Tanya lives on Kaurna land in South Australia with her partner and pets. She is a huge Adelaide Crows fan, with membership to both the Men’s and Women’s teams. Tanya describes her lived experience with suicide crisis/distress as ongoing, she still lives with what she calls a ‘suicidal part’. When this part of her gets loud, Tanya has learned to treat herself compassionately and escape into nature. Living on the coast helps with that, as does taking regular camping trips and going hiking – all things she likes to do regularly.

A suicide survivor, Tanya has survived her own attempts and has lost loved ones to suicide. In 2016, after finding that the mental health system was in need of repair, Tanya joined a local consumer & carer group and started her advocacy journey. She has since obtained her Cert IV in Mental Health (Peer Work) and used her lived experience to support others through crisis. In 2020 Tanya led the Learning from Lived Experience (LfLE) suicide prevention project at SA Lived Experience Leadership & Advocacy Network (LELAN). This project amplified the lived experience insights and solution ideas of more than 100 people with a lived experience of suicide, crisis/distress. You can read more about it here: www.lelan.org.au/carenottreatment Involvement in the Lived Experience space and especially in advocacy has helped Tanya find a sense of community and purpose – ultimately making life worth living.

Tanya’s motivation to be a member of the Lived Experience Panel for Suicide Prevention Australia is to continue to help amplify the voices of people with a lived experience – and ensure lived experience is included at every level of suicide prevention. This comes from her own experiences of feeling unheard, or silenced within the mental health system. There is a sense of validation and freedom in having your voice heard, but more than that, the vulnerability in sharing your story builds connection. The hope and purpose that Tanya has gained from the lived experience community can not be understated.

The message of hope that she would like to offer others is:

“I was once in a mental health ward after surviving an attempt, and the weather outside the ward matched my mood at the time. It would not stop raining. For days on end the skies were grey and it bucketed down. Then one day, the clouds parted and just for a short time – not even half an hour – sun shone down and warmed my skin. I sat outside and bathed in it, enjoying every moment. And then I realised that if 30 minutes of sunshine could make up for weeks of gloomy weather, so too could a moment of happiness. So I stopped chasing perpetual happiness, stopped hoping to feel good all the time. Instead, I started looking for sunshine moments – however brief – and started finding reasons that life was worth living again.”

Glenn works with Healthy Communities Foundation Australia as a Lived Experience Peer Worker in the National Rural & Remote Suicide Prevention Program across the Bega Valley on the NSW Far South Coast. Glenn spent a number of years as Deputy Chair of Bega SPAN before taking on a role with R U OK? as a Community Ambassador in 2018.

Glenn is a member of the Suicide Prevention Australia Lived Experience Panel and a member of the Voices of Insight with Roses in the Ocean, along with being recognised in the Barbara Hocking Awards for work in ‘Suicide Prevention and for Services to the Community’ by Bega Valley Shire Council as well as being nominated for an Australian Mental Health Prize in 2022.

Glenn is passionate about the value of lived experience in suicide prevention and suicidal crisis counselling and has joined the Lived Experience Panel to help those in rural and regional areas have a voice.

I started out as an idealistic, capable constable who believed he had a lifelong, worthwhile and challenging career. Then as promotion, responsibility and workload increased, I changed. My work and relationships suffered. I was angry, burdened by worry and convinced I was a failure. I became plagued by physical symptoms that had no explanation. I increasingly felt that I should end my life, and I attempted to do so. After this, I was invalided out of the force and told I would never work again, diagnosed with what is now called Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), depression and anxiety. I found myself just sitting at home. My turning point came when I planned to take my own life again. I stopped and told someone else, something that I’d never considered doing before. With the help of my doctors, hospitalisation and a perceptive and loving wife, I survived. I have gone on to fill responsible and enjoyable positions.

Over 30 years later, I’ve gone from detective in charge of a police station to being a member of the Lived Experience Panel for the peak body for suicide prevention in Australia. I’m providing part of the pool of knowledge to understand the problem, and in some small way to assist with solutions. I hope I can prevent others suffering as I did. To anyone that is thinking of taking your own life, please pause just a moment. It is too big a problem to go it alone, tell someone about your problems. The help offered by others will make all the difference and open up a new world. I’ve lived a long life with my conditions, I am accomplished and satisfied, and most importantly I can now accept support and love, and provide them in return. Mark is occupied full time on a voluntary basis in the mental health and suicide prevention arenas for which he was awarded the Tasmanian LiFE Award. His work includes ongoing assistance to individuals as a peer support worker for which he has received the governor generals medallion.

