Now, the alarming rate of Aboriginal people taking their own life has prompted the federal government to trial a "critical response" program.
The initiative will see a rapid response support team connect with those who have lost someone to suicide.
The suicide rate among Indigenous Australians is twice that for non-Indigenous people - and the highest rates are witnessed in Western Australia.
The Turnbull government is now trialling a one million dollar critical response project to address suicide in the state.
The program starts with an on-call service which encourages Aboriginal people to seek help immediately after losing someone to suicide or experiencing a traumatic event.
Speaking from Perth, Federal Indigenous Affairs Minister Nigel Scullion said support workers will then be flown into remote communities where a person has taken their own life.
He says the response team will work with local service providers in a timely and culturally appropriate way.
"You're going to fly people in, they'll immediately be there to support the family, we are able to map where the extended family is - they may be in other communities. And provide counsellors, psychologists, psychiatrists, support around those families at the time which it's needed."
Mr Scullion says the goal is to address the so-called ripple effect which can occur within Aboriginal communities after a suicide.
"We know the epidemiology of self-harm indicates that if that isn't in place, then we have other people who are so traumatised at a low level, they're traumatised then by the loss of their brother, they're traumatised by the loss of their son or sister and they take their own lives or self-harm as well . So that's the time when they need the support."
Adele Cox is a critical response advocate, who visited Western Australia's Goldfields in December in the aftermath of a spate of suicides there.
She says, in such remote areas, support, though lacking, is vital.
"The critical response is very important because what's happening for a lot of people in the community is the suicide or trauma happens and there is no one there to support you."
Human rights campaigner Gerry Georgatos is a researcher in suicide prevention and has been lobbying the WA and federal governments for a critical response approach to Indigenous suicide.
He says the trial in Western Australia should be rolled out nationally.
And that culturally appropriate services are crucial when confronting Indigenous suicide.
"You've also got to understand that there is a cultural lens there. You can't dismiss that. In this country we far too often do that. We can't have any one stop shops , you know assimilations to policies."
The West Australia trial runs until January next year.
And if you need help or know someone who does you can call Lifeline on 131 114 or beyondblue on 1300 224 636.
Share
