Michael Elwan - Lived Experience Solutions LEXs

04/12/2025

Yesterday, I co-facilitated the first session of a 𝘁𝘄𝗼-𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝘀𝗵𝗼𝗽 𝗼𝗻 𝗺𝘂𝗹𝘁𝗶𝗰𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵 𝗶𝗻 𝗔𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗮. We built this workshop from scratch; co-created with care, lived experience, and a shared refusal to do this work superficially.

From the first moments, the room told us something mattered.

For two and a half hours, people spoke with courage and clarity; not in borrowed clinical language, but in the language of real lives. Stories shaped by migration, family, faith, silence, and survival. Safety didn’t need to be explained. It was felt.

We sat with a truth many multicultural communities live every day. 𝗪𝗲 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲𝗹𝘃𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝘄𝗶𝗰𝗲. First, into biomedical language so the system will listen. Then back again, to protect meaning, dignity, and cultural sense-making. That translation is a skill, often learned through necessity. But it should not be a lifelong burden placed only on individuals. Learning the system is important. So is insisting the system learns from us.

Another moment landed quietly but powerfully. Seeking help does not dilute culture, loyalty, or strength. It stretches what becomes possible. When that permission comes from others who genuinely understand the complexity, something releases. Breath comes back into the room.

Co-facilitating alongside Maria Almudena Jimenez Rodriguez made this space what it was. Her depth, warmth, and cultural intelligence invited reflection rather than performance. We held the space together. The group filled it with insight, honesty, and care.

Time moved strangely. Two and a half hours passed in what felt like minutes.

𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘄𝗲 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗶𝘀𝗵𝗲𝗱, 𝗻𝗼 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘃𝗲.

That’s how you know something real happened.
When people don’t have to choose between their culture and their care.
When translation becomes a bridge, not a burden.
When we work with the system as it is, while holding it accountable for what it must become.

This is why we build spaces like this.

With deep appreciation to the WA Recovery College Alliance - WARCA for championing learning grounded in recovery and dignity; to HelpingMinds for leadership anchored in community; and to the Western Australian Mental Health Commission for backing recovery-oriented, community-led approaches across Western Australia.

28/11/2025

𝗜 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗲𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗱 𝗮 𝗺𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗸 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗺𝗲𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝗜 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗱.

The Hon Meredith Hammat, Minister for Mental Health, delivered a formal statement in the WA Parliament recognising the winners of the 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟱 𝗪𝗔 𝗠𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵 𝗔𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱𝘀.

As someone who arrived in Australia alone in my late twenties, rebuilt life from the ground up, and later founded Experience Solutions - LEXs in honour of my mother, hearing this acknowledgment in Parliament carries a quiet weight. It’s a reminder of how lived experience, migration, community, and cultural identity shape not only who we are, but how we lead.

The Minister’s statement recognised all award recipients and finalists across Western Australia, and highlighted the shared commitment to building mental-health systems that hold people with dignity.

𝗜’𝘃𝗲 𝘄𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝗮 𝗳𝘂𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗿 𝗿𝗲𝗳𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲:

𝗜 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗲𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗱 𝗮 𝗺𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗸 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗺𝗲𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝗜 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗱.

The Hon Meredith Hammat, Minister for Mental Health, delivered a formal statement in the WA Parliament recognising the winners of the 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟱 𝗪𝗔 𝗠𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵 𝗔𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱𝘀.

As someone who arrived in Australia alone in my late twenties, rebuilt life from the ground up, and later founded Lived Experience Solutions - LEXs in honour of my mother, hearing this acknowledgment in Parliament carries a quiet weight. It’s a reminder of how lived experience, migration, community, and cultural identity shape not only who we are, but how we lead.

The Minister’s statement recognised all award recipients and finalists across Western Australia, and highlighted the shared commitment to building mental-health systems that hold people with dignity.

