Neami National

A project team was developed by Neami National staff, led by then Regional Manager, James Bell. Neami National is an experienced provider delivering specialist community and clinical mental health support, homelessness and suicide prevention services.

The wicked problem the project team were trying to solve was ‘How can people access help earlier or prior to experiencing suicidal distress within Strathpine QLD’. Through implementing a series of design thinking tools and processes with end users, a Wellbeing Warrior Website and tool kit was conceptualised. The end goal of the solution was to support people earlier in the experiences prior to distress and enhance engagement with natural supports outside of the service system. This is achieved through the website which will enable users to identify, assess and plan for both their emotional and wellbeing needs.

What is the wicked problem you explored?
How can people access help earlier or prior to experiencing suicidal distress within Strathpine QLD.

Human centred design thinking – what this looked like
The project utilised the following human centered design thinking tools and processes:
literature scanning, individual Interviews with services users and staff, interviews with people outside of the service system, personas, journey mapping, the Pugh Decision Matrix, focus groups and, prototyping.

Wellbeing First principles the project aligns to:

  • People being able to access help earlier or prior to experiencing suicidal distress within their community.
  • For people to be able to access natural supports that aren’t reliant on services.

What you have learnt

Individual interviews
Structuring interviews with prospective users was a helpful approach to ground our understanding of the user’s needs, wants and desires. However, using a journey map approach was problematic, as wellbeing and distress do not operate on a continuum.

A need to engage ‘non-service-related cohorts’ to expand solutions and thinking
Two thirds through the project, there was a recognition that we had predominantly sought the views and standpoints of either consumers or staff who had been directly and solely involved in the service system. This was causing a bias towards developing solutions that were reliant on services. Consultation with end users needs to incorporate diverse standpoints outside the service system.

Proto-type, and then proto-type some more
The proto-typing process was dynamic and consisted of a lot of reworking and learning.

Current project status and next steps
The design team is seeking funding for the Wellbeing Warrior website. This site will be further tested with users as part of the roll out of the Wellbeing First – Wellbeing Warrior website solution.

Contributed by Wellbeing First Innovation participant, James Bell
Director – Safety & Homelessness
Neami National