Mental Health, Suicide Prevention, and Alcohol and Other Drugs (AOD)
The Mental Health, Suicide Prevention and AOD team is dedicated to improving the wellbeing of people within our region. They commission and partner with a range of organisations and communities that service the continuum of need.
Our vision is to partner and strengthen connections to provide accessible, responsive initiatives that improve the overall health and wellbeing of individuals and communities.
Key achievements
- The Right Care, First Time, Where You Live pilot is a partnership with Metro South Health, Children’s Health Queensland, University of Sydney’s Brain and Mind Centre, and people with lived experience – 3 workshops were held with more than 70 participants attending.
- Footprints Community organisation was named as the successful lead agency for the Medicare Mental Health Centres (MMHCs) in December 2023, with the establishment phase commencing for both the MMHCs in Logan and Redlands.
- During August 2023, headspace Woolloongabba reopened at its new site funded through the Department of Health and Aged Care, with positive feedback from clients and staff.
- The Clinical Care Coordination Plus Initiative pilot project was developed with Fortify Health Group to provide tailored support to enhance quality of life and increase potential for successful NDIS transitions.
- Brisbane South PHN and Queensland Transcultural Mental Health Centre worked together to consult with the community for the Suicide Prevention Training for CALD Communities Project. Six CALD communities have been identified as experiencing a disproportionate number of deaths by suicide.
- TRISP funding helped to stand up services focused on adult men, First Nation peoples and CALD communities.
Case studies
Right Care, First Time, Where You Live: pilot project
Overview
The Right Care, First Time, Where You Live pilot program is transforming youth mental health support in the Brisbane South PHN region for the half-a-million children and young people who live here. Working with University of Sydney's Brain and Mind Centre, Brisbane South PHN proudly supported the development of this first-ever dynamic systems model of the regional youth mental health system.
The new decision-making tool developed by researchers, with input from local stakeholders and young people with lived-experience, will help guide resource allocation to better coordinate the delivery of mental health and wellbeing solutions that respond to the changing needs of our local young people.
Phase 1 highlights:
In Phase 1 – Systems modelling and simulation through co-design, we engaged:
- 80 participants in total
- 30 government and non-government agencies
- 8 young people with lived experience
- across 3 co-design workshops.
Reflections from Phase 1 of the 'Right care, first time, where you live' program workshops held in the Brisbane South PHN region.
Phase 1 results
A user-friendly digital tool that combines service data, predictive modelling, and resource inputs to optimise mental health care delivery; designed to be accessible to both health professionals and young people to use. This new technology supports better access to care, empowers youth self-advocacy, and informs regional planning for sustainable mental health services.
Reflections
As societies and technologies advance, Brisbane South PHN are committed to embracing new technologies to enhance evidence-based decision-making for the effective allocation youth mental health resources.
With the 'Right Care, First Time, Where You Live' program, we are not just envisioning a brighter future for our youth—we are actively building it. Together, we are making a difference that will resonate for generations to come.
Next steps
Working with the University of Sydney’s Brain and Mind Centre, we look forward to embedding the local systems modelling into our ways of working together. Brisbane South PHN is integrating the tool into planning processes, refining its features with ongoing feedback, and exploring its application across other healthcare areas.
Flooded road south of Brisbane, 2023
Flooded road south of Brisbane, 2023
Natural disaster recovery
In December 2023, dangerous storm cells resulted in a tornado, which impacted the Logan and Scenic Rim regions and caused extensive, widespread damage and impact to the community. These impacts included loss of power and communication outages for extended periods and damage to homes and properties. The areas also experienced significant rainfall, resulting in localised flash flooding. These events have had a significant impact on the mental health and wellbeing of community members.
Recovery hubs at Jimboomba and Cedar Grove provided immediate and crisis support to people. Some Brisbane South PHN providers in attendance included YFS, Micah, and the Mental Health, Suicide Prevention and AOD team – which also provided updated contact information for support services via the resources guide by the Logan City Council. More than 800 people have accessed this support.
The Brisbane South PHN Community Engagement Lead for the Beaudesert region responded in the community by visiting the recovery hubs to identify any additional supports that may be required. We also commissioned psychological therapy providers, CPSP and a local headspace centre to provide clinical support at the recovery hubs as immediate support.
Ongoing conversations and collaboration with others, including Metro South Health, helped to determine disaster resilience activities and mental health responses.
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