Background
Over the past decade, suicide prevention efforts in Northern Queensland have evolved through regional leadership, lived experience advocacy, and place-based implementation of national frameworks. This work has been shaped by the National Suicide Prevention Strategy and the Australian Suicide Prevention Planning Model, with a strong emphasis on First Nations communities and priority populations including veterans and ex-ADF personnel through Operation Compass. The regional context has demanded flexible, culturally responsive approaches that honour community wisdom and lived experience.
Aims/Objectives
This presentation reflects on ten years of regional suicide prevention action planning, exploring how national policy translates into community-led practice. It aims to identify key learnings, challenges, and opportunities for the next decade, with a focus on co-design, cultural safety, and upstream prevention. It also seeks to examine how regional leadership can influence national reform, and how lived experience can shape systems-level change.
Methods/Approach
Drawing on Adriel Burley’s experience as Senior Regional Suicide Prevention Coordinator and inaugural Queensland Fellow of the Australian Mental Health Leaders Fellowship, the session will examine the integration of lived experience, community development, and social prescribing. It will also explore frameworks including Socio-economic and Environmental Determinants of Suicide. The approach includes cross-sector collaboration, policy translation, and adaptive implementation across diverse communities.
Results/Outcomes
Key outcomes include strengthened regional capacity, improved cultural safety in planning, and enhanced engagement with First Nations communities. The presentation will highlight how lived experience indicators and co-design principles have moved from advocacy to compliance, reshaping consultation and care planning. It will also showcase examples of innovation in community-led initiatives and the role of regional governance in sustaining momentum.
Conclusion/Implications
As we look toward 2035, suicide prevention must continue to evolve through systems transformation, equity, and sustainability. Regional leadership plays a critical role in bridging policy and practice, ensuring that community needs inform national objectives and that prevention efforts remain responsive, inclusive, and measurable. The future demands a deeper commitment to cultural safety, lived experience leadership, and integrated approaches that address the social and environmental determinants of suicide.