headspace

Co-Designed Review of Youth Mental Health Lived Experience Participation

2022: Over six months, we worked with headspace National, Family Reference Groups, Youth Advisory Groups, Local Youth Reference Groups, Refugee and Multicultural Reference groups, and First Nations young people to co-design a Model of Lived and Living Experience Participation.

This included facilitated processes for young people and family and carers with experience of mental ill health, and suicide including suicidality and suicide attempt survivors, those bereaved by suicide, and those who had supported people with these experiences. Working with the Family Inclusive Practice team, First Nations Wellbeing Team, and over 120 individuals, we designed culturally appropriate and psychologically safe environments to discuss experiences of Lived and Living Experience participation, and to imagine and construct a new model.

“headspace National engaged Day Four Projects to conduct an appreciative inquiry into our organisation’s participation of young people and families to inform and guide our work. We were lucky to have them lead us on this journey with their highly skilled and knowledgeable professionals who hold years of relevant experience in the fields of community development, participation, and lived experience. They led the process with clear framing as well as an appreciation for the complexities which presented themselves throughout the project. They were adaptable but purposeful with project changes. The review resulted in a range of findings and recommendations that will form the foundation of our participation strategy.”
Duré de Winter — Head of Participation & Lived Experience