General News
30 July, 2025
Trial addresses distress support
PEOPLE living in the Mareeba Shire and Atherton Tablelands regions who are feeling overwhelmed by everyday life will soon have a new kind of community support to turn to.
Northern Queensland Primary Health Network (NQPHN) is introducing Distress Brief Support, a community-based trial designed to help people navigate life’s everyday pressures - before it gets too much.
The trial, one of only two Queensland sites selected for the national roll out, will be delivered by the Mareeba Community Centre and Beacon Strategies.
NQPHN chief executive officer Ben Tooth said Distress Brief Support wasn’t a traditional mental health or suicide prevention service or program.
“Distress Brief Support is about connection to community support for people who might not walk into a formal service, but would turn up to a barbecue, sewing club, or Men’s Shed, where conversations naturally happen,” he said.
“This approach has been co-designed with community organisations and community members, and we are pleased to work with Mareeba Community Centre and Beacon Strategies, so people can get support from their communities through their everyday interactions.”
Distress Brief Support includes two elements: community engagement points, which offer immediate compassionate support; and a short-term team that provides support for up to three weeks and connections to longer-term services if needed.
Mareeba Community Centre Inc will deliver the short-term support across the communities.
Chief executive officer Julie Theakston said the team would provide a non-clinical, holistic approach for people experiencing distress.
Beacon Strategies will be the connection to local “engagement points”, such as neighbourhood centres, sporting clubs, or healthcare providers and will provide information needed by these groups to confidently refer people on to the short-term support team.
“Strengthening the capacity of these local touchpoints is essential in addressing distress because it can’t be left to mental health and suicide prevention services alone,” Beacon’s chief executive officer Mitch Stalker said.
“We know from community feedback that local knowledge and trust are central to making this project work.
“We want to ensure the support provided to community engagement points is grounded in local context, relationships, and insight, and reflects what the community has told NQPHN they value most.”
Recruitment for the local positions is now underway with service delivery expected to begin in the coming months.
More information about the initiative can be found on NQPHN’s website.
