Enhance responses to suicidality
This action area focuses on enhancing and improving the way we respond to people in crisis and distress, as well as supporting others who are affected by suicide.
Responding effectively to suicide requires a whole-of-government and whole-of-community approach where a range of agencies respond to people experiencing suicidality or distress. However, responsiveness does not begin or end with government services.
Responsiveness also includes building community capacity and confidence to identify distress early and intervene before someone reaches a suicidal crisis.
A responsive and effective system is one where supports are available to all members of the community, at the right time and place, and in the right way for their individual needs.
Actions
Enhance government and community capability to provide timely and appropriate support at the point of distress
26. Encourage government agencies to adopt evidence-based workforce development for responding to community members in distress, with an emphasis on prevention, early intervention and improving responses to distress.
27. Build the skills of individuals and community leaders to increase the capability to respond to people in distress.
Expand alternative entry points to support and emergency department diversion services, including after-hours support, non-medical and peer support options
28. Expand co-responder models to mental health crisis and suicidality in metropolitan areas and explore models for regional and rural Queensland.
29. Establish a range of alternative supports for people including new crisis support spaces and short-stay services, offering peer and multidisciplinary clinical support in home-like settings, as an alternative
or adjunct to emergency departments.
30. Expand the operating hours for existing crisis support spaces to meet increasing demand, provide greater after-hours support, and expand crisis support spaces across Hospital and Health Services including regional areas.
31. Review training available to first responders who engage with people in crisis to identify opportunities for improved training, input from people with lived experience of suicide, and interagency collaboration.
Improve service accessibility, responsiveness and appropriateness by expanding existing initiatives and developing new practice models
32. Trial a model co-designed with people with lived experience of suicide to improve GPs, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Community Controlled Health Organisations, and other primary care services’ knowledge regarding responding to distress, providing interventions and making referrals to community-based psychosocial supports (including social prescribing).
33. Embed psychosocial connections and referrals into follow-up procedures for people after a suicide attempt or crisis presentation, including when discharged from hospital settings.
34. Evaluate digital and online support options for people in distress to identify high-quality, effective resources and promote those to individuals, communities and services.
35. Explore opportunities to expand or support the development of innovative suicide prevention models in regional, rural and remote areas and communities, including through co-production and flexible funding.
36. Strengthen timely and accessible support to extended families and kinship networks following a suicide, including postvention services.
