In 2025, The Men’s Table received funding for the implementation of 12 new Tables from Queensland Mental Health Commission (QMHC), The Wilson Foundation and Gold Coast Primary Health Network. This evaluation project was commissioned by QMHC as part of the Every Life Phase Two Queensland Suicide Prevention Plan 2019-2029.

The Every Life Phase Two Queensland Suicide Prevention Plan 2019–2029 provides a whole-of-government and whole-of-community framework for suicide prevention, emphasising collaboration, cross-sector partnerships, and collective action (QMHC, 2026). In alignment with Action 16 of the strategy ‘develop strategies to address contributors to male suicide, including servicing appropriateness, service gaps and system navigation’, TMT commissioned James Cook University (JCU) to undertake an independent evaluation of the new Tables implemented across Queensland between June 2024 and November 2025, with evaluation activity continuing beyond implementation to July 2026.

This evaluation was designed to assess the process, impact, and outcomes of the MT program for the 12 newly funded Qld Tables. It examined whether the model is working, how it is experienced by participants, and what is needed to strengthen and scale the approach across Qld.

Rather than focusing solely on outcomes, the evaluation considered the full participant journey, from how men first hear about and access TMT, through to the changes they experience over time, and the extent to which Tables can be sustained in diverse community contexts. A key component of this evaluation was to look at suicide risk and protective factors, and how TMT is influencing these in Table members.