𝗜’𝘃𝗲 𝘄𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝗮 𝗳𝘂𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗿 𝗿𝗲𝗳𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲:

https://www.lexs.com.au/post/wa-mental-health-award-parliament-congratulations

My thanks to Minister Meredith Hammat MLA and to the team at Western Australian Association for Mental Health. The work continues, and moments like this help light the path a little further.

Award-winning social worker, national advisor, and PhD researcher Michael Elwan receives WA Mental Health Award congratulations in WA Parliament.

26/11/2025

𝗔𝗺𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗹𝗮𝗿𝗴𝗲𝗿 𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗱-𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗳𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀, 𝘀𝗼𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗮𝗶𝗻𝘀 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗲𝘄 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗿𝗲𝗴𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻. Some say it’s overdue. Others fear it could narrow who we are. Both views have truth in them.

The debate is louder than ever, yet the real question runs deeper; how do we protect the public and protect the cultural depth, lived experience and justice-orientation that define our profession?

I’ve written a long-form reflection on the push for social work registration in Australia - what it could strengthen, what it cannot fix, and who might be left behind if we get this wrong.

It’s honest, careful, and grounded in the voices I hear every day across CaLD communities, lived experience spaces, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander networks, clinical teams and community services.

𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝘂𝗹𝗹 𝗽𝗶𝗲𝗰𝗲 𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲: https://www.lexs.com.au/post/social-work-registration-australia

If you work in social work, study it, supervise it, or rely on it, this conversation affects you. I especially welcome insights from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander practitioners, multicultural social workers, overseas-qualified colleagues and lived experience leaders whose perspectives are often missing from national debates.

This is a moment of possibility. If we approach it with clarity and courage, we can build a regulatory model that strengthens (not shrinks) who we are.

Award-winning social worker, national advisor, and PhD researcher Michael Elwan examines the debate on social work registration Australia and what it means for the profession

26/11/2025

I’m pleased to share that I’ve joined the 𝗡𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗠𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗰𝗲 𝗔𝗱𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗡𝗲𝘁𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸, supporting the implementation of Australia’s 𝘕𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘔𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘭 𝘏𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘵𝘩 𝘞𝘰𝘳𝘬𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘤𝘦 𝘚𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘨𝘺 2022–2032.

The network brings together people from every corner of the mental-health system; clinicians, lived experience advocates, educators, First Nations representatives, community leaders, and policy specialists. Its purpose is to offer grounded advice, highlight emerging issues, and help shape a workforce that is skilled, diverse, culturally responsive, and supported to do work that changes lives.

For me, this connects deeply with the work I do through Lived Experience Solutions - LEXs; strengthening multicultural mental-health practice, supporting practitioners, and amplifying lived experience leadership across Australia. The Advisory Network offers another way to ensure the realities I see every day in therapy, supervision, and community work are reflected in national conversations about workforce transformation.

It’s a chance to lift up the voices and experiences of multicultural communities, lived experience practitioners, and families navigating the long shadow between systems and stories. Workforce transformation remains one of our strongest levers for building care that holds people rather than harms them.

𝗜’𝘃𝗲 𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗮 𝗱𝗲𝗲𝗽𝗲𝗿 𝗿𝗲𝗳𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲: https://www.lexs.com.au/post/national-mental-health-workforce-advisory-network

Grateful to contribute alongside so many dedicated people working to strengthen Australia’s mental-health workforce, and appreciative of Mental Health Australia’s role in coordinating this important national conversation.

Award-winning social worker, national advisor, and PhD researcher Michael Elwan joins the National Mental Health Workforce Advisory Network to support Australia’s Strategy

21/11/2025

𝗜 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗻𝗲𝘄𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗹𝘀 𝗮 𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘁𝗹𝗲 𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹.

Yesterday, I was named the 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟱 𝗔𝗔𝗦𝗪 𝗦𝗼𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗬𝗲𝗮𝗿.

