St Vincent’s Mental Health & Wellbeing service sought to create ways in which families, carers & supporters would be included as core business.

We identified pockets of good practice of carer inclusion, however the service as a whole lacked direction and the support of formal documentation representing our intention to support and engage carers as core business.

The idea of having a service wide carers as core business vision statement as our promise to carers was born.

Over 12 months we worked with members of our families, carers and supporters committee. This committee included carer representatives and carer lived experience workers. We referenced international and local carer literature to develop our own version. We sound-boarded with clinical staff and managers.

Once the content was finalised, we utilised a graphic designer to turn our intentions into a visually appealing representation of our promise to carers.

The result is a co-designed statement that explains our intention of embedding carers as core business within our service.

This poster is now used to strategically engage with teams throughout the service on continuous improvement, carer & supporter engagement, and service design and delivery.

A key focus of the Royal Commission into Victoria's Mental Health System was the embedding of Lived and Living Experience Perspectives across Mental Health Services.
As members of the Monash Health Mental Health Reform Team, Leanne and Leah made the decision in May last year to collaborate on the development of educational materials, co-present to the workforce, co-chair for MHWA champions within the service and co-present education on Advance Statement of Preferences.
Clinician and Consumer collaboration is directly keeping in-line with recommendations from Victoria's Royal Commission into Mental Health 2019.
Through this collaboration the consumer voice has been amplified in terms of being more visible by clinicians on the floor.
This was also an opportunity to model for the service an example of how collaboration could be beneficial for all involved. Cross pollination of skills, experience and knowledge allowed for a richer understanding into the MHWA 2022 as well as the consumer experience.

The lived experience of accessing support for mental health does not always match the experience that services intend to provide. The result can be a complex and overwhelming patchwork of well-intentioned offerings from the private, public, not-for-profit and community sectors that alienates the very people who would benefit most from those services.

Rectifying this counter-productive system requires 3 key actions which, unfortunately, present significant challenges to contemporary models of business and consultation:

1. Authentic reflection within and across sectors and services about what, why and how they offer what they offer.
2. Sector- and service-agnostic exploration of the lived experience of those seeking mental health support through these sectors and services.
3. Genuine collaboration across sectors and services to develop a needs-focussed system that avoids duplication and competition, maximises diversity and differentiation, and responds dynamically to the lived experiences of mental health challenges.

One of the challenges to fully exploring lived experiences is the invisibility of large proportions of those with mental health needs, arising from influences such as geographic isolation, social isolation, cultural norms, shame and stigma, and lack of formal diagnosis.

A compounding factor precluding meaningful lived experience engagement is a lack of access to, or ability to engage with, prevailing communication methods. The current reliance on social and other digital media to connect with mental health lived experiences poses a significant barrier to genuine engagement and requires re-evaluation of its prevalence as a communication and delivery tool.

Reflections from the engagement of Adelaide Adult ADHD with the adult ADHD community will be used to explore these themes and suggest prompts and provocations for consideration.

In this Presentation we will focus on families, carers & supporters - It's core business, it's relational, it's connection.
These three concepts are central to engaging effectively with families/carers & supporters and central to working in allyship with the Family/Carer Lived Experience Workforces.
We will explore the idea of the Eton Mess as a metaphor for our understanding of the diversity of family and the central idea that recovery best happens within a relational context.
We will talk about connection as the essential component of all engagement with families, carers and supporters. The family/carer Lived Experience workforces are the magic ingredient, bringing their unique expertise and perspective for building trust and connection with families.
Celebrating difference and finding commonality in our understandings and commitment to the Eton Mess of families, carers and supporters enables us to look beyond our individual disciplines to achieve better outcomes for EVERYONE within a relational context.

A Lived Experience Education Facilitator, a person with lived experience of mental health distress who shares their unique perspective when delivering education modules.
The material is not altered, however, the perspective in which it is delivered differs from a clinical perspective.
A lived experience educator may draw on personal experience from a service users’ perspective. They may also reflect on alternatives which improves the experience for other service users.
A clinical and lived experience educator co-facilitating sets the stage to demonstrate mutual respect and equal value of each discipline, providing a holistic viewpoint that encompasses essential aspects from differing yet equally important perspectives.
This co-delivery method promotes a mutual understanding of each discipline, assists to reduce stigma, and supports various levels of connection.
This method of education provides participants with new skills, encourages reflection on current practice and incorporates additional tools to their toolbox.

