How can we help you today?
Throughout 2023 and 2024, NQPHN facilitated a broad community consultation process across the northern Queensland region. More than 250 people attended a range of online and face to face sessions.
Through these consultations, examples of a wealth of successful programs and initiatives that focused on community wellness and suicide prevention emerged. These programs, often started at the grassroots level and not labeled as "mental health", “wellness”, or "suicide prevention" initiatives, demonstrated clear contribution to, and impact on, these crucial areas. It was evident that many of these could be even more effective with additional funding and support.
Additionally, we heard about promising programs from other parts of Queensland and even beyond that could be adapted and implemented in our region.
Based on what we heard through the consultations, NQPHN is releasing a grants round for community-based organisations who have a project or initiative they want to develop and/or deliver within their community focused on community wellness and suicide prevention.
Community-based organisations can apply for grants through two different processes:
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One for organisations with a project or initiative ready to go
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One for organisations who have a great idea but need support or capacity building to make it project ready.
Importantly, these grants are not intended to fund traditional service delivery. Rather, these grants are intended to fund innovative and community-led projects or initiatives.
How much funding is available?
It is anticipated that there will be up to 15 grants awarded, and that each will range is value from approximately $30,000 to $50,000.
Who is eligible to apply?
To be eligible, organisations must have an existing presence within the NQPHN region.
How long do I have to submit an application?
The application process is open from Thursday 2 May 2024 until 12pm, Monday 13 May.
Can I apply more than once?
Yes, organisations can apply for more than one grant, however we strongly encourage organisations to ensure that each application truly aligns with the intention, the guidelines, and the application process for each grant.
If you feel you have more than one eligible grant application, please note organisations can only apply for one grant in each of the Torres and Cape, Cairns, Townsville, and Mackay regions (up to a maximum of four).
What type of grants are available?
There are two different grant processes underway:
- Project Ready
- Project Pitch
We are seeking applications from eligible organisations and community groups that are established in their communities and have a project ready initiative already developed and ready to be activated.
All applicants must clearly be able to demonstrate:
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How they relate to at least one priority population
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That the project is ready to commence between July and September 2024
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How they have engaged with people with a lived experience of suicide in the development of their project or initiative.
Interested in applying?
Register your interest here to be kept up to date on the grants.
Register for one of three information sessions here.
Complete Form A: Application Form: Community Wellness and Suicide Prevention Grants – Project Ready and send it to grants@nqphn.com.au no later than 12pm, Monday 13 May.
Late applications will not be accepted.
Have questions?
Email your questions to grants@nqphn.com.au and we will email the question and our answer back to everyone who has registered, within three business days. Questions submitted after 4pm, Thursday 9 May will not be answered.
Please do not contact NQPHN team members directly.
We are seeking applications from eligible organisations and community groups that have a working concept or idea for a community initiative but who need support and capacity building to be project ready. The idea could be as broad as activities that reduce stigma, local sporting clubs engaging with their members in meaningful ways, neighbourhood centres providing drop in options for people have a challenging time in their life, and everything in between!
All applications must clearly demonstrate:
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How they address at least one of the social determinants of suicide.
Interested in applying?
Register your interest here to be kept up to date on the grants.
Register for one of three information sessions here.
Complete Form B: Application Form: Community Wellness and Suicide Prevention Grants – Project Pitch and send it to grants@nqphn.com.au no later than 12pm, Monday 13 May.
Late applications will not be accepted.
Have questions?
Email your questions to grants@nqphn.com.au and we will email the question and our answer back to everyone who has registered, within three business days. Questions submitted after 4pm, Thursday 9 May will not be answered.
Please do not contact NQPHN team members directly.
On 7 and 8 May 2024, the Northern Queensland Primary Health Network (NQPHN) hosted three information sessions regarding Community wellness and suicide prevention grant process.
Below, you will find the presentation that was shared, along with a summary of all questions asked during these sessions and their corresponding answers:
- Sponsorship of discrete events or activities.
- A grant being made available for activities that are otherwise already funded.
- Direct service provision to community members, unless you can clearly demonstrate how service provision will be sustained beyond the life of the funding.
Wellness can be considered as ‘a positive state experienced by individuals and societies. Like health, it is a daily resource determined by social, economic and environmental conditions.
A person’s wellness can be influenced by environmental, social, and economic factors at the individual, family and community level, and each person’s unique circumstances and experiences contribute to their wellbeing. Wellness is multidimensional, covering aspects of life including housing, income, work and job quality, health, knowledge and skills, civic engagement, social connections, safety, and work-life-balance.
Suicide prevention is the effort to reduce deaths by suicide, suicide attempts across all levels of society and create a supportive environment for the broader community and those with a lived experience of suicide. This includes individuals, communities, and entire nations. It focuses on promoting wellbeing and overall health for both individuals and society. Just like physical health, mental wellbeing is a resource that helps us navigate daily life. Suicide prevention works on many levels and aims to address many factors including social, economic, opportunities, and the environment we live in.
Consultation undertaken by NQPHN throughout 2023 and 2024 identified 11 specific priority population groups that need to be prioritised in local regional efforts. These are not listed in order of importance.
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples
- LGBTQIA+SB people
- Culturally and linguistically diverse communities and refugees
- People experiencing homelessness or housing instability
- Children and young people, including those in our of home care
- Older Australians (over 65, or over 50 for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples)
- People living in regional, rural, and remote areas of Australia
- People experiencing or at risk of abuse and violence, including sexual abuse, neglect and family and domestic violence
- People with a disability
- Australian Defence Force members and veterans
- People experiencing socioeconomic disadvantage
Further information on priority populations can also be found at Life in Mind
In 2023, Suicide Prevention Australia produced the Socio-Economic and Environmental Determinants of Suicide paper, which detailed 22 social determinants of suicide. Nineteen of the 22 are applicable to the desired outcome of these grants.
- Bullying and harassment
- Chronic pain and health conditions
- Contact with the justice system
- Damage to cultural continuity/connection
- Discrimination and stigma
- Domestic, family, and sexual violence
- Educational disruption
- Employment distress
- Family and other relationship dysfunction
- Financial distress
- Food insecurity
- Harms of alcohol and other drugs
- Harms of gambling
- Housing insecurity and homelessness
- Impacts of adverse childhood experiences
- Impacts of traumatic events
- Intergenerational/ transgenerational trauma
- Isolation
- Loneliness
The full document can be read here
‘People with a lived experience of suicide’ is defined as ‘those who have experienced thoughts of suicide, survived a suicide attempt, cared for someone through suicidal crisis, been bereaved by suicide and/or having a loved one who has died through suicide.
It is important to acknowledge that this understanding and experience may be different for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, and suggest that suicidal crisis, thoughts, behaviours and/or actions stem from the breakdown in social, emotional, cultural, and spiritual wellbeing.
People with lived experience and their families and carers must be at the centre of the next phase of reform. Success requires their voices at the forefront to lead, drive and inform systems and services, with a greater focus on integrating their lived experience into policy, practice, and research. Elevating the diverse voices of our communities, particularly those who are currently underserved, is essential. These include young people, older people, First Nations peoples, LGBTIQA+SB people, people with disability, people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, veterans and their families, and people living in rural and remote areas.