It’s the highest individual recognition in our profession, and I’m still taking in what it means. When the AASW phoned to tell me the result, I felt a mix of gratitude, disbelief, and a quiet sense of honour for everyone whose stories shaped this path: my family in Alexandria, the communities I grew up with, the people who trusted me with their grief and healing, and the colleagues who walk beside me in this work.

This award isn’t mine alone. It reflects the strength of lived experience, the persistence of multicultural communities who continue to push for justice, and a shared belief that mental-health systems can be places that hold, not harm.

Thank you to the Australian Association of Social Workers (AASW) for this recognition. And thank you to every person who has opened the door to co-creation, cultural humility, and gentler systems of care.

I’ve written a fuller reflection on my website; you can read it here:
https://www.lexs.com.au/post/aasw-social-worker-of-the-year-michael-elwan

I’m carrying this moment with gratitude and responsibility. There is more work to do; this gives me fuel to keep going.

***deprevention

Award-winning social worker, national advisor, and PhD researcher Michael Elwan is named the 2025 AASW Social Worker of the Year, recognising national leadership.

17/11/2025

Recently, I shared a piece of writing that sits close to my heart. The ALIVE National Centre has published my reflection, 𝘈 𝘚𝘰𝘯 𝘈𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘚𝘶𝘪𝘤𝘪𝘥𝘦: 𝘓𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘚𝘪𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦, and I’ve written a companion piece on my LEXs blog about why silence shapes so many of our stories in multicultural families, and what it teaches us about care, culture, and connection.

Silence is often misunderstood in mental health. People see avoidance; I’ve seen protection. People see disengagement; I’ve seen fear, fatigue, and the weight of carrying distress across borders and generations. My own journey began in Alexandria when I became a young carer. Years later, after migrating to Australia, I learned that silence looks different in different systems, yet the impact is often the same. Someone feels unseen.

Sharing this reflection reminded me why I continue this work across practice, research, and policy. When we meet silence with curiosity rather than judgement, we create space for people to speak in their own time and in their own language. That is the heart of culturally responsive mental health care.

If you’d like to read more, I’ve written about these ideas here:
https://www.lexs.com.au/post/multicultural-mental-health-storytelling-michael-elwan

Thank you to The ALIVE National Centre team for their care in bringing this piece to life.

***deprevention

Award-winning social worker, national advisor, and PhD researcher Michael Elwan reflects on multicultural mental health storytelling and the lessons held in silence.

16/11/2025

I’m really pleased to share that I’ll be presenting at the Service Users in Academia Symposium 2025. My presentation "𝘍𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘛𝘰𝘬𝘦𝘯𝘪𝘴𝘮 𝘵𝘰 𝘛𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘴𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯: 𝘏𝘰𝘸 𝘈𝘭𝘭𝘺𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘱 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘊𝘶𝘭𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘢𝘭 𝘚𝘢𝘧𝘦𝘵𝘺 𝘏𝘦𝘭𝘱𝘦𝘥 𝘔𝘦 𝘛𝘩𝘳𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘈𝘤𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘮𝘪𝘢", explores what can happen when lived experience leadership is met with genuine allyship and cultural safety.

The heart of this presentation is simple. Too often, lived experience voices are included but not truly heard. My own journey could have gone that way, but it didn’t, thanks to the support of remarkable people who walked beside me rather than ahead of me.

I want to acknowledge my PhD supervisors - Russell Roberts, Belinda Cash, and Tania Pearce. Their presence, patience, and cultural humility changed the way I think about what academic spaces can be. They modelled what allyship looks like when it is grounded in relationship and shared values. I’m grateful for their guidance and the space they created for me to bring my whole self into the work.

My path into academia began far from a university campus. I migrated to Australia in my late twenties and restarted my life from the ground up; from peer work and residential support to case management, contract management, and senior leadership. Alongside that, I built my academic pathway step by step, from a Cert IV in Community Services to postgraduate study, two MicroMasters, and now a PhD at Charles Sturt University focused on lived experience leadership.