These skills provide a solid foundation, with the aim to enhance the experience for consumers and carers entering a service,
Creating a safe environment that everyone feels valued, whilst being provided with the necessary assistance, including being referred to appropriate services, empowered to make informed decisions and encouraged to live the best life of their choosing.

The Cross-Sectoral Collaborative Network was established to create a sustainable and supportive ecosystem for the lived and lived experience workforce (LLEW) in the realm of mental health and alcohol and other drugs (AOD). Two focus groups in June 2023, involving 19 individuals from the lived experience network representing 9 organizations, revealed unanimous support for a cross-sectoral collaborative network. Recognizing the need to break down silos, LLEW expressed a strong desire for networking, idea-sharing, collaboration, and information exchange. The network aims to empower and elevate the voice of lived experience in mental health and AOD services through advocacy, collaboration, and support, aiming to break down systemic barriers.
The network meets monthly, primarily online, with over 60 members from 15 organizations participating. Each meeting features a guest speaker, providing a platform for members to share ideas, learn from one another, and foster connections. Since its inception in September 2023, the network has been dedicated to championing the invaluable voice of lived experience in the mental health and AOD landscape.

Carers Can Ask (2013) was designed to assist communication between carers and health providers. It has been used extensively by staff, families’ carers and supporters at numerous health services who have modified it for their geographical areas.

To meet the evolving needs of families, carers, supporters, and the mental health and alcohol and other drugs (AOD) workforce, a collaborative and inclusive effort to update the Carers Can Ask booklet commenced alongside the introduction of the Mental Health and Wellbeing Act (2022). A co-design and co-production process was employed, to guarantee the ongoing responsiveness and effectiveness of the booklet. By actively engaging families, caregivers, supporters, and the workforce, we acknowledged and incorporated diverse perspectives and lived experiences within these groups.

This approach recognized the importance of insights from those directly impacted and those providing support, acknowledging the nuanced challenges of navigating the mental health and alcohol and other drugs (AOD) sectors.

Through this process, CCA aims to equip families, carers, and supporters with not only comprehensive information but also the skills necessary to navigate the complex sectors. The collaboration fostered a shared sense of ownership, ensuring the content resonated with families/carers/supporters and the workforce and remained relevant over time.

Peer-support is an important and increasingly professionalised workforce within the Australian mental healthcare system (Byrne et al., 2021). Peer-supporters engage their own lived experience to support others in their personal recovery. International research has identified several benefits associated with being a peer-supporter, but key challenges pose a risk to the wellbeing and advancement of the peer workforce (Burke et al., 2018; Clossey et al., 2018).

Our study aims to establish foundational data on the experiences of Australian peer-supporters. In collaboration with peer-supporters, an online self-report survey was adapted from international studies of the benefits, challenges, job satisfaction, and quality of life associated with providing mental health peer-support. By October 2023, n = 58 peer-supporters from across the country had completed the online survey, with most employed in non-profit/charity (52%), non-government (26%) or government (19%) settings.

Preliminary results indicated that making valued contributions and new learnings were highly valued by peer-supporters. Common challenges related to feelings of stress, and structural and organisational pressures in the workplace. Updated findings will be presented, including analysis of how workplace factors might influence peer-supporters’ quality of life, in service of providing recommendations on the psychosocial needs of a flourishing peer-support workforce.

Aims of the presentation: GROW servicing the gaps for mental health prevention and promotion
Topic: People who experience severe and persistent mental health issues can fall through the cracks
Significance: Reducing the human and financial costs and pressures on communities by prevention and promotion strategies that connect with people in need while enhancing the coping capacities of people and communities
Intent: Informs re the benefits and value of GROW mental health services in intentional and safe peer to peer settings
Where will this go: Identifies how GROW Services offers regular unique intentional peer to peer prevention support group strategies in local communities
Specific contribution: Essentially, GROW services do not overlap with any other service providers and is the missing link for an integrative system of prevention and promotion
Importance: System integration more suitable and accessible to local community members, provides less threatening environments that connect well with the mental health needs of individuals and communities
Background: Peer to peer support benefits for prevention, promotion and recovery in local communities
Reduction in hospitalisation by over 80%. Suicidal thoughts by approximately 60%. 95% would recommend Grow to others. 94% say Grow has helped them to cope with everyday life

The Royal Commission into Victoria’s Mental Health System (RCVMHS) calls for centring family and carer lived experience expertise to improve outcomes for family members and carers. Wellways has supported family/carer leadership to achieve this fundamental aspect of reform to benefit governance and operations of services Australia wide.

