Joint Regional Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Plan 2026 – 2029

Give your views on how to make the mental health system in regional and remote South Australia fit for the future.

What's being decided?

Country SA PHN and the Department for Health and Wellbeing (SA Health) are working together to develop a Joint Regional Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Plan 2026 – 2029 (Joint Regional Plan) for country South Australia. To do this, we have launched ‘Working together for the mental health of country South Australia’ – a conversation to develop the 3-year plan. We want to make sure that people in Country SA have access to the best possible care, now and into the future.

The Joint Regional Plan is part of the State and Federal Governments shared vision to build a mental health system that understands and responds to the priority health needs of local communities. The plan will be informed by people with a lived experience of mental illness, their families and carers, along with service providers and the broader community. The Joint Regional Plan should identify ways to effectively plan for how services should be developed, to meet gaps and find new ways of working to improve mental health and social and emotional wellbeing outcomes for people in our communities.

We invite you to have your say to help build a mental health system for country South Australian’s that is fit for the future. The consultation is open to everyone, whether you live in regional or remote South Australia, work for an organisation that provides mental health programs, have lived experience of mental health, or are a family, carer, or friend of someone with mental health concerns. We want to hear from you!

Background

Building on the Country SA PHN Needs Assessment Report 2025-2028, mental health services should be accessible for people living in rural and remote regions, responsive for people experiencing suicidal distress or crisis, and provide support options that are matched to an individual’s needs. We want to understand more about factors impacting access to appropriate and responsive mental health services, including early intervention and prevention, for people of all ages in regional South Australia. This will assist future collaborative planning by Country SA PHN and SA Health to address regional priorities and identify what is working well to deliver positive results in regional and remote communities.

Anyone is welcome to provide feedback on their experience or interactions with health services, however we a particularly interested to hear from:

  • People living in country South Australia;
  • People with lived experience of mental illness, suicide or suicidal distress;
  • People who have interacted or accessed mental health services in regional and remote South Australia, including family, carers and friends; and
  • Organisations that work with or represent the above groups

This survey acknowledges that mental health and mental-ill health are terms that do not encompass the holistic nature of wellbeing that is important for First Nations people. Therefore, the concept of social and emotional wellbeing is referred to in recognition of the holistic nature of wellbeing and the source of resilience and protective factors against mental health challenges and suicide for First Nations people.

Get involved

Share your views, experiences and ideas, and be part of the conversation to support the wellbeing and mental health for people living in regional and remote South Australia.

Find out more:

Have your say by:

  • take our short survey to join the conversation and share your views and ideas.
  • the survey should take 15-20 minutes to complete and is anonymous and confidential.

What are the next steps?

We will complete the Joint Regional Plan by early 2026 and publish it on the Country SA PHN website.

The Joint Regional Plan will inform Country SA PHNs and SA Health’s future services planning and help shape the future services we provide in country South Australia.

Give your views on how to make the mental health system in regional and remote South Australia fit for the future.

What's being decided?

Country SA PHN and the Department for Health and Wellbeing (SA Health) are working together to develop a Joint Regional Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Plan 2026 – 2029 (Joint Regional Plan) for country South Australia. To do this, we have launched ‘Working together for the mental health of country South Australia’ – a conversation to develop the 3-year plan. We want to make sure that people in Country SA have access to the best possible care, now and into the future.

The Joint Regional Plan is part of the State and Federal Governments shared vision to build a mental health system that understands and responds to the priority health needs of local communities. The plan will be informed by people with a lived experience of mental illness, their families and carers, along with service providers and the broader community. The Joint Regional Plan should identify ways to effectively plan for how services should be developed, to meet gaps and find new ways of working to improve mental health and social and emotional wellbeing outcomes for people in our communities.

We invite you to have your say to help build a mental health system for country South Australian’s that is fit for the future. The consultation is open to everyone, whether you live in regional or remote South Australia, work for an organisation that provides mental health programs, have lived experience of mental health, or are a family, carer, or friend of someone with mental health concerns. We want to hear from you!

Background

Building on the Country SA PHN Needs Assessment Report 2025-2028, mental health services should be accessible for people living in rural and remote regions, responsive for people experiencing suicidal distress or crisis, and provide support options that are matched to an individual’s needs. We want to understand more about factors impacting access to appropriate and responsive mental health services, including early intervention and prevention, for people of all ages in regional South Australia. This will assist future collaborative planning by Country SA PHN and SA Health to address regional priorities and identify what is working well to deliver positive results in regional and remote communities.

Anyone is welcome to provide feedback on their experience or interactions with health services, however we a particularly interested to hear from:

  • People living in country South Australia;
  • People with lived experience of mental illness, suicide or suicidal distress;
  • People who have interacted or accessed mental health services in regional and remote South Australia, including family, carers and friends; and
  • Organisations that work with or represent the above groups

This survey acknowledges that mental health and mental-ill health are terms that do not encompass the holistic nature of wellbeing that is important for First Nations people. Therefore, the concept of social and emotional wellbeing is referred to in recognition of the holistic nature of wellbeing and the source of resilience and protective factors against mental health challenges and suicide for First Nations people.

Get involved

Share your views, experiences and ideas, and be part of the conversation to support the wellbeing and mental health for people living in regional and remote South Australia.

Find out more:

Have your say by:

  • take our short survey to join the conversation and share your views and ideas.
  • the survey should take 15-20 minutes to complete and is anonymous and confidential.

What are the next steps?

We will complete the Joint Regional Plan by early 2026 and publish it on the Country SA PHN website.

The Joint Regional Plan will inform Country SA PHNs and SA Health’s future services planning and help shape the future services we provide in country South Australia.

Page last updated: 30 May 2025, 02:58 PM