Communication and information technologies can reduce the barriers of distance and space that disadvantage communities in Australia’s 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.

Item Type:	Refereed Article
Keywords:	Mental health worker, rural and remote communities, Queensland, online support, suicide prevention
Research Division:	Medical and Health Sciences
Research Group:	Public Health and Health Services
Research Field:	Mental Health
Objective Division:	Health
Objective Group:	Health and Support Services
Objective Field:	Health and Support Services not elsewhere classified
Author:	Banks, SM (Ms Susan Banks)
ID Code:	93730
Year Published:	2005
Deposited By:	Social Sciences
Deposited On:	2014-08-13
Last Modified:	2018-08-06
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