Reflective journaling provided the method to analyse themes and gather insights by family/carer lived experience leadership, throughout a period of structural reform within Wellways.

Wellways organisational support teams and sector workforce support and development provides frameworks and mechanisms for centring family/carer lived experience expertise. Expertise is based in relational practice and human rights frameworks.

Sector wide workforce support and development aims to centre family and carer lived experience expertise within and across organisations, ensuring commonalities and improvements to peer and clinical practice and critically, for family and carer community members.

Delegates will learn of Wellways’ approach to centring and supporting family and carer lived experience leadership.

This ePoster will showcase the history of MAD Pride concert celebrating mad culture across Australia. The first MAD Pride concert in was held in the Ryde Civic Hall on Friday 8 August 2003. We had international and local performers.

Since then, MAD pride event have been held every year with different groups organising events in different states and cities. In January 2024 MAD Pride celebrated its 21st Anniversary at the Kensington Community Centre with a two-day festival.

The ePoster will look at this journey and give participants information that will assist them to understand the history of MAD Pride in Australia and how they can become involved at a local level in this International Phenomenon.
The MAD Pride movement also aims to reclaim the word mad as a self-descriptor. MAD also has different meanings as an acronym, Movement Against Discrimination and Making a Difference are just two. The movement looks at the culture of madness and tries to shift cultural perspectives about it. One of the ways that we here in Australia participate in the movement is through the MAD Pride concert.

Introduction: Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) has a poor public image and is often portrayed negatively in media1. Formal videos provided by health organisations may be poorly produced with the use of actors and inadequate coverage of side effects such as memory impairment. A collaborative, consumer-led ECT information video2 was produced and incorporated both evidence based information and a genuine consumer perspective. The information resource was created using plain language and gave a balanced view of ECT3 to inform about the consent process and reduce stigma.

Aim: To evaluate the video “ECT – Let’s Talk About It!” and identify any change in attitude or knowledge regarding ECT.
Methods: Eighty-three health professionals at the Concord Centre for Mental Health were invited to answer the Questionnaire on Attitudes and Knowledge of ECT before (Pre-video) and after (Post-video) viewing the ECT video.

Results: Paired t tests were conducted to compare knowledge and attitudes towards ECT before and after watching the video. A significant change in overall attitudes but not in knowledge was found.

Discussion: A video was produced to address the gap in clinical care and information delivery as identified by consumers. Preliminary evaluation of the video has shown promise in improving attitudes towards ECT.

Journalists have a powerful position from which to improve community attitudes and discourse about suicide and mental health[1,2]. Elite sportspeople, including athletes and coaches, are significant public figures and role models in the community[3]. However, there are no current guidelines on the best way of reporting on mental ill-health and suicide in high profile athletes and coaches[4]. The current study seeks to fill this gap by co-designing a brief resource for journalists on talking about mental ill-health and suicide in sportspeople. By focusing specifically on reporting on elite sportspeople, this study brings a unique perspective to this issue. One cycle of Experience Based Co-Design (EBCD) will be conducted in early 2024 with three groups 1) Journalists and members of key media organisations; 2) Elite sportspeople, including athletes and coaches; and 3) People with lived experience of mental ill-health and/or suicide including family/carers. Each group will attend a 2-hour Zoom co-design session (n=5-8 per session; total N=15-24). The co-designed resource will be completed in 2024. This project seeks to improve language in both media messaging. The outcomes of which will be to reduce stigma and promote positive environments that support and encourage help-seeking for those experiencing suicidal ideation or mental-ill health.

