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Development of ACROSSnet: an online support system for rural and remote community suicide prevention workers in Queensland, Australia

Service Leadership Innovation and Research Program, Queensland University of Technology, GPO Box 2434, Brisbane QLD 4001, Australia, d.penn{at}qut.edu.au

Lyn Simpson

Service Leadership Innovation and Research Program, Queensland University of Technology, GPO Box 2434, Brisbane QLD 4001, Australia, le.simpson{at}qut.edu.au

Gavin Edie

Service Leadership Innovation and Research Program, Queensland University of Technology, GPO Box 2434, Brisbane QLD 4001, Australia, g.edie{at}qut.edu.au

Susan Leggett

Service Leadership Innovation and Research Program, Queensland University of Technology, GPO Box 2434, Brisbane QLD 4001, Australia, s.leggett{at}qut.edu.au

Leanne Wood

Service Leadership Innovation and Research Program, Queensland University of Technology, GPO Box 2434, Brisbane QLD 4001, Australia, Leanne.Wood{at}communities.qld.gov.au

Jacinta Hawgood

Australian Institute for Suicide Research and Prevention (AISRAP), Griffith University, Mt Gravatt Campus, Brisbane QLD 4111, Australia, Jacinta.Hawgood{at}griffith.edu.au

Karolina Krysinska

Australian Institute for Suicide Research and Prevention (AISRAP), Griffith University, Mt Gravatt Campus, Brisbane QLD 4111, Australia, Karolina.Krysinska{at}griffith.edu.au

Peter Yellowlees

UC Davis, Suite 2631, Administrative Support Building 2450, 48th Street, Sacramento, CA 95817, USA, pmyellowlees{at}ucdavis.edu

Diego De Leo

Australian Institute for Suicide Research and Prevention (AISRAP), Griffith University, Mt Gravatt Campus, Brisbane QLD 4111, Australia, d.deleo{at}griffith.edu.au

Communication and information technologies can reduce the barriers of distance and space that disadvantage communities in Australia's underserved rural areas, where the health status of residents is often worse than that of their urban counterparts. ACROSSnet (Australians Creating Rural Online Support Systems) is a 3 year collaborative action research project that aims to design and develop an online support system that will assist rural communities in accessing information, education and support regarding suicide and its prevention, whilst considering the challenges of Internet speed, cost and availability that can impede the delivery of online services. The site provides three distinct levels of access: one level for community members, and two further levels for appropriately credentialled mental health workers. In creating this environment, the ACROSSnet team hopes that online communities of practice will develop, engaging participants of different ages, income and education levels, location, and socioeconomic backgrounds.

Key Words: Australia • mental health workers • online support • rural communities • suicide prevention

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