These experiences led me to establish Lived Experience Solutions - LEXs, where I support individuals, teams, and organisations to build cultures that value lived experience as expertise, not story material.

If you’re attending Service Users Academia Symposium 2025 or working in this space, I’d love to connect.

Read more here:

Award-winning social worker, national advisor, and PhD researcher Michael Elwan presents on lived experience leadership in academia at the Service Users in Academia Symposium (SUAS) 2025.

09/11/2025

Supervision isn’t neutral - it either sees us or it silences us.

I’m excited to be delivering a 𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗼𝗻𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 the Australian Association of Social Workers (𝗔𝗔𝗦𝗪) on July 2026:

𝗦𝘂𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗧𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗦𝗲𝗲𝘀 𝗠𝗲 - 𝗖𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗦𝘂𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗖𝗮𝗟𝗗 𝗦𝗼𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗲𝗿𝘀.

Together, we’ll explore how culture and identity shape supervision, and practise reflective tools that help supervisors build belonging and cultural safety into every conversation.

Learn more and register via my website:
https://www.lexs.com.au/post/culturally-responsive-social-work-supervision

Supervision is never neutral; it either sees us or silences us. For social workers from culturally and linguistically diverse (CaLD) backgrounds, supervision can be a place of validation - or invisibility.That’s why I’m inviting social work supervisors, managers, and allied professionals across ...

02/11/2025

𝗪𝗲’𝗿𝗲 𝗽𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗵𝗲𝗱! 📘

Proud to share that our new paper, “𝘊𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘷𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘥𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘈𝘶𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘢𝘯 𝘕𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘖𝘶𝘵𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘊𝘢𝘴𝘦𝘮𝘪𝘹 𝘊𝘰𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 (𝘕𝘖𝘊𝘊) 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘈𝘥𝘶𝘭𝘵 𝘔𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘭 𝘏𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘵𝘩” has just been released through the Journal of Psychosocial Rehabilitation and Mental Health (Springer Nature).

Our study explored whether the tools Australia uses to measure “𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘭 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘵𝘩 𝘰𝘶𝘵𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘴” actually reflect how people live and function - not just how they feel. By mapping each measure to the World Health Organization (WHO)’s framework for functioning, we found that the current national tools focus heavily on symptoms, while often overlooking key parts of recovery: daily life, relationships, community connection, and the environments that support or hinder wellbeing.

This matters because what gets measured shapes what gets valued -and what gets funded.

If we want a genuinely recovery-oriented and culturally responsive mental health system, our outcome measures need to capture more than distress. They need to measure life, participation, and belonging.

Grateful to my co-authors and colleagues for their insight, collaboration, and persistence in bringing this work to life.

https://www.lexs.com.au/post/michael-elwan-mental-health-outcomes-australia

Our new peer-reviewed paper, co-authored by Michael Elwan, has been published in the Journal of Psychosocial Rehabilitation and Mental Health. The study explores how Australia measures recovery in its public mental health system - and what might be missing when we rely solely on symptom-based tools....

30/10/2025

𝘍𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘴𝘪𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘺𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘮𝘴 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦 - 𝘮𝘺 𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘴𝘵 𝘱𝘪𝘦𝘤𝘦 𝘢𝘴 𝘞𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘳-𝘪𝘯-𝘙𝘦𝘴𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘰𝘶𝘵.

At fourteen, I became my father’s eyes. Decades later, I’ve finally found the words for what that meant.

My first piece as Writer-in-Residence with the The The ALIVE National Centre for Mental Health Research Translation is now published: 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘉𝘰𝘺 𝘞𝘩𝘰 𝘉𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘢 𝘊𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘳: 𝘚𝘦𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘗𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘉𝘦𝘺𝘰𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘊𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘤

It’s a story about caregiving, grief, and the invisible work that holds families together when systems don’t. But more than that, it’s about how prevention begins - not with diagnosis - but with attention.