The modern workplace is at a critical juncture with increasing recognition that mentally healthy workplaces are not only required for organisational sustainability and performance, but that there is also a duty of care to minimise the risk of mental health injury. The introduction and adoption of the Safe Work Australia Model Code of Practice: Managing Psychosocial Hazards at Work 2022 by most Australian States and Territories, coupled with the publication of the Guidelines for the Positive Duty under the Sex Discrimination Act 2023, underscores the necessity for workplaces to change the way they approach mental health.

Yet most workplaces are not currently structurally designed to identify, monitor, prevent and support mental health at work, despite a growing field of evidence that workplaces can cause mental health injuries.

This presentation advocates for the strategic integration of Human Resources (HR) and work health and safety (WHS) functions, with a strong emphasis on inclusive and equitable design principles, to create workplaces that are not only legislatively compliant, but also foster a culture of belonging, respect, and psychological safety.

We propose an organisational design framework that finds common ground between HR and WHS functions, creating workplaces that are inclusive and meaningful for everyone.

The Forster Tuncurry Mental Health Carers Connection Meeting is a meeting open to all carers in the Forster Tuncurry area and members of the Great Lakes Carers Action Group.

It is held bimonthly on a Wednesday in person from 10:00 to 1:00 pm. The primary purpose is to engage more carers and work with them to develop ways to do things that they find valuable.

The monthly meeting is to:

provide a space for carers, families, and friends to meet each other, 
talk with MHCN about issues they face at the grassroots levels, and 
discuss possible solutions and share tips and support. 

It is also a space for MHCN’s Carer Peer Network Facilitator to: 

Share information about MHCN’s work, 
mental health system, services, and 
supports that may help carers who raise issues.  

At the initial meeting in April 2023, we had 20 people who agreed to use the Name Game (Spice Consulting 1998) to identify the issues that were most important for them to address across the Great Lakes area.

The ePoster will show participants how the group have addressed the issues raised at the original Forster Tuncurry MHCCM since April 2023.

Mental Health Carers NSW (MHCN) identified the need to start a meeting with carers from across NSW to support the Mental Health Carers Advocacy Network (MHCAN) Register and other members of MHCN). It is held on the 1st Friday of the month on Zoom from 1:00 to 3:00 pm.

The primary purpose of the Mental Health Carers Connection Meeting is to engage more carers and work with them to develop ways to do things that they find valuable.

The monthly meeting is to:

provide a space for carers, families, and friends to meet each other, 
talk with MHCN about issues they face at the grassroots levels, and 
discuss possible solutions and share tips and support. 

It is also a space for MHCN’s Carer Peer Network Facilitator to: 

Share information about MHCN’s work, 
mental health system, services, and 
supports that may help carers who raise issues.  

At the initial meeting in October 2021, we had 24 people who agreed to use the Name Game (Spice Consulting 1998) to identify the issues that were most important for them to address across NSW.

The ePoster will show participants how the group have addressed the issues raised at the original MHCCM since October 2021.

The Central Coast Mental Health Carers Connection Meeting is a meeting open to all carers on the Central Coast and Mental Health Carers Advocacy Network (MHCAN) Register members of Mental Health Carers NSW (MHCN). It is held on the last Wednesday of the month in person from 10:30 to 12:00 pm. The primary purpose is to engage more carers and work with them to develop ways to do things that they find valuable.

The monthly meeting is to:
- provide a space for carers, families, and friends to meet each other, 
- talk with MHCN about issues they face at the grassroots levels, and 
- discuss possible solutions and share tips and support. 

It is also a space for MHCN’s Carer Peer Network Facilitator to: 
- Share information about MHCN’s work, mental health system, services, and supports that may help carers who raise issues.  

At the initial meeting in March 22 we had 26 people who used the Name Game (Spice Consulting, 1998) to identify the issues that were most important for them to address on the Central Coast.

The ePoster will show participants how the group have addressed the issues raised at the original CCMHCCM since May 22.

Momentum Mental Health is a not-for-profit community mental health service working in regional and rural Queensland. Momentum works across the continuum - from prevention to severe/persistent mental health.
In February 2024, Momentum presented five 90-minute wellbeing workshops to businesses in the rural township of Goondiwindi, Queensland covering three main topics:
1. 5 Ways to wellbeing covering connection, being active, keeping on learning, being aware and giving back.
2. Setting personal boundaries to reduce stress or anxiety.
3. Having difficult conversations with people in distress.
Fifty-one people attended over two days from a variety of organisations and industries.

