Aftercare following suicidal crisis represents a critical intervention point. This presentation outlines nationally agreed essential components of a universal aftercare model, building on program logic developed for the National Suicide Prevention Initiatives evaluation of Universal Aftercare funded through the National Agreement on Mental Health and Suicide Prevention. The logic was developed based on guidelines from Roses in the Ocean, the lived experience peak body for suicide, with input from a team of lived experience researchers and extensive consultation with people with lived experience, clinicians, and service providers.
The universal aftercare model is structured around fundamental activities ensuring services are commissioned, designed, and governed with people with lived and living experience at the centre. Core components include trauma-informed, compassionate care delivery; integration with local service sectors; timely multidisciplinary support; person-led care approaches; and robust escalation protocols with clear transition pathways to ongoing support.
Key service outputs demonstrate practical implementation requirements. Services must be locally commissioned and co-designed to meet community needs, staffed by skilled peer, clinical, and non-clinical workers who receive appropriate support. Services should be accessible, well-known within communities and service sectors, delivering timely, person-led support while actively strengthening individuals' support networks.
The model's theory of change traces clear pathways from immediate through to ultimate outcomes. Immediate outcomes focus on supported, confident multidisciplinary teams delivering timely, holistic aftercare where people identify person-led strategies, safely transition through services, and exit with strengthened support networks and reduced distress. Intermediate outcomes demonstrate longer-term effectiveness: people become more attuned to their needs and capable of applying self-management strategies; develop sense of purpose and hopefulness; establish meaningful community connections; and receive appropriate ongoing formal and informal support. These intermediate changes contribute to the ultimate outcome of reduced subsequent suicide ideation, attempts, and deaths.
Critically, the model embeds lived and living experience throughout all levels - from governance and co-design through to direct service delivery. This ensures services remain grounded in understanding what works from those who have navigated suicidal distress and recovery journeys.
The presentation details each component's evidence base, implementation requirements, and quality indicators, examining how the model balances standardised core elements with local flexibility. Implementation challenges including workforce development needs, integration requirements, funding models, and evaluation frameworks will be discussed. The presentation concludes by examining how these nationally agreed components can guide commissioning decisions, service development, and quality improvement initiatives to create consistent, effective aftercare across Australia's diverse communities and service landscapes.