I wrote this for every carer, son, daughter, and clinician who has ever carried too much in silence. And for the professionals designing systems who want to do better by those who hold the unseen weight.

https://www.lexs.com.au/post/young-carer-mental-health-australia

At fourteen, I became my father’s eyes. That single moment - when he turned toward my voice and said, “I cannot see” - rearranged my world. This week, I’m honoured to share my first published piece as Writer-in-Residence with the ALIVE National Centre for Mental Health Research Translation. ...

23/10/2025

https://www.linkedin.com/posts/findingnorthau_men-we-want-to-hear-from-you-activity-7386302728395927553-TTcO?utm_source=social_share_send&utm_medium=member_desktop_web&rcm=ACoAABaQJGEBPd6uBnBEA_IK5JZ-ZzPS3wtcgkY

Too many men are struggling in silence 👨🏻🧔🏽‍♂️👴🏿 Michael Elwan is a son, carer and a man who has lived the cost of that silence. He speaks openly about his experiences to help break stigma. You can be a part of that change. Give us your perspective at the Perspectives 2026 Co...

13/10/2025

𝗜’𝗺 𝗵𝘂𝗺𝗯𝗹𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗜’𝘃𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗻𝗮𝗺𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟱 𝗪𝗔 𝗠𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵 𝗔𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗪𝗶𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗿 - 𝗟𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗱 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗰𝘁 & 𝗜𝗻𝘀𝗽𝗶𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻, 𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗼𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗪𝗔 𝗠𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻.

This recognition means more than words can hold. It’s a reminder that even the hardest beginnings can become something that helps others heal.

I was born in 𝗔𝗹𝗲𝘅𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗿𝗶𝗮, 𝗘𝗴𝘆𝗽𝘁, into a family that knew both love and loss. At fourteen, I became my father’s carer after a stroke left him blind. Two years later, I lost him - and then cared for my mother through her own mental health challenges until she ended her life.

Grief was my first teacher.
Silence was my first language.
But purpose became my way through.

When I migrated to 𝗔𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗮 in my late twenties, I started again; alone, rebuilding life from the ground up, working nights, studying by day, learning a new culture and a new self.

Fifteen years later, that journey has led to this moment; where my lived experience has become both my work and my calling.

Through Lived Experience Solutions - LEXs, I partner with people, communities, and systems to bridge culture, lived experience, and care; creating spaces where people feel seen, supported, and safe to heal.

This year, I was also honoured to be named a 𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘀𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗔𝗔𝗦𝗪 𝗡𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗘𝘅𝗰𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗔𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱𝘀 (𝗦𝗼𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗬𝗲𝗮𝗿), the 𝗕𝗮𝗿𝗯𝗮𝗿𝗮 𝗛𝗼𝗰𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗠𝗲𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗔𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱 (𝗥 𝗨 𝗢𝗞? 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿), and the 𝗦𝗶𝗿 𝗥𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹𝗱 𝗪𝗶𝗹𝘀𝗼𝗻 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝗔𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱 (𝗪𝗔 𝗠𝘂𝗹𝘁𝗶𝗰𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗔𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱𝘀).

These recognitions remind me that 𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗱 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗮 𝗹𝗶𝗺𝗶𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 - 𝗶𝘁’𝘀 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽. It’s proof that stories like ours can shift systems, change minds, and open hearts.

Thank you to Western Australian Association for Mental Health, the Western Australian Mental Health Commission, and every person who continues to turn pain into purpose.

To those still finding their voice - your story matters.

This week, I was deeply honoured to receive the 2025 WA Mental Health Award for Lived Experience Impact & Inspiration, sponsored by the WA Mental Health Commission. The award recognises the work I do through Lived Experience Solutions (LEXs) - supporting people and organisations to move from silence...