first to notice distress. CALM builds the suicide intervention layer, while Accidental Counsellor, Psychological First Aid and Motivational Interviewing build the broader compassionate response and engagement skills. Organisations taking part in DBS trials, or preparing for similar models, can combine these to suit each role.
Distress Brief Support is a non-clinical model being trialled in Australia. Community staff are trained to recognise distress and offer a compassionate response, then refer people to around two to three weeks of short-term practical support.
Trials are running in New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland and South Australia under the National Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Agreement.
No. It is designed for people who are not in immediate crisis and do not need emergency care. Anyone in immediate danger should call 000.
Distress and suicidal thoughts often overlap, so staff benefit from being able to ask directly about suicide, recognise when urgent help is needed, and follow their organisation's escalation pathway.
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