One-day Forum

Help when you need it

Exploring approaches for urgent and crisis support in mental health

People with mental health challenges, their families and communities continually advise that there are many barriers to accessing appropriate mental health support at the right time, and especially during a crisis.

Emergency Departments remain heavily impacted by presentations from people seeking mental health support and, despite best efforts, are unable to provide a suitable response and an environment conducive to crisis resolution, dignified risk-taking, healing and recovery.
There are many recent developments that attempt to provide a more easily accessed and acceptable response during times of crisis but there is still much more that we could do to make seeking help both safe and effective.

This forum will explore some of the best examples of services that are making a difference and that elevate lived experience to shape service delivery and care. We will also look at examples that are fully integrated into the community and which provide incidental and very low stigma access to immediate help.

Join us as we hear from consumers, carers, funders and service providers on what makes a good crisis response and be part of a co-design process to generate ideas for improvement that will be presented to a panel of leading mental health proponents for carriage and action.

Event details

Date
1 May 2026
Location
Mercure Sydney
Format
In-person
Audience
Mental health professionals, service leaders & people with lived experience.

The forum starts in

Join us for a focused day of learning, discussion, and collaboration.

Register to attend

Secure your place at this one-day forum dedicated to improving urgent and crisis mental health support. Registration includes access to all sessions, networking opportunities, and post-event resources.

Speakers

A diverse group of speakers across urgent mental health care, crisis response, policy, lived experience, and community-based support.

Jeniffer Black
Jennifer Black
Mental Health Commissioner,
Mental Health Commission of NSW
Jonathan Harms
Jonathan Harms
CEO,
Mental Health Carers NSW Inc
Eugene McGarrell
Eugene McGarrell
General Manager
Sydney North Health Network

Why attend?

Practical insights, real-world perspectives, and meaningful cross-sector conversation on urgent and crisis mental health support.

Timely insights
Understand current pressures, gaps, and emerging approaches in urgent and crisis mental health care.
Practical perspectives
Learn from frontline practitioners, service leaders, and lived-experience voices.
Cross-sector dialogue
Engage in discussion across health, community, and policy settings.
Actionable outcomes
Take ideas, reflections, and connections back into your own practice or organisation.

Be part of the conversation

Join a focused day dedicated to strengthening urgent and crisis mental health support — ensuring help is available when it is needed most.

Register now