Merewether's Kelly Kay is determined to create a "safe space" for people at risk of suicide in memory of son Kahi Simon, so she's raising money for it herself.
Kahi took his life last October at age 20 and had lived with depression since age 15.
Mrs Kay started a fund through the Lake Macquarie and Newcastle Suicide Prevention Network to raise money for a safe space.
"We're aiming for it to be open seven days a week," she said.
The Newcastle Herald reported in March that the Hunter New England district recorded 1331 suicides from 2012 to 2021.
Fresh health data also shows the district recorded 139 suicides in 2022.
Mrs Kay's fundraising efforts will include an eight-kilometre walk from Merewether to Newcastle and back on World Suicide Day on Tuesday.
The walk also marks the day that Kahi had his first suicide attempt, which put him in hospital.
"He walked through bush alone for about eight kilometres that day, before he was found on the side of a remote road and thankfully saved," Mrs Kay said.
"It's going to be a hard day for me. I think about all the dates that are significant, leading up to what happened."
Kahi's step mum Katrina Mason, his dad Wade, sister Malu and dog Narla are travelling Australia in a caravan.
"We will be doing a walk for Kahi somewhere in North Queensland," Ms Mason said.
Health data shows more than 15,000 people presented to Hunter New England hospital emergency departments for mental health-related issues in 2022-23.
Newcastle's Safe Haven, run by suicide prevention and mental health peer workers, is open only three days a week for five hours a day.
Mrs Kay's fundraising showed she wasn't willing to wait any longer for the government to decide on whether to expand the Newcastle site.
She believed a safe space was exactly what Kahi needed.
Kahi took his life five days after being discharged from a 10-day stint in Taree Hospital's mental health inpatient unit, after a failed suicide attempt.
He had been staying in Newcastle, but relapsed and needed more help.
"We were trying frantically to find somewhere for him to go. Some services do exist, but they're hard to access because of waitlists or strict criteria," Mrs Kay said.
The family asked if he could return to the Taree unit, but was told "to go to the Mater in Newcastle - you can't come back here".
"People in crisis need a place they can drop in when they feel like it, with no criteria and where they're welcome," Mrs Kay said.
"They don't leave hospital and then they're good. That's why we have to create a safe space ourselves."
Hunter New England Health said there were "a range of hospital and community services available for people in need of mental health support, including those in a crisis situation".
A parliamentary inquiry into mental health care in NSW, released in June, recommended the Safe Haven program be made a 24/7 service.
The Minns government released its response to the inquiry this week, saying it was evaluating Safe Havens.
"Depending on locally identified demand, the delivery of 24/7 services may not be required in some communities, as there are other support services already available," it said.
But Mrs Kay said this was not enough in her son's case, or for the numerous others lives lost to suicide.
"These services are either not accessible or not known about," she said.
"We were told services would be in contact with us and it didn't happen."
The Hunter district said a "concerted effort to reduce suicides of people in contact with our services" had been made.
Donate to Mrs Kay's fund at connectedtocare.com.au/project.
- Support is available for those who may be distressed. Phone Lifeline 13 11 14; Mensline 1300 789 978; Kids Helpline 1800 551 800; beyondblue 1300 224 636; 1800-RESPECT 1800 737 732.
