Cairns Suicide Prevention Community Action Plan
Trip 1 (January 2020)
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).
The purpose of the visit was to
engage with key contacts at the Northern Queensland PHN to gain a deeper understanding of the project’s requirements
meet with key local stakeholders and build relationships for the subsequent consultation process, and
facilitate the inaugural Cairns Suicide Prevention Community Action Plan Community Advisory Group.
See the video below for Rebecca Patterson’s brief synopsis of the intent behind our trip to Cairns in 2020.
Why are we sharing this with you all?
We have made a conscious decision to document (in writing and video) the process of developing the Cairns Suicide Prevention Community Action Plan to continue to build momentum for the Cairns community to take ownership of the plan once it is developed.
Stakeholder Engagement recap
Our time in Cairns was spent engaging with key PHN staff to gain a deep understanding of the project’s requirements, pitfalls to avoid and commence detailed planning to ensure this project is delivered effectively in 2020.
Additionally, we reached out to and met with Connie Johnson, a local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander consultant who will lead the delivery of culturally appropriate consultation with local First Nations communities across the Cairns region. It was lovely to meet Connie and we are very much looking forward to partnering with her to deliver the First Nations components of the project.
We engaged with a number of key external stakeholders, including the local headspace centre, Lives Lived Well, Uniting Care Community (StandBy) and Selectability. We are genuinely encouraged by how open to collaboration local service providers are and are very much looking forward to connecting again at a consultation session in March.
Community advisory group recap
We rounded out our trip with the inaugural Cairns Suicide Prevention Community Action Plan Community Advisory Group. The Community Advisory group will play a critical role in guiding the delivery of the project, ensuring that all aspects of the project represent the interests of the local Cairns community. A big thank you to all of the Community Advisory Group members representing service sectors and community networks:
Collaborating for Inclusive Outcomes in Mareeba Network Inc.
Cassowary Coast Community Agency Network
Tablelands Interagency Group
Douglas Shire Community Agency Network
Additionally, would like to acknowledge the participation of our key project partners, Black Dog Institute and Roses in The Ocean - your support in delivering the project will be invaluable.
Lastly, a huge thank you to Northern Queensland PHN for your commitment to developing the Cairns Suicide Prevention Community Action Plan through collaboration with local stakeholders.