Bridging Gaps: Peer-Led Suicide Aftercare in Rural Southwest Queensland
Tracks
Monarch
| Friday, November 6, 2026 |
| 11:30 AM - 11:50 AM |
Overview
Dean Skelson, Stride Mental Health
Three Key Learnings
1. Rapid, relational follow-up and peer engagement created a trusted “soft place to land” following suicidal crisis, supporting connection, hope, and ongoing engagement.
2. Flexible outreach and responsive delivery were essential in overcoming distance, isolation, and fragmented service access across Southwest Queensland.
3. The UAS Southwest Queensland model demonstrates that rapid intake, community referrals, and peer-led continuity of care can deliver an effective, locally responsive aftercare approach in rural and remote settings.
Presenter
Mr Dean Skelson
Service Manager
Stride Mental Health
Bridging Gaps: Peer-Led Suicide Aftercare in Rural Southwest Queensland
Presentation Overview
Queensland people in rural and remote Australia experience disproportionately high suicide risk and face significant barriers to timely, continuous support following a suicidal crisis. The period immediately following discharge from acute care is associated with elevated risk, yet fragmented service systems, workforce limitations, and geographic isolation contribute to gaps in care and disengagement from support.
The Universal Aftercare Service (UAS) – Southwest Queensland, commissioned by Western Queensland Primary Health Network and delivered by Stride, was established in 2025 to strengthen continuity of care following a suicidal crisis. The service provides peer-led psychosocial aftercare for up to six months across Southwest Queensland, including the Maranoa and Balonne regions and surrounding LGAs (Quilpie, Murweh, Bulloo and Paroo). Across its first year to March 2026, the service received 39 referrals, with 28 individuals engaging in ongoing support (71% engagement). All referrals were followed up within one business day.
This presentation reports early implementation findings from a rural aftercare model integrating lived experience peer support, rapid follow-up, outreach, and collaboration between hospitals and community services. It considers safe engagement in small communities and the challenges of coordinating care across geographically dispersed rural systems. It also highlights how peer-led support strengthens engagement, reduces stigma, and improves connection during periods of vulnerability.
The UAS model demonstrates how flexible, community-based aftercare can strengthen rural suicide prevention through continuity, connection, and lived experience leadership, while highlighting broader implications for rural mental health service integration.
The Universal Aftercare Service (UAS) – Southwest Queensland, commissioned by Western Queensland Primary Health Network and delivered by Stride, was established in 2025 to strengthen continuity of care following a suicidal crisis. The service provides peer-led psychosocial aftercare for up to six months across Southwest Queensland, including the Maranoa and Balonne regions and surrounding LGAs (Quilpie, Murweh, Bulloo and Paroo). Across its first year to March 2026, the service received 39 referrals, with 28 individuals engaging in ongoing support (71% engagement). All referrals were followed up within one business day.
This presentation reports early implementation findings from a rural aftercare model integrating lived experience peer support, rapid follow-up, outreach, and collaboration between hospitals and community services. It considers safe engagement in small communities and the challenges of coordinating care across geographically dispersed rural systems. It also highlights how peer-led support strengthens engagement, reduces stigma, and improves connection during periods of vulnerability.
The UAS model demonstrates how flexible, community-based aftercare can strengthen rural suicide prevention through continuity, connection, and lived experience leadership, while highlighting broader implications for rural mental health service integration.
Biography
Dean Skelson is a mental health and community services leader with experience across suicide prevention, psychosocial support, youth mental health, and family services in Queensland and New South Wales. His work spans frontline practice through to service leadership, with a focus on improving continuity of care, strengthening community-based responses, and addressing gaps between service systems and lived experience. Dean currently supports the establishment and delivery of the Universal Aftercare Service in Southwest Queensland, working across rural and remote communities to strengthen suicide prevention pathways, peer-led support, and integration between hospital, primary mental health, and community services.
