Beyond the Storyline: What Happened to the Lessons We Grew Up With? What Can They Teach Us About Suicide Prevention?
September 17 @ 7:00 pm - 8:00 pm AEST
Free
THRIVE presents our September webinar recognition of RU Ok? Day and World Suicide Prevention Day aligned to our PROTECT pillar – supporting those in need.
Many of us grew up with stories that taught us about friendship, courage, curiosity, and what becomes possible when people work together. Those stories shaped how we understand challenges and support others. Maybe those lessons have something to offer here.
The veterinary profession has stories too. Stories about suicide prevention, psychological health, workplace pressures, and the conditions that may influence whether people feel safe and connected throughout their careers. Some are grounded in evidence. Others are shaped by assumptions and incomplete understandings of a complex issue.
Drawing on current research, lived and living experience perspectives, and emerging insights from across the profession, this webinar explores what happens when we look beyond the storyline. Together, we will consider how psychosocial safety, early support, and collective action can contribute to a profession where people feel safe, valued, supported to grow, and able to speak up when something isn’t right.
Who should attend
All members of the veterinary team or those working in the veterinary sector.
Learning outcomes
- Recognise how assumptions, narratives, and available evidence can shape approaches to veterinary suicide prevention.
- Explain the influence of workplace, psychosocial, and systems-level factors on psychological health and suicide prevention.
- Identify practical opportunities to support psychosocial safety, early support, and prevention efforts within veterinary settings.
Our speakers
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- Name
- Dr ALENA GADOURY
- Biography
Alena brings a wealth of experience across human and animal medicine, business, mentoring, training, and research. She began her career in healthcare, earning a Bachelor of Nursing in 2006 and working as a Registered Nurse in Adult Mental Health and Paediatrics. In 2013, she graduated with First Class Honours in Veterinary Science from the University of Sydney and gained diverse clinical experience in small animal, mixed, and emergency practice across Canada and Australia.
In 2019, Alena joined the global veterinary community Vets: Stay, Go, Diversify as a co-founder of its "Down Under" branch. Her professional journey also includes roles as a National Sales Specialist with Provet VI and a Clinical Research Project Manager with QUT and Queensland Health. Currently, Alena provides compassionate end-of-life care for pets, balancing this with her impactful research and advocacy work.
Driven by lived experiences with mental health challenges and suicide, Alena is dedicated to improving suicide prevention within the veterinary profession. She co-founded VetHerd, a suicide prevention program for the veterinary community, and is a certified LivingWorks safeTALK and Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST) instructor. Alena is currently completing a PhD at Griffith University's School of Applied Psychology, focusing on understanding suicidality and suicide prevention among Australian veterinarians.
- Job title
- Veterinarian and Researcher