Methods
A post-workshop questionnaire was used to evaluate the workshops. Forty-eight participants completed the feedback form (94% response rate).

Results
The average overall rating of the workshop content was 8.9 out of 10.
All (45 respondents) stated they would recommend the presentations in general and to their colleagues.

Conclusions
An holistic workshop, covering wellbeing through to having difficult conversations, helps reduce the stigma of mental health and enables participants to learn skills to live healthier lives.

Recovery Colleges create a common ground where lived and learned experience is equally respected, understood and valued, offering a safe place for students to learn about mental health, recovery, and wellbeing. As educational institutions, Recovery Colleges follow a co-production model to create an environment where people can take control of their lives, improve mental health education, and assist in reducing stigma. Recovery Colleges are rare in Australia with only 12 colleges ever opened, and around a third now closed. In the UK, where the model was developed, there are currently over 85 colleges. We conducted a scoping review during 2022- 2023, aiming to explore how Recovery Colleges are established in Australian and whether they have similar outcomes to the UK Colleges. Peer reviewed and grey literature was explored, and 54 documents included in the review, with around a third relating to Australian Colleges. The review found Australian Colleges follow the principles of the UK model, and they achieve similar outcomes. Important gaps in the research were highlighted, especially for Australian Colleges. More research is needed on the benefits and challenges of running a recovery college including the challenges of funding and the longer-term outcomes for students, staff, and the community.

AIM: Consumer peer workers, clinicians, and researchers are seeking an opportunity for greater consumer involvement and representation as part of the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality framework in health care and Standard 2, ‘Partnering with Consumers’. The project aims to implement and evaluate the process of establishing a Consumer Advisory Group (CAG) at Macquarie Hospital (MQH). The aim is to implement and evaluate a consumer advisory group at MQH that will operate in a partnered, collaborative way with MQH executives: inclusive of practices of co-design, co-deciding, and shared responsibility, communicate, and advocate for service improvement for consumers. PROCESS: Establishing a CAG at MQH involves forming a team of consumer peer workers, clinicians, and researchers. This team will develop a plan for implementing the CAG as part of a hospital-wide initiative. Representatives from all units within the hospital will be recruited to the CAG to ensure diverse representation. The development of the CAG will be guided by co-design principles,which consider all participants as equal collaborators. (Agen, 2019).
The project will be endorsed by the MQH Executives Committee, with the MQH Operations Manager serving as the Executive Sponsor. Various stakeholders will work together to establish the CAG. The success of the CAG’s integration into Macquarie Hospital will be evaluated. IMPROVEMENT: There is a growing body of evidence that supports the engagement of lived experience perspectives into mental health and drug and alcohol. (MHDA) service delivery for improving care priorities and quality (Brett et al., 2014). The establishment of a CAG at MQH is expected to enhance the quality of care. This enhancement will provide consumers with a forum to share their experiences and perspectives, thereby promoting a collaborative process and effective communication. The CAG will foster a culture of partnership and mutual respect, leading to service enhancement. CONSUMER PARTICIPATION: A CAG at MQH will provide a platform for consumers to share their experiences and perspectives, identify areas for improvement in mental health and drug and alcohol services, and enhance the quality of services by including consumers in service design, communication, and advocacy. Importantly, the CAG will be co-designed with MQH consumers. This co-design process ensures that the group is tailored to the needs and experiences of the consumers it represents. MONITORING: The project will utilize the Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) cycles, a problem-solving method that aids in identifying improvement opportunities, planning, and implementing changes on a small scale, analysing the results, and acting based on these findings. Tools such as focus groups, surveys, and feedback forms will be used to gather qualitative data.
feedback from the working group, participants, and staff, aiding in measuring progress. The project will also include a formal research component. REPORTING: Preliminary results will be communicated to MHDA consumers, staff,
management and MQH executives. We also plan to present results at conferences and publish them in peer-reviewed journals. Results will be co-presented by consumers, staff, and academics. SYSTEMS: The CAG at MQH will establish an inclusive environment where consumers can express their needs and concerns, contributing to the development of the hospital’s service systems. This initiative aligns.
with the Health Safety and Quality Framework and Health Care Standard 2: Partnering with Consumers. It emphasizes the importance of service user feedback in healthcare, as it offers valuable insights into the consumer experience and helps identify potential improvements.
The design of healthcare systems should consider not only systems and processes but also the people who use the services. CONCLUSION: The CAG will enable staff and executive management to gain a deeper understanding of the needs of people using MQH services through
collaboration and shared understanding. This initiative is expected to contribute to systemic change by improving consumers’ involvement and representation.

