Lyn Simpson

Development of ACROSSnet: an online support system for rural and remote community suicide prevention workers in Queensland, Australia

Communication and information technologies can reduce the barriers of distance and space that disadvantage communities in Australias underserved rural areas, where the health status of residents is often worse than that of their urban counterparts. ACROSSnet (Australians Creating Rural Online Support Systems) is a 3 year collaborative action research project that aims to design and develop an online support system that will assist rural communities in accessing information, education and support regarding suicide and its prevention, whilst considering the challenges of Internet speed, cost and availability that can impede the delivery of online services. The site provides three distinct levels of access: one level for community members, and two further levels for appropriately credentialled mental health workers. In creating this environment, the ACROSSnet team hopes that online communities of practice will develop, engaging participants of different ages, income and education levels, location, and socioeconomic backgrounds.

Rural Telework: Case Studies from the Australian Outback

This paper examines the effects of infrastructure and isolation on rural telework, and the potential of telework for rural communities. It draws on findings from two Australian case studies: a government initiative and a community-initiated training project. Differences between the experiences of rural and urban teleworkers are highlighted.

More than Just an Internet Connection: Building Rural Social Capital through Public Access

Abstract Public access points have become potentially important community resources in rural communities. Governments and other organisations are leaning gradually more towards webbased service delivery, and information and support relating to core life concerns such as health and education are increasingly to be found online. In this environment, lack of access has significant equity implications. The exclusion of more marginalised members of the community deepens the digital divide and decreases community stocks of social capital. In exploring ways to maximise the potential of public access points to equitably provide Internet access across rural communities, we drew on a theoretical framework that emphasises the role of soft technologies, social infrastructure, and a partnership model of community development as key elements in building community social capital. Social capital is, in turn, an enabler that further facilitates community development and, specifically, in the context of this paper, successful implementation of a public access point.

Creating opportunities: good practice in small business training for Australian rural women

Abstract While social and economic changes have altered the conditions and structuring of womens employment in rural areas, the opportunities for women to respond to these changes have been hampered by problems of isolation. The Small Business Skills for Rural and Regionally Isolated Women Projectwas an Australian project undertaken to address the resulting problem of low participation and completion rates of isolated rural women in vocational education and small business training programs. This article identifies the particular training needs of isolated rural women, explores barriers to their participation in vocational education, and provides a matrix of good practice elements for small business training programs aimed at this target group.

Gendered Identities and Caring: Health Intermediaries and Technology in Rural and Remote Queensland

Rural and remote communities experience significant hardship in terms of the ready availability of high level emergency health care, access to resources, supportive technology, and high staff turnover, resulting in gaps in both initial service provision and ongoing support. In this context, local people with health knowledge or caring skills can play an important bridging role. Non-clinical health workers, allied and community health, social workers, and other community members may work to fill the provision gaps, providing information and support to community members, in many cases over and above their paid responsibilities. These people can be defined as health intermediaries; they act as mediators between the health system (or lack thereof) and the individual needs of community members, providing information and support in ways that best suit the individual and his or her specific context.

'We're all out there busting our guts, trying to do the best that we can for our people': Health Intermediaries in Australian Indigenous Communities

In a research project called ‘Partnering with Community Information Intermediaries to Deliver Health Information in Rural, Regional and Remote Australia’,2 we investigated health information seeking and sharing in rural and remote communities in the state of Queensland. During the project we were particularly drawn to the experiences of Aboriginal Health Workers (AHWs) who, as health information intermediaries in their communities, were charged with addressing the circumstances of extreme disadvantage faced by Indigenous Australians as described above. We interviewed 33 health workers (Aboriginal and white) who are involved in Indigenous health services3 about their roles in mediating between the orthodox, Western medical system and Indigenous ways of understanding health and about the impact of their work on the overall health and well-being of their communities.

The development of a Web site to promote the mental and physical health of sons and daughters of Vietnam Veterans of Australia

Abstract There are estimated to be approximately 85,000 Australian Sons and Daughters of Australian Vietnam Veterans,1 a group recognized as having a substantially higher rate of suicide than the general Australian population.2 The Sons and Daughters of Vietnam Veterans of Australia (SDVVA) Web site http://www.sonsanddaughters.net.au was developed to harness the computer literacy of this age group by featuring an online support group that enables discussions, access to information and resources about Australias involvement in the Vietnam War, and provides the ability of Sons and Daughters to share experiences with each other. The conceptualization and early development of the Web site was well received by the SDVVA during state-based focus groups, particularly given the complete lack of targeted Web-based information and online support groups. This project is an example of participatory action research (PAR) methodology that was successful in developing the early stages of a community of practice (CoP). This paper discusses how online technologies can be implemented to build a sense of community, trust, and shared values in individuals at higher risk of suicide. It also describes why PAR was chosen as a methodology to meet the challenges and needs of this particular project.