Lidia Di Lembo lives in Darwin, NT and is a bereaved mother who lost her daughter Sabrina to suicide. The impact of this traumatic loss propelled Lidia and her husband to establish SabrinasReach4Life, a small charity/foundation in memory of their daughter, which is also a Suicide Prevention Network. Fundraising and awareness activity help support a Charles Darwin University scholarship to support a student studying in the faculty of Psychology or Social Work, and a monthly Bereaved by Suicide Support Group. Lidia also spearheaded the establishment of an annual event for World Suicide Prevention Day since 2019, which brings the sector together to discuss local challenges and solutions in suicide prevention.

Lidia is very active in advocating for improved and accessible mental health services for those who need support; further developing the peer led workforce as clinicians, whilst needed, are not the only ones who can assist those in distress; and through her involvement in Postvention Australia as Co Chair also helps strategically elevate the voice of those bereaved by suicide who are at high risk of suicide after a loss. These roles including being a member of the SPA Lived Experience Panel enable Lidia to collaborate, influence and contribute to the future development of government policy and strategies in suicide prevention and postvention.

Graeme Holdsworth is an architect who spent most of his career in project management. He was a project director for major building projects throughout Australia, for the private and government sectors, including No.1 Martin Place, Sydney and Crown Casino, Melbourne. He is now retired, largely due to severe depression, which saw him lose his career, marriage and nearly his life through a suicide attempt. Since his recovery, he has decided, rather than attempting to go back to his old career, to use his lived experience to work in suicide prevention.

He holds various roles with Suicide Prevention Australia, including being a member of the Suicide Prevention Australia Board, the Chair of the Victoria and Tasmania Joint State Committee and a member of the Policy Committee. He is also a member of the Lifeline Lived Experience Advisory Group, a Black Dog Institute Lived Experience Advisor and was a member of the Expert Advisory Group to the National Suicide Prevention Adviser to the Prime Minister.

Craig is the CEO and co-founder of Survivors & Mates Support Network (SAMSN).

He was appointed as a Community Member on the Victims Advisory Board by the Attorney General of NSW and sits on the NSW Sentencing Council. Craig is also a member of the National Memorial Advisory Group (Commonwealth Govt), the Expert Advisory Group for the Prevention and Response to Violence, Abuse and Neglect (NSW Health) and a member of Transforming Justice Australia’s Expert Advisory Panel. Craig is also the inaugural Chair of the Australian Centre for Child Protection’s Lived Experience Advisory Panel, and a member of the Victorian Department of Education’s Board of Inquiry Community Reference Group.

Dr. Nikki Jamieson is a suicidologist, author, researcher and social worker, with a Masters in Suicidology, and a PhD that explored moral trauma/moral injury and suicide.

Nikki has worked in several government departments in suicide prevention, and has been involved in a range of research projects and strategy development including Queensland’s Suicide Prevention Plan. Currently, her role is leading work in moral injury, lived experience and suicide prevention in the Department of Defence.

Nikki continues to be actively involved in suicide prevention advocacy and policy development with memberships nationally and internationally and has played an instrumental role in the Royal Commission, in a professional and personal capacity.

Nikki will continue to advocate for better mental health and wellbeing support and suicide reduction particularly for members of the Defence forces, veterans and their families.

Suicide touches so many people in so many different ways. My first experience with suicide happened when I was young, at university, and my study partner took his life. I attempted suicide not long after. I realised that I needed help, and approached my GP, who admitted me to a psychiatric hospital.

The hospital treatment wasn’t right for me, and a year later I attempted to take my own life again. I was fortunate to have alert friends who saved my life. After a few years struggling with depression and substance abuse issues, I went back to university.

I have now finished a couple of degrees and settled into a long term relationship. The sense of connection I have with my wife, family, friends and colleagues has helped to keep the negative thoughts from my mind.

My life has been touched by suicide in many ways. When I was living at college at university, on my recovery journey, a young person I knew took her life after bullying at the college. A close friend of mine recently took their life, leaving behind two teenage daughters and a partner.

