We are inviting stakeholders from these communities to offer their thoughts and insights into the current state of suicide prevention in the Cairns and Hinterland region, and how it should look in the future to achieve better outcomes for the community. Read this blog to find out more about how to register and engage in these sessions!

This page will act as a newsfeed for the Cairns and Hinterland Suicide Prevention Community Action Plan Project. It will be regularly updated with upcoming activities, insights, resources and ongoing outcomes as we undertake project activities. We have designed this page to inform people who are interested in this project and its relevant subject matter.

As part of the Cairns and Hinterland Suicide Prevention Community Action Plan (SP-CAP), the Beacon Strategies team are engaging local stakeholders throughout its development. To begin the local engagements, Elliot and Sarah made a trip to Cairns at the end of 2020 to meet with key stakeholders to develop this locally specific SP-CAP.

Given the serious nature of the pandemic itself and also due to the project requiring extensive stakeholder and community engagement, the decision was made to put a hold on this project for 6 months in April 2020. The recommencement of the project was then reviewed in September of 2020 where the decision was made that it was appropriate to re-engage the project and its relevant stakeholders.

Needs assessment is a term that you have most likely heard of if you work for a local government or council. However, what exactly is it, why should you consider conducting one and what is the best approach? 

Community action plans are akin to road maps for implementing community-led change. They identify what will be done, who will do it and how it will be done. They describe exactly what a community wants to accomplish, how it will do so and the resources needed to be successful. They become a framework for implementing topic specific activities within a community, all of which are community-owned.

The Beacon Strategies team (Rebecca Patterson and Mitchell Stalker) took a brief three day site visit to Cairns (Tuesday 22nd of January - Thursday 24th of January) to formally commence the the development of a suicide prevention community action plan for the region (on behalf of Northern Queensland PHN).

Primary Health Networks (PHN) and Local Health Districts (LHD)/Hospitals and Health Services (HHS) play a key role in identifying mothers and children who need specialised support and referring them onward to evidence based support programs. Strong and’ a timely impetus to buddy up and flesh out what a ‘good’ maternal and child health system could look like.

In a new wave of suicide prevention policies and activities aiming to stem the growing rate of suicide, the Queensland Mental Health Commission have recently released ‘Every life’, The Queensland Suicide Prevention Plan for 2019-2029. In this blog, we explore what the plan means for your organisation and clients.