Background: Life Promotion and Suicide Prevention FNQ, funded by the North Queensland Primary Health Network, employs a collective impact approach to foster innovative approaches to suicide prevention.
Objective: This presentation will illustrate how Life Promotion and Suicide Prevention FNQ is building a movement for change through a collaborative initiative that unites diverse stakeholders—including lived experience, community, organisations, businesses and government agencies—to develop actionable opportunities and strategies that extend beyond traditional methods.
Methodology: Taking inspiration from the five core principles of Collective Impact—shared vision, common agenda, mutually reinforcing activities, continuous communication, and backbone support—Life Promotion and Suicide Prevention FNQ has facilitated a series of engaging events designed to promote creative thinking and cross-sector collaboration. While these events are important, the real work of the collaborative often occurs away from them, where collaborative members stretch their thinking and experiment with new approaches that align with the collective vision.
Process: The collaborative events are iterative in nature, each building on the previous one. The initiative began by fostering strong connections, which laid the groundwork for defining our shared vision, our common agenda. The group then considered the current state versus the ideal future state, identifying critical shifts that needed to occur. This process led to design workshops where the collaborative were invited to design something that could act as a catalyst for change.
Key Achievements: The collaborative has established interconnected relationships within the region and developed a shared agenda that amplifies all voices in the quest for change. Central to the approach is the belief that suicide prevention is a community-wide responsibility. Recognising that distress can affect anyone, the collaborative is shifting narratives around suicide and suicide prevention, fostering strong and interconnected communities.
Conclusion: This presentation will explore how the principles of Collective Impact shape the collaborative's efforts and illustrate the transformative potential of community-driven solutions in suicide prevention. By nurturing relationships and maintaining open communication among members, the approach ensures adaptability and responsiveness to emerging needs, all while creating fresh and interconnected approached to suicide prevention.