Northern Territory Lived Experience Network

As our emotions settle after being awarded joint winner in the Justice category of the NT Human Rights Awards, it’s important for us to recognise the support and allyship of the following individuals and organizations. Heartfelt thanks to: - The Northern Territory Anti-Discrimination Commission, Melaleuca Australia as host of the Fitzgerald awards and the judges for deeming us worthy. - Our unwavering allies: Flinders University who nominated us and have evaluated our recovery programs which were ‘created by community, for community’. - Response Employment & Training for allying with us to deliver the NT’s first vocational pathway in peer work. - The The ALIVE National Centre for Mental Health Research Translation for their ongoing mentorship, elevating our research outcomes and including us as national research partners. - Top End Mental Health Consumers Organisation (TEMHCO) Incorporated and all of the other NT or interstate lived experience advocates and collectives who walk and work alongside us, fighting for our voices to be heard (Darwin Region Indigenous Suicide Prevention Network, Come Talk With Me NT Inc., SabrinasReach4Life, Grow NT Fightback, Clubhouse Territory, Integrated disAbility Action Group NT - IdA, Disability Advocacy Service, Lived Experience Australia, Bipolar Australia, just to name a few!) - The Northern Territory Mental Health Coalition, NT Community Visitor Program, NT Anti-Discrimination Commission, and our other interstate and national allies for championing the improvement of lived experience engagement in the NT (Association of Alcohol and Other Drug Agencies NT, Northern Territory Council of Social Service, National Mental Health Commission, etc) - The Northern Territory PHN, our most significant source of funding for believing in our capability, allowing us to grow, learn and transform into a national leader for the development and delivery of peer recovery programs.  • Our other funders: the Australian Government Department of Social Services, the Alcohol and Drug Foundation, NT Government Community Benefit Fund for gambling research. Most of all thank you to our growing lived experience community:   • We are a collective, • We are stronger together, • We are ‘peers’, • We have arrived, and • We are not going anywhere Please know our hard work doesn't stop now. We continue to advocate on behalf of our community and for Territorian's to have a resourced and recognized NT lived experience representative body.  Please support us in this endevour by using your influence. You can sign our petition (as an individual) or send us a support letter (as an organisation0 that we will use for our advocacy seeking the establishment of a recognized NT lived experience representative body.  More info here https://lnkd.in/gqyYDR4v

Thank you Kate Thwaites MP and Luke Gosling OAM MP for spending time with Northern Territory Lived Experience Network peers and our allies at Response Employment & Training this week. We were grateful to have the opportunity to share our achievements, our Lived Experience learnings and how we have coupled that knowledge with evidence based recovery strategies to empower and build the resilience and capabilities within the NT lived experience community.

"It is time to prioritise mental health in the workplace". Join The ALIVE National Centre Network for a free online panel discussion World Mental Health Day. Date: 10th of October 2024 Time: 11 am and 12 pm (NT time) Some of ALIVE's research priorities discussed on the day include + Addressing workplace discrimination + Safe mental health disclosures at work + Supporting employees with lived experience + Inclusion for workers with disabilities + Strategies for well-being and symptom management at work + The importance of compassion and flexibility in the workplace https://lnkd.in/gnqyc_in

Cmon Territorians! Let’s contribute our voice and lived expertise!

Calling all young Territorians (or friends and family of young Territorians who may wish to share) 👇👇

Territorians with Lived Experience please share your experience and perspectives to this national study on Community Treatment Orders.

Call out to 16 to 25 year olds or those who can plug the voices of our youth into this important consultation. Let’s inject some Territory voices!

𝗙𝗿𝗲𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝘀𝗵𝗼𝗽: 𝗨𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗻𝗲𝘂𝗿𝗼𝗱𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗴𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗴 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 (𝗼𝗻𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗶𝗻-𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻, 𝗞𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗡𝗧) The NT Lived Experience Network has a free 3-hour workshop is for people who work with youth, parents and caregivers, and any interested members of the community. The workshop will build the knowledge and skills of adults to support young people who have ‘diverse’ abilities and different experiences of the world (𝗲.𝗴. 𝗮𝘂𝘁𝗶𝘀𝗺, 𝗔𝗗𝗛𝗗, 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘂𝗺𝗮, 𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗶𝗹𝗹-𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵, 𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱𝘀, 𝗙𝗔𝗦𝗗). It includes evidence-based information and strengths-based practices presented from the lived experience perspective. Workshop dates: Wednesday 5 June 2024, 5:30pm-8:30pm (in-person, Katherine NT) Tuesday 11 June 2024, 2:30pm-5:30pm (online) To register: online: https://lnkd.in/gwtBv4Yh email: [email protected] For more information: https://lnkd.in/g5k76TUr