Chisholm has built strong industry relationships across Mental Health, Alcohol and other drugs, and Community Services in Melbourne’s Southeast. Chisholm recognizes the important function of training providers in supporting these industries that have a shortage of skilled workers.

Chisholm understands that up skilled or multi-skilled students are better equipped to meet the changing needs of these key industries.

One of the fundamental challenges for Chisholm and the mental health service sector is that whilst services want upskilled staff, they do not have capacity to release staff to attend Chisholm and gain the desired higher qualifications.

Chisholm and industry representatives recognized this incongruity and worked collaboratively to find a middle ground. Our innovation was to develop a blended training delivery model that enables students to upskill via face to face, on campus classes once per week, as well as attending online delivery over two evenings per week.

The feedback from industry partners and students about the blended delivery model has been overwhelmingly positive and meets the requirements of all stakeholders.

Introduction: Mental health consumers and carers, family, supporters, and kin have long advocated for greater involvement in research. The Royal Commission into Victoria’s Mental Health System affirms the importance of putting this into action.

Method: This rapid scoping review of peer-reviewed and grey literature provides a snapshot of the how people with Lived Experience can be the leaders, creators and disseminators of research. The project was led by a Consumer Academic. All members of the research team are Lived Experience (consumer or carer/family/supporter) or First Nations.
Results: The scoping review identified 81 publications (n = 17 grey literature; n = 64 peer reviewed) that explored i) barriers and enablers; ii) effective active involvement; iii) building research capacity; iv) supporting Lived Experience research and dissemination. First Nations and carer research was under-represented.

Discussion: People with Lived Experience are often left out of the research process including problem identification, data collection and analysis. Knowledge translation should be more inclusive, accessible, and consider human rights and First Nations people. Capability and leadership building opportunities must be promoted.

Conclusion: People with Lived Experience should be at the heart of leading, creating and disseminating research so that we can improve mental health outcomes.

Carers continue to be significantly more likely than other Australians to have concerningly low levels of wellbeing, with 55.2% having low wellbeing compared to 25.4% of Australians. Carers are three times less likely to have high levels of wellbeing compared to the average Australian.

Rural and remote unpaid carers typically have limited amounts of time and still want to be part of service improvement conversations and local designed solutions. Many are combining their caring role with extensive travel for medical appointments, work, education and other day to day responsibilities. They face additional challenges including thin markets, extreme weather events, cost of living pressures, limited access to employment, lower incomes and isolation.

The importance of starting from the beginning and asking carers how they can participate and feed into the co-design process resulted in a richer, meaningful experience for carers. 16 carers participated in 4 co-design workshops to explore how place based end-to-end services/supports and a contact centre model can adapt and support carers in rural and remote communities, how digital enablement can support connectivity to mental health supports, peer support, family and community and how informal partnerships can facilitate connection and champion access for carers in rural and remote communities.

The latest National Drug Strategy Household survey found that 44% of people who had recently used methamphetamine also reported experiencing high or very high levels of psychological distress, than people who had recently used any other illicit drug. The high level of stigma associated with methamphetamine use is likely to be one of the sources of this psychological distress. Stigma not only affects the person who uses the drug, but also their families, friends and community.

Cracks in the Ice (cracksintheice.org.au) is an online community toolkit that disseminates evidence-based information about crystal methamphetamine, its prevalence and effects, as well as support and treatment options. Previous evaluation of Cracks in the Ice among 2,108 Australians has indicated that interaction with Cracks in the Ice is associated with increased knowledge about methamphetamine (P<.001) and a reduction in stigmatising attitudes (P<.001), but its unclear if interaction is also associated with increased help-seeking behaviours.

An online cross-sectional evaluation survey was conducted in 2022 among 736 Australians from all states and territories. Results of this survey examining help-seeking behaviours for people who use crystal methamphetamine and their family/friends are currently being analysed and will be presented at the conference for the first time.

