The federal government will invest $10 million over three years to roll out an Indigenous suicide prevention plan nationally.
The Critical Response Service, successfully trialled in Western Australia over the past year, will be expanded into the Northern Territory and South Australia this year.
The initiative will be introduced to other jurisdictions from 2018 to combat alarmingly high suicide rates among Indigenous people, which are twice the national rate and five times the national rate for young people.
"Every suicide is a tragedy and the effects on tight-knit Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities are often more profound - contributing to the clusters of suicide and self-harm that we see," Minister for Indigenous Affairs Nigel Scullion said on the NT's Groote Eylandt on Monday.
"For suicide rates to fall it is essential Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people can access responsive and culturally-appropriate care."
The CRS is an Indigenous-run initiative led by Adele Cox, a Bunuba and Gija woman from the Kimberley region of WA and a national leader in mental health.
Members of the CRS team make contact with Indigenous families affected by a suicide or a traumatic event and co-ordinate existing support services to best meets the needs of the family.
Mr Scullion says there's currently a myriad of uncoordinated agencies and not-for-profit organisations that don't adequately support families in times of great distress.
"The effect is that people fall between the cracks," he said.
Ms Cox said the initiative would also contribute to broader suicide-prevention activities.
*Readers seeking support and information about suicide prevention can contact Lifeline on 13 11 14.
Suicide Call Back Service 1300 659 467.
MensLine Australia 1300 78 99 78.
Multicultural Mental Health Australia www.mmha.org.au.
Local Aboriginal Medical Service available from www.vibe.com.au.
