In 2016, Kathryn Turner, MBBS, FRANZCP and the team at Gold Coast Health published their new suicide prevention strategy with a bold incorporation of the Zero Suicide model. By 2018, eleven of the sixteen health regions in Queensland were following suit under the leadership of Janet Martin.
The Gold Coast adaptation is the first to strongly address the dynamic tension within the field around risk stratification and prediction. Dr. Turner and team have incorporated the Prevention-Oriented Risk Formulation model developed by Dr. Anthony R. Pisani and colleagues (Pisani, Murrie, & Silverman, 2016, figure below). The model encourages clinicians to synthesize clinical data into a formulation that is anchored in the context of the patients’ setting and history and which proactively anticipates changes that could occur in the future.
Creating a “just culture” that is restorative, focused on looking forward to learn, heal and improve is also central in the Gold Coast philosophy, building off the work of Sidney Dekker’s safety culture. Supporting staff with three tiers of resources and responses also differentiates this Australian adaptation, with professional referrals, “always there” team responders to offer psychological first aid, and formal and informal supports.