Central Queensland Rural Health has been an advocate for collaboration and integration across health services for many years. We will engage with local communities across Central Queensland (CQ) to establish strategic suicide prevention partnerships. These partnerships will enable collaboration across health services and communities to develop the CQ Suicide Prevention Plan. This plan will combine the plans for each local government area.

At the end of 2017 Central Queensland Rural Health (CQRH) received funding from the Central Queensland, Wide Bay, Sunshine Coast Primary Health Network (PHN) to lead the planning of community based suicide prevention activities.

Since then more than 270 people have been directly involved in consultation activities across six of the local government areas.

These activities have included a survey, ongoing face to face and email communication, attendance at meetings and workshops and the formation of Leadership Groups across the footprint. Working together the different communities are taking ownership of their suicide prevention action plans to decide what strategies works best for them in their communities.

The CQ Suicide Prevention Plan will support the PHN in their role to commission community based suicide prevention activities integrated with drug and alcohol services, mental health services and social and emotional wellbeing services.

If you would like to be involved in the CQ Suicide Prevention Plan in any way, please contact our Projects Team on (07) 4992 1040 or email deirdre.fagan-pagliano@cqrdgp.com.au.