My personal experiences with suicide motivated me to join the Suicide Prevention Australia Lived Experience Panel. Every suicide is a tragedy. We need to know more and do more to reduce the tragedy for families and the community. My message to anyone is that you may feel that there is no-one and nothing for you, but there is always someone there – perhaps you just can’t see it right now.

Mental illness has played a big part in my life – my sister, my late father and I have all been impacted over the last 30 years.

My sister has had suicidal thoughts and attempted to take her own life on a few occasions in the past. She is in a much better place now thanks to the right combination of medications and ongoing psychological therapy.

I`ve had a few thoughts in the past about taking my own life when I was very depressed. I still take medication on a daily basis, and I am now a lived experience representative and consumer advocate. I also sit on a number of committees and panels, and take part in volunteer work within the mental health sector.

I joined the Suicide Prevention Australia Lived Experience Panel because I want to make a difference, advocate on behalf of others that have been impacted by suicide, and increase public awareness and understanding of suicide.

Mel works at SafeSide Prevention as their Program Coordinator and Family Advocate. Mel’s passion for suicide prevention is grounded in her lived experience of caring for her brother and acting as his advocate in interactions with health services and other departments in community. Alongside the heartache and frustration, Mel found a source of hope in the use of her experiences as a means to drive real change.

Mel has actively advocated for families as a Family Carer Representative in NSW, Australia. She has worked in the community directly alongside diverse groups, including children and young people, parents and caregivers, victims, offenders, Police and other frontline responders. She aims to reduce harm and promote wellness & connection.

Mel draws upon wisdom from her lived experience to inform, collaborate, and educate in the mental health and suicide prevention sectors and is passionate about elevating the voices of others. The principles of co-design and family-inclusive practice are central to her work, and she believes that early intervention and prevention are the keys to timely recovery.

Karissa Lewis brings both personal and professional lived experience to suicide prevention and postvention. Having lost her mother to suicide at just 10 years old, she is deeply committed to breaking stigma, fostering hope, and driving meaningful systemic change.

With nine years of experience in community services and peer work, Karissa has spent the past three years immersed in suicide postvention, walking alongside over 150 families in their aftermath of suicide. She has sat in loungerooms across Australia, holding space for grief, honouring stories, and ensuring no family feels alone in their darkest moments.

Karissa is passionate about ensuring that lived experience is not just heard but meaningfully embedded in suicide prevention strategies. She believes that robust postvention is vital suicide prevention and that compassionate, community-driven responses are essential to reducing suicide rates.

Through her role on the Lived Experience Panel, Karissa hopes to amplify the voices of those who have been impacted by suicide, advocating for a system that is responsive, humane, and led by those who truly understand.

Nathan Darvill is a passionate advocate for suicide prevention and mental health awareness, using his lived experience to support others in crisis. With a background marked by childhood trauma and 20 years of military service in the navy, including operational service in Iraq and Border Protection Operations, Nathan’s life has been deeply affected by experiences that led to severe PTSD and depression.

Despite facing immense challenges, Nathan has survived two suicide attempts, which have fueled his commitment to supporting others navigating similar struggles. He holds a Bachelor of Counselling and has used his professional training and personal experience to guide others through their mental health journeys. As the founder and director of his own Allied Health company on the NSW South Coast, Nathan applies his expertise to help individuals and families access the support they need to improve their mental well-being.

Nathan is dedicated to advocating for systemic change and sharing his personal story to raise awareness and provide hope. He is passionate about suicide prevention, focusing on early intervention and prevention strategies. Through public speaking, mental health training, and conference appearances, Nathan uses his voice to educate and inspire others while continuing to help those in crisis.

An avid sports enthusiast, particularly in AFL, Nathan understands the importance of connection, community, and resilience. His professional journey, coupled with his lived experience, allows him to offer valuable insights into both mental health support and the lived experience of trauma.

Nathan’s message of hope is:
“Through my journey, I’ve learned that even the darkest moments can lead to new purpose. Survival is not the end of the story—it’s just the beginning of finding hope, healing, and the strength to make a difference in the lives of others.”

Nathan remains committed to advocating for improved mental health support and ensuring that lived experience voices are central to suicide prevention efforts.

