Jacinta Hawgood

Dr. Jacinta Hawgood is Senior Lecturer and Program Director of Suicidology at the Australian Institute for Suicide Research and Prevention (AISRAP), where she has worked since 2000. Jacinta has a passion for supporting people in suicidal distress as well as their families, and educating those who work in suicide prevention, from service providers to policy makers. She is a recognised national and international expert in psychosocial needs-based assessment and suicide prevention education and her work in suicidology spans nearly 25 years.

Jacinta commenced her career in social work in Juvenile Justice and then moved into clinical psychology working first in Charters Towers and outreach towns in Western Qld, before moving to AISRAP (in January 2000) where she remains today. Her research passion is in psychosocial needs-based assessment, impacts of this work on the workforce and suicide prevention training design and evaluation. She is also focused on understanding the critical role of lived experience in forming the evidence base for suicide prevention and personal suicide stigma impacts. She is director of AISRAPs post graduate suicidology programs, has published over 40 articles, 1 book and 2 book chapters and has presented numerous invited keynote and other presentations at state, national and international conferences in the field.

Current and future research projects

- Community mental health and industry based competencies in psychosocial needs-based assessment processes – Yes industry partners, yes, HDR

- Impacts of suicide and suicide attempt on the worker (clinical and non-clinical) - Yes industry partners, yes, HDR

- Lived experience integration and collaboration in the suicide prevention sector - Yes industry partners, yes, HDR