Throughout the Towards Elimination of Restrictive Practices Breakthrough Series Collaborative, Team one from the Mental Health Improvement Program observed significant variation between the participating health service project teams and lived experience workforce inclusion within these. In addition, some of those lived experience workforce members reported feelings of low understanding of improvement methodology and low confidence in project team participation.

Team one observed that Lived experience workforce members were often assumed to have the skills, capacity, and resources to be part of a project - particularly within improvement or quality campaigns.

Team 1 identified the need for a flexible approach to improvement science capability building and one that supports the unique needs of lived experience workers. The lived experience workforce team members from services were provided with workshops, learning sessions, support, and resources to build their capability building so that they could actively participate in the project with confidence and therefore a perceived reduction in tokenism. Our approach resulted in greater feelings of empowerment, confidence, and increased proficiency.

This presentation will outline the background, planning and processes put in place to increase capability of lived experience workforce and to improve their ability to actively participate in project teams and ultimately reduce tokenism.

One in four young Australians aged 18 to 25, frequently experience feelings of loneliness.1 At this age, it is common to be finishing studies and going on to further education or to university, leaving home, starting paid work or even to become a parent. These are known as life transitions, which can exacerbate feelings of loneliness that further impact on people’s health and wellbeing.2 There is limited research evidence to understand loneliness in young people during life transitions and it is essential to develop responsive supports..

The A-Part of the Crowd project is an Australian first study that invites 400 18 to 25 year olds to share their lived-experience stories of loneliness when transitioning at different stages. Young people are being invited to take part using the ALIVE National Centre Crowdsourcing Space. This “crowd-call” will be open between March to December 2024, an interactive website will be co-created alongside responsive supports for experiences of loneliness in 18 to 25 year olds.

This presentation will overview A-Part of the Crowd’s approach to gathering stories and share the experiential knowledge emerging from the stories. This is an essential knowledge base for co-designing supports into the future.

Uniting's HASI Plus program is a state-wide initiative tailored for individuals with severe and persistent mental illness. This intensive program provides flexible, personalised support services specifically crafted to aid in their recovery and eventual transition towards more independence within the community.

Uniting spearheaded the HASI Plus Healthy Me innovation project to tackle the challenge of enhancing the physical health of program participants. Through a collaborative co-design process involving consumers and staff, the Healthy Me Club emerged, focusing on promoting consumers' physical well-being. The club endeavours to bolster awareness of physical health through educational initiatives and individualised plans. Participants engage in the Exercise and Sports Science (ESSA) adult pre-screening questionnaire with an Exercise Physiologist. Any identified concerns prompt referrals to GPs for medical clearance, while others undergo a comprehensive Healthy Me Intake Assessment. This assessment encompasses baseline metabolic observations, nutritional assessments, functional evaluations, and the establishment of recovery-focused SMART goals.

Consumers then set achievable physical and nutritional objectives over a three-month timeframe. Upon goal setting, consumers provide informed consent, solidifying their commitment to their physical health journey through a personalised health plan.

Lived experience provides a unique lens of viewing the world that differs from the perspectives of decision-makers who are not directly affected by the policies they are shaping. And yet, those impacted are often the most voiceless and powerless when confronted with injustices and systemic inequalities.

This ePoster will examine the process that has happened in NSW where a Lived Experience Committee (LEC) has been formally incorporated into the NSW Housing and Mental Health Agreement 2022 (HMHA22).

The Justice and Equity Centre was approached by Homes NSW 2022 to form the LEC.

Key responsibilities include:
• Providing advice to the HMHA 22 State Steering Committee on policy, planning and strategic issues
• Providing advice to the HMHA 22 State Steering Committee on the HMHA 22 Service Delivery Framework, Governance Framework, Monitoring and Evaluation Framework, and information sharing protocol

The primary key message is when people with lived experience support improvements to policies and practices, they become agents of change, rather than subjects of policy. They can identify areas for reform by providing irreplaceable first-hand accounts of the practical, day-to-day issues arising from policies. This can help overcome assumptions and blind spots which may lead decision-makers to incorrectly identify problems or ineffectively direct resources.

This ePoster will show how the LEC was progressed and how engagement works when done well.