Richard, accompanied by his assistance dog, Havic, hails from Albury in NSW on Wiradjuri Country where he is the 2025 Citizen of the Year, recognition for decades of advocacy for local mental health consumers.

Richard is the founding Chair of the NSW Ministry Consumer, Carer, and Community Council, a whole-of-health advisory board providing guidance to the senior executive of the NSW Ministry of Health. Additionally, he serves as a Non-Executive Director of BEING Mental Health Consumers, as a lived experience expert on the NSW Ministry’s Suicide Monitoring and Reporting System and serves on academic committees at the ANU and Federation university.

Richard lives with PTSD and DID, is a suicide survivor, and holds numerous academic qualifications in arts, social work, forensic psychology, and law

Jo Kain is a Business Development Officer (Lived Experience) with Grand Pacific Health, and mother of two beautiful kids, living in country New South Wales. Jo has survived a suicide attempt and continues to live with her own experiences of suicidal thoughts.

In 2017, Jo transitioned to peer work, from banking, working in suicide aftercare in Grand Pacific Health’s Next Steps program. Her roles have included serving as a Team Leader in Next Steps, a peer coordinator, and a lived experience trainer and assessor.

Jo is an executive member of the Illawarra Shoalhaven Suicide Prevention Collaborative and a member of the Bega Valley Suicide Prevention Collaborative. This involvement is important to her, keeping her close to the communities she loves, and bringing energy to her roles. Jo is dedicated to amplifying the consumer voice in suicide prevention, and in sharing experience to make change in the suicide prevention sector.

I live in South West Sydney on Dharawal land. We lost our son to suicide in 2014.

I’ve always had an interest in volunteering, with board membership of a volunteer based frail aged respite service, a local mental health community group, my much loved Macarthur Homelessness Steering Committee and a 10 year role of consortium chairperson, Headspace Campbelltown.

I joined the Macarthur Suicide Prevention Network after losing our son, developing an interest in government policy instruments related to suicide prevention and their decision making process. I pester politicians as much as possible, bringing to their attention the many matters needing implementation in suicide prevention as well as provide submissions to the never ending government inquiries and reports over the past 10 years.

I’m an activist at heart, concerned about the lack of sufficient government action and equitable distribution of resources over the past 10 years.
I love to listen and learn from my peers, their lived experienced stories, their opinions, and their advice, attending as many symposiums and conferences as possible to broaden my knowledge.

I volunteer as a lived experienced member in various committees of my local Primary Health Network, Local Health District and community groups. I still have feelings of “imposter syndrome” but the list continues. Involvements include:  SWS PHN: LE delegate to Mental Health Advisory Committee, MH and Suicide Prevention Regional Plan with LHD- Strengthening Suicide Prevention & Aftercare; Mental Health Consumer, Carer and Community Committee member for South West Sydney Local Health District (MHCCCC)including Emergency Department Campbelltown Hospital Mental Health Interface meeting; Co- chairperson Medicare Mental Health Centre- Liverpool Governance Committee; Other volunteer groups in homelessness and the “missing middle”.

I feel it’s my responsibility to be a small part of contributing in those spaces where lived experience needs to shape our future services.  I am greatly influenced by these insights.

“We need a new approach, one informed by the insights of people with lived experience of suicide. We must learn from those who have experienced suicidal distress and from the resilience shown by people who are covering from suicide attempts.”  (Source “Connected and Compassionate p5 – The Final Advice)

“Discomfort brings engagement and change.”  ― Seth Godin

Timing is everything, so they say, and so I feel now is a good time for me to be involved in a process where people with actual lived experience of suicide can contribute to long overdue legislative and policy reform. I say this when reflecting on how for the first time ever in this country, the National Suicide Prevention Strategy 2025-2035 has finally acknowledged the key role social determinants play in overall deaths by suicide. That said, I also concede that significant tensions still exist, such as the strategy buckling under the overbearing pressure of the dominant biomedical explanatory model to delimit social determinants to a secondary, ‘interactional’ role.

As someone whose entire life (and then some) has been influenced by suicide, I have a keen professional and personal interest in how violence, of itself, causes this most extreme of human experiences. We know this to be true, for instance, from the mountain of evidence that has been accumulating over the years demonstrating a distinct causal relationship (yes, I say relationship, not association) between folk who are subjected to violence and later deaths by suicide. Think about the victims/survivors of war, misogyny, racism, ableism, sanism, homophobia, transphobia, and child abuse. It was never about us but rather, the violence of others.

