Customers talking about suicide or self-harm 003-06010040

When a customer talks about suicide or harming themselves:

• remain calm
• listen carefully and do not dismiss any information they share
• allow the customer time to express themselves
• say 'I would like to connect you to a social worker'
• identify any child safety concerns and respond appropriately

Refer the customer to a social worker who is trained to help people in these situations. All referrals to the Social Work Line must be warm transfers.

Service Officers may need to document a security incident using:

• the Customer Incident Management System (CIMS) on Customer First for Centrelink, or
• the Customer Incident Recording Tool (CIRT) for Medicare and Child Support

See the Resources page for:

• recording incidents in CIMS and CIRT and reporting security incidents to the Security Branch
• how to identify potential suicide risk through verbal and non-verbal clues
• releasing information for suicide or self-harm
• Delegations Register
• contact details for Language Services, Switchboard and national support services
• Services Australia Workspace Quick Reference Guide
• how to find a social worker
• international customers

Centrelink

Some staff, including Service Managers, Team Leaders, Service Support Managers, Assessors (APS6) and Social Workers (APS5 and above), have delegation to release information to prevent or lessen a threat to life, health and welfare of a person to a relevant authority.

Medicare and Child Support

Some staff, including Service Managers and Team Leaders, have delegation to release information to prevent or lessen a serious or imminent threat to life or health of an individual to a relevant authority.

Team Leaders or Managers can request a welfare check from police services by contacting Triple Zero (000). Record any release of information in the public interest in the Release of Information form.

See the Resources page for links to release of information for suicide or self-harm, and the Release of Information form.

Staff are to follow the steps outlined on the Process page for the relevant referral channel. This includes notifying a Team Leader and referring to a social worker.

If a customer contacts from overseas, a Team Leader or Manager is to refer them straight away as a warm transfer to the Australian embassy in that country if:

• the customer or others are in immediate danger or at risk of harm, and
• a social worker is not available or
• the customer ends the call and a social worker is unable to re-contact them

See the Resources page for a link to Our embassies and consulates overseas.