Staff Experiences Delivering Hospital Outreach Post‐Suicidal Engagement ( HOPE ) in a Regional Context: A Qualitative Study

Suicide rates remain disproportionately high in regional Australia, where geographical, workforce and service-system constraints can limit access to post-suicidal care. This study explored staff experiences of delivering the Hospital Outreach Post-Suicidal Engagement (HOPE) program across three regional hospital sites in Victoria, Australia. Semi-structured individual interviews and one focus group were conducted with 16 HOPE staff, including nurses, peer workers, psychosocial support staff and allied health professionals. Data were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis, with reporting guided by the COnsolidated criteria for REporting Qualitative research (COREQ) checklist. Four themes were identified: regional influences on HOPE service delivery; adaptations to individual consumer needs; workforce capacity and teamwork; and HOPE's integration with the broader healthcare system. Staff valued HOPE's multidisciplinary and person-centred approach but identified barriers associated with geographical distance, infrastructure, workforce capacity and fragmented service pathways. The findings demonstrate how regional context shapes the delivery of post-suicidal care and highlight the importance of adequately resourced, flexible and integrated service models. These findings have implications for multidisciplinary HOPE practice, workforce planning and continuity of post-suicidal care across regional communities.