Recovery for me is knowing and living like I was born to live. I was not born to die.  I am a proud person living with a neurological disability acquired after child-trafficking, homelessness, religious abuse and a number of suicide attempts.

I attribute most of my recovery to my line managers of the past 10 years as I worked to redefine resilience, recovery and thriving post-attempts as a very isolated member of the community outside of work. I am now very passionate about advocating for safe-plans at work and mental health informed return to work plans, and training in accidental counselling especially in a work from home era.  I am privileged to support businesses, employees and job-seekers through coaching, research and community engagement in re-defining inclusive workplaces for people living with disability and attribute any success to those that guided me.

Thank you to my neurologist, newly adoptive mum and my now-husband who constantly remind me “resilience looks different for you, but you’ve still got it.”

Danny Jeffery was medically discharged from the Royal Australian Air Force in 2018 after serving the Defence Force for 35 years. Danny deployed on nine separate ADF Operations, suffered multiple physical injuries and has adapted his life to suit them. He is also living with PTSD, Major Depressive Disorder and Anxiety Disorder. His mental health is the biggest struggle and diversity he has ever faced in his life.

Danny’s mental health first fell apart in 2013 after returning from 8.5 months in Afghanistan. After 85 combat missions, Danny returned home claiming mission success, so he thought. Mentally his world fell apart without the pace of war to distract him. He finally had time to process things and just could not. ‘I just didn’t fit in back here at home, flashbacks consumed my days and nightmares consumed my sleep. I just wanted to go back in the hope that would help’.

In 2014 Danny discovered the Invictus Games. He felt that good he deployed to the Middle East again in 2015. Danny suffered a major mental health episode and returned in Nov 2015 to never wear a uniform again. In 2015 Danny was not going to give up on his pathway to recovery and successfully returned to the Invictus Games Orlando 2016 and Sydney 2018. After long term rehabilitation he was medically discharged in 2018. Throughout these dark days Danny experienced what he calls his ‘suicide chapter’ and is a proud survivor. ‘Finally in life I was not good at something, and it helped me realise that it wasn’t that I didn’t want to live anymore, I just didn’t want to live the way I was living, and I had the power to make changes.’

Danny is now a Licensed Mental Health First Aid instructor and is currently the Emergency Department Peer Navigator at Prince of Wales Hospital Sydney. He is embedded within a clinical team which is a first for NSW Health. Danny encourages hope for recovery and offers support and mentorship to those struggling with their mental health. He is passionate about removing the stigma and barriers people face when struggling with mental health and wants everyone to have the realisation that ‘it is possible to reach the light at the end of the tunnel. The biggest thing for me when I reached the light, was accepting the new me and I actually like this version’.

After the tragic loss of her only sibling, a 27-year-old pilot who died by suicide, while still coping with the sudden natural death of her father at the age of 59, and sustaining injuries in a road accident, Sneha Anthony faced significant challenges with complex PTSD, depression and trauma dissociation.

A former senior engineer in the corporate sector, Sneha now dedicates her time and skills to suicide prevention and mental health initiatives. She is particularly passionate about addressing the unique challenges faced by ethnic and vulnerable communities, where suicide and mental health issues are often heavily stigmatized, leading to shame and social exclusion.

Sneha has actively participated in various lived experience consultations and shares her personal journey through presentations and educational videos, aiming to raise awareness about mental health, stigma, and suicide prevention—despite the potential for judgement of her family and herself.

She serves on multiple advisory committees, collaborates on various sector projects, is an accredited trainer for the Touchpoints RITO Suicide Prevention Programme, chaired the establishment of a safe space for ethnic communities experiencing distress and serves as a presenter and educator with several organisations. She was awarded the 2024 Commissioner’s Community Champions Award by the Mental Health Commission of NSW for her work in this area.

I am Jacqui Gillespie, a mother, daughter, sister, wife, friend, colleague and Director of Stepping Stone North in Brisbane. I am solar powered, just as passionate in all of these roles and began my career in community mental health about 11years ago. I was a carer long before that to family members and have my own lived and living experience of suicide.