𝗙𝗿𝗲𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝘀𝗵𝗼𝗽𝘀: 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗱 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆, 𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗮𝗱𝗱𝗶𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 (𝗼𝗻𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗶𝗻-𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝗻 𝗞𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗲, 𝗡𝗧) Introducing Sam, Sal and Rocket, three of the NT Lived Experience Network's lived experience advocates whose stories are woven through our free online workshop: "𝗛𝗼𝗽𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗥𝗲𝗰𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆: 𝗨𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗰𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗮𝗱𝗱𝗶𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗱𝘂𝗮𝗹𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗳𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗲𝘀" Join us to learn evidence-based information to support recovery, and the lived experience of mental health and addiction - including what its like and what helps. This workshop is for people with lived experience, interested community members, and professionals seeking to improve their understanding of lived experience perspectives. Workshop dates: Thursday 23 May 2024, 6:30pm-8:30pm (online) Friday 24 May 2024, 10am-12pm (in person, Katherine) Tuesday 28 May 2024, 9am-11am (online) Thursday 30 May 2024, 6:30pm-8:30pm (in person, Katherine) Friday 31 May 2024, 10am-12pm (in person, Katherine) To register: online: https://lnkd.in/g3M5_wpn email: [email protected] For more information: https://lnkd.in/gtfuihD4 𝗧𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗴𝗲𝗿 𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴: 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘃𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗼 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲𝘀 𝗿𝗲𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝘂𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗱𝗲, 𝗵𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗮𝗱𝗱𝗶𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻. 𝗙𝗼𝗿 𝘀𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗟𝗶𝗳𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗼𝗻 𝟭𝟯 𝟭𝟭 𝟭𝟰 𝗼𝗿 𝟭𝟯 𝗬𝗔𝗥𝗡 𝗼𝗻 𝟭𝟯 𝟵𝟮 𝟳𝟲.

On the 10th of April, we were invited to speak at an advocacy night hosted by the NT Branch of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists (RANZCP) to argue the imperative of establishing a NT lived experience peak body. It was a powerful moment for us - a community of 'mad people' - to stand side by side with psychiatrists and call for a mechanism to strengthen our collective voice and role as mental health 'consumers' in system reform. We have a vital role to play using our lived expertise to improve systems which are funded tens of millions of dollars each year and directly impact our quality of life. Also presenting, was Christine Connors, the NT's Chief Health Officer and Acting Chief Executive of Health. It was an evening full of rich conversation and one which we hope will result in strengthening the role of Territorians with lived experience. The full recording is now available to view: https://lnkd.in/giZAT2uW Quotes from our presentation: “Without elevating the voices of people within the lived experience community, without empowering them, without creating opportunities for us to share our stories, to make our experiences visible and to humanise instead of hiding and stigmatising the people in our community, there is no way to cultivate community will. And there will be no political imperatives to drive those structural determinants of health. And every Territorian will suffer because we do not have a mechanism to muster people power that's required to create effective government policy, bipartisanship, an investment in effective and sufficient mental health services.” “The advocacy work we do is unfunded and as such we can't give it anywhere near the attention and time that we would like... We are increasingly recognised and asked to contribute to national studies and advisory bodies and submissions and we can't… And what that means is that our collective experiences as Territorians, the most disadvantaged and vulnerable people in Australia in terms of mental health, suicidality and addiction, are not able to channel up into those national policy decisions. We're not able to have attention drawn to what happens here. Because if you can make something work here, you can make it work anywhere.” “Our lived experiences are acute distress, complex trauma and help seeking. They're being turned away, they're involuntary treatment, seclusion, restraint. They're diagnosis, re-diagnosis, their addiction. They're court ordered treatment, incarceration tribunals, homelessness. Most of us have had recurrent experiences of suicidality. However, our network and its objectives a very distinct from local suicide prevention networks. We are in the business of living our best lives and recovery... It was proposed to us that our experiences are equivalent and should be rolled into a Collaborative, and I want to be really clear that I don't think that's appropriate.”