Hello friends and collaborators and welcome to March 2026!

February was a full month for the Life Promotion and Suicide Prevention FNQ Collaborative, with partners from across the region coming together to learn, reflect and strengthen the ways we work together to prevent suicide and promote life.

From discussions exploring how the National Suicide Prevention Strategy shows up in local practice, to community-led intervention training, participatory community development learning, and powerful lived-experience conversations — the month reinforced what we know to be true: connection, collaboration and shared learning are at the heart of effective suicide prevention.

Read on to learn more about what we’ve been working on, what’s coming up in March, and a final opportunity to join our growing team.

Work with us — last call!

Life Promotion and Suicide Prevention FNQ is on the lookout for two committed Project Coordinators to join our team — one focused on Cairns and Hinterland, and one focused on Torres and Cape.

These roles are grounded in place. We are committed to recruiting people who know their region — through living there, working there, or holding strong networks and relationships across community and sectors. Local knowledge matters in collective, systems-based suicide prevention work.

Both roles will focus on strengthening collaboration, supporting community-led action, and driving coordinated prevention efforts — while working as part of a broader FNQ-wide team across both HHS regions.

Our work is closely aligned with NQPHN’s Joint Regional Plan, particularly the commitment to delivering “the right support, in the right place, at the right time.”

That means:

• A strong focus on place-based responses

• Prioritising prevention and early intervention

• Strengthening local partnerships and cross-sector collaboration

If you are passionate about systems change, collective impact, and building connected, capable communities — we’d love to hear from you.

📍 Cairns & Hinterland Coordinator: https://www.seek.com.au/job/90251595

📍 Torres & Cape Coordinator: https://www.seek.com.au/job/90253647

Applications close 13 March 2026.

Please share within your networks.

What we were up to in February 2026

Understanding and Implementing the National Suicide Prevention Strategy

Throughout February we hosted two sessions — one in person and one online — exploring how the National Suicide Prevention Strategy’s domains of Prevention, Support and Critical Enablers show up in local practice.

Across both sessions, 30 collaborative members from across the region came together to reflect on key questions:

• What are we already doing?

• What might we do more of?

• What might we do less of?

• Who might we partner with?

These discussions continue to strengthen our shared understanding and support coordinated action across Far North Queensland.

Community Owned Response to Eliminating Suicide (CORES) — Suicide Intervention Training

We were pleased to support CORES suicide intervention training, a practical and community-delivered learning opportunity focused on:

• Recognising early warning signs of suicide

• Supporting people to seek help before crisis occurs

• Building confidence to respond safely and appropriately

• Developing personal self-care strategies

CORES continues to play an important role in strengthening community capability and confidence to respond when someone may be at risk.

Participatory Community Development Training

Collaborative members from across Far North Queensland — including Thursday Island, Kowanyama and Lockhart River — spent two days developing skills in Participatory Community Development with Bea Rogan and Carmel Daveson from Agora Community Development Training.

Participatory Community Development focuses on intentional dialogue and collective action. Participants explored how private concerns can become shared public issues through equal partnership with others who care about the same challenges.

It is not simply conversation — it is purposeful engagement aimed at social change.

Participants will continue developing these skills through individual coaching sessions with Bea and Carmel.

At its core, Participatory Community Development is about connection and mutuality.

We know connection sits at the heart of suicide prevention, and we are excited to see what may grow from this work across our communities.

Critical Shifts — Lived Experience Discussions

This month, in partnership with Roses in the Ocean, we continued our Critical Shifts conversations with the Life Promotion and Suicide Prevention FNQ Lived Experience Focus Group.

This session focused on stigma and language.

Participants shared honest reflections about how judgement, assumptions and labels can shape people’s experiences and influence whether they feel safe seeking support.

These lived-experience insights deepen our understanding of how stigma shows up in real life — and highlight the importance of ensuring people are met with empathy, care and respect.

One reflection captured this clearly:

“Sometimes people are afraid of admitting how they are feeling because they are afraid of being labelled or locked up.”

We are grateful to the group for their openness, insight and courage as we continue strengthening suicide prevention across Far North Queensland.

What we have planned for March 2026

First Nations Collaborative Gathering — March 2026

Culture as the foundation for life promotion, healing and system change

📅 Tuesday 17 March | ⏰ 10:00am–12:30pm (light lunch provided)

📍 Nintiringanyi Cultural Training Centre, Cairns

This First Nations-only gathering will centre culture as a core determinant of wellbeing and suicide prevention, creating space for yarning, reflection, and shared learning.

👉 Register here: https://www.lifepromotionfnq.com.au/events/first-nations-suicide-prevention-collaborative-march

National Suicide Prevention Strategy — Outcomes Framework Discussions

Join the Life Promotion and Suicide Prevention FNQ Collaborative for the third in our series of interactive discussions exploring the National Suicide Prevention Strategy Outcomes Framework.

These sessions offer an opportunity to pause, reflect and think together about how the Framework can support shared understanding, guide meaningful action and strengthen collaboration across our region.

Together we will explore:

• How current activities and approaches align with the Framework

• Where there may be opportunities to deepen impact or work differently

• How collective action and partnerships can support better outcomes over time

Whether you’re working directly in suicide prevention, supporting wellbeing in your community, or simply wanting to learn and contribute — your perspective is welcome.

Face-to-face session

📅 Tuesday 24 March

⏰ 10:00am–12:00pm

📍 The Bolands Centre

👉 Register here: https://www.lifepromotionfnq.com.au/events/national-suicide-prevention-strategy-outcomes-framework-in-person

Online session

📅 Thursday 26 March

⏰ 2:00pm–3:30pm

📍 Microsoft Teams

👉 Register here: https://www.lifepromotionfnq.com.au/events/national-suicide-prevention-strategy-outcomes-framework-in-person-cczdf

Thank you for the work you continue to do across Far North Queensland to strengthen connection, care and support within our communities. Suicide prevention is collective work, and we are grateful to be part of this growing collaborative effort with you.

See you at an Event in February and back again for next month’s update!

Life Promotion and Suicide Prevention FNQ — March 2026.