Over the years, I have worked and volunteered in both the Mental Health and LLE of Suicide Prevention space and love to wear a few different colours proudly throughout the year while advocating, sharing my story and providing psychosocial, non-clinical support. Yellow brightens the room when I am showing up as an RUOK? Community Ambassador, hot pink lights up my heart when volunteering as a Shero with Share the Dignity and navy with a pop of my favourite colour teal are the colours, you’ll find me wearing most days out in the community and inside our special little Clubhouse at Stepping Stone North.

Cassi grew up in the space and time of “toughen up princess” and the expectations were to be “seen and not heard”. Due to this, it wasn’t until their early 30’s, after what felt like a lifetime of experiences, that they realised not everyone had thoughts of killing themselves, of not existing, of not ever wanting to have been born. Seeing life as a burden that they were forced to endure, rather than an opportunity of which they could meaningfully contribute to.

Through a mid-life career change into the Mental Health sector, Cassi discovered Peer work – and everything that came along with it. They embraced any and all learning opportunities including facilitating local Alt2Su groups, which really supported Cassi to make sense of their experiences and create their own narrative to their story.

Now, as a wife and mother of 3, Cassi continues to have consistent thoughts of ending her life, including a plan – but these thoughts have become a tool of survival as opposed to “a threat to self”. Cassi proactively engages in the “hard conversations” and takes any opportunity to remind people that sometimes we experience normal responses to abnormal situations – even if societal expectations would have us think otherwise.

With almost 30 years of experience in the field of mental health, Emma’s professional background has equipped her with comprehensive insights into the complexities of mental health challenges and the multifaceted nature of death by suicide. However, her dedication to suicide prevention is not solely professional; it is profoundly
personal.

Emma tragically lost her brother to suicide, a loss that has fuelled her determination to make a difference in this critical area. This personal experience has given Emma a unique perspective on the devastating impact of suicide on families, communities, and workplaces. For over a decade Emma has been driven to seek out, and implement, effective strategies for prevention and early intervention, especially within workplace settings

Libby from Naarm (Melbourne) on Bunurong land, has lived a parent’s worst nightmare when her son died by suicide in 2020. Libby has spoken publicly about her loss and the absolute shock she and her family experienced when they discovered that personal debt and financial hardship appeared to contribute to the loss of her son.  She has worked with Consumer Action Law Centre and the Stop The Debt Campaign and told her story to members of parliament to advocate for reforms to payday lending laws.  At the end of 2022, those reforms passed parliament. Libby has continued to try and address the issue of financial literacy for young people and worked with the Harrison Riedel Foundation to produce a series of Financial Fact Sheets for young people.

Libby believes it’s important for our young people and families who are struggling to be wary of payday lenders and falling into a debt trap that they can’t get out of.  Libby also wants to make sure that people who do find themselves struggling financially can access help.

Briana is from Naarm (Melbourne), hails from Warrnambool, Victoria, and is a dedicated advocate and lived experience speaker who champions for compassionate and person-centered community support in the suicide prevention and postvention space.

With a background as a Registered Nurse with over six years’ experience in the front line medical and community mental health sector, and now a committed Outreach Support Worker in the postvention sector, Briana supports individuals and their families bereaved by suicide.

Having lost her brother to suicide in 2018 when she was only 21, this personal experience drives Briana’s passion for supporting those who are navigating the aftermath of suicide loss, advocating for individualised grief support, particularly for young people experiencing loss.

Throughout her career, Briana’s advocacy in this space has included involvement in several lived experience consultations and the promotion of mental health initiatives that prioritse the needs of individuals and communities affected by suicide. Briana’s commitment to raising awareness about the critical importance of suicide prevention and postvention care, aims to reduce stigma and improve access to vital services for suicide loss survivors.

Briana’s goal is to work toward building stronger, more compassionate systems of care that support both individuals and communities in their healing journey.

Rachael is a 22-year-old intersectional advocate from Boorloo (WA) with Lived Experience of mental ill-health, disability, queerness and suicidal ideation. She works with and/or for a number of mental health and disability organisations, including Consumers of Mental Health WA, Youth Focus, Youth Disability Advocacy Network, Richmond Wellbeing, Child and Adolescent Health Services, Mental Illness Fellowship of Australia, Butterfly Foundation, Embrace Collective, Headspace, the Y and more. She is also an avid writer and has published articles through the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Embrace Collective, Finding North, the Kids’ Institute and Care Opinion to name a few, with many more currently in the works.

Rachael is also the founder of an up-and-coming social enterprise, Integrity Initiative, which aims to humanise mental health treatment and reduce iatrogenic harm.  It does this through restoring dignity (in the form of care kits and self-advocacy resources) to Australians receiving inpatient treatment for their mental health. It also aims to strengthen community understanding of mental ill-health and combat stigma as a means of suicide prevention.

Rachael endeavours to use her passion and her past experiences to become a prominent figure in the Peer Workforce and to enhance quality of life not just for those experiencing similar circumstances and those caring for someone experiencing mental ill-health, but also to restore connection through the humility and imperfection that brings us all together as human beings.

I know what it’s like to lose someone to suicide. My mother took her own life. I have lost others too – people I loved deeply. I know the silence that follows, the weight of unanswered questions, and the way suicide doesn’t just take a life; it tears through families, through communities, through generations.

Growing up in a culturally and linguistically diverse (CaLD) household, I saw how mental health struggles were hidden, dismissed as weakness, or met with silence. Seeking help meant navigating a system that didn’t understand us. I have dedicated my life to changing that.

With over 15 years in mental health and suicide prevention, I have worked across frontline services, senior leadership, and policy reform, ensuring suicide prevention is trauma-informed, culturally responsive, and shaped by lived experience. My work has influenced national and state strategies, leading programs that provide real support to those who need it most.

I hold a Bachelor of Commerce, an MBA with Distinction, a Master of Social Work, a MicroMasters of Business Leadership, a MicroMasters of Organisational Psychology, a Graduate Certificate in Mental Health, and I am currently undertaking a PhD in Lived Experience Leadership.

I am a member of the Australian Association of Social Workers (AASW), Suicide Prevention Australia’s WA State Committee, and the Sustainable Health Review Steering Group (WA Health). I also serve as a board member for the Association For Services To Torture & Trauma Survivors (ASeTTS), and a mental health educator at WA Recovery College. My work has been recognised with multiple awards for advocacy, leadership, and innovation.

But this work is not about titles or policies – it’s about people. It’s about those who feel invisible, who believe they are a burden, who cannot see a way forward.

If that’s you, please hear me: You are not alone. You do not have to do this in silence. If the weight feels unbearable, reach out. There is love here. There is hope here. There is still a life worth living, even if you can’t see it yet.

My lived experience of suicidality goes back to my daily struggle, from the age of 21 to 35, to live the heterosexual life I was taught I must live. By the time I’d been married almost 14 years, the daily suicidal ideation turned into a last-second aborted attempt. I had previously lost my favourite uncle to suicide when his own closet door had opened, and he couldn’t live with the rejection from our family.

Finally leaving my own closet, I became determined to understand it. I wanted to understand why it’s been constructed; what it’s made of; the damage it does not only to those living inside, but to those living in its shadow; and most importantly, how it can be demolished.

I would eventually move to New Zealand and study for a PhD in gay identity where I’d find the answers to my questions, but not just within my studies; mostly within the most traditionally queerphobic and masculine institutions in the world – military and police.

It began when was I invited by the Chief of Navy to address his very reluctant senior officers on the matter of integrating openly gay sailors into the navy. At the end of my talk, the captain who had been the most opposed to me being there, turned to the admiral and said, “My mind’s been changed on this. And what’s changed it is understanding what it would be like to live in the closet. I couldn’t stand to live like that, and I don’t expect anyone else in the navy to live like that either. So, let’s do something.” He was making an indirect reference to suicide when he said: “I couldn’t stand to live like that.” And at that pivotal moment, was born the world’s first comprehensive program to eliminate homophobia in a national military.

My experience within military and then with the New Zealand Police and New Zealand Customs Service, gave me the answers I was seeking, and as a result, I was able to find a way to make those who construct the closet happily deconstruct it when they realised that they and all of society are living in its shadow as well, in ways that they’d never imagined.

I learned that queerphobia needs to move from a minority issue to a universal human crisis, peeling back the illusion that the queerphobia that leads to queer suicidality exists in a vacuum, and instead reveal how it corrodes the whole fabric of society, leading to unnecessary deaths, broken families, and societal dysfunction. That it’s a sociological and psychological emergency, not a niche concern.