Perinatal Lived Experience Opportunity
The NT Health Mental Health Alcohol and Other Drugs Branch is commencing a project to improve Perinatal Mental Health Screening services in the NT. They are seeking expressions of interest…
Northern Territory
Lived Experience Network
Our vision is to provide a collective and independent voice for people with lived experience of issues related to mental distress, trauma, suicide and addiction in the Northern Territory. People with lived experience, hold vital knowledge about what is needed from the system, both for individual care and at broader levels.
Our Network
'Living' and 'Lived'
We recognise that for many people, their experience is ongoing. We recognise that for others, their experience is in the past. We include people with both 'living' and 'lived' experience.
Caring for Family
We include family and friends who provide care and support. We recognise that people who provide care and support may also experience issues related to mental distress, trauma, suicide and addiction.
Whole Person
We know co-occurring issues related to mental distress, trauma, suicide and addiction are common. We value the lived experience of the whole person.
Why it's important
What the evidence says
Meaningful engagement of people with lived experience of issues related to mental distress, trauma, suicide and addiction is essential to achieving better mental health, social and wellbeing outcomes for all Australians. This is represented in the 32 detailed actions of the Fifth National Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Plan and by the National Mental Health Commission.
Meeting a need in the NT
All other Australian states and territories have lived experience representative bodies to provide a collective voice for people with lived experience. Our aim is to gather the knowledge, experience and perspectives of Territorians to inform the way the mental health, suicide prevention and alcohol and drug systems and services are planned, developed, delivered and evaluated in the Northern Territory.
Our committment
The NT Lived Experience Network began as a volunteer driven initiative instigated by local people seeking to make meaning and create purpose from their personal experience or experience caring for someone affected by issues related to mental distress, trauma, suicide and addiction. We have received funding to develop and trial our peer programs, however all of our advocacy remains unfunded. We rely on lived experience volunteers and the broader lived experience community to create independant submissions in order to ‘make the system better’.
Our Activity
Lived Experience Focus Group
Royal Darwin Hospital Mental Health Unit Summary The NT Government is seeking people with lived experience to inform the design of new mental health facilities at Royal Darwin Hospital. Interested…
June 2021 Newsletter
Our June 2021 Newsletter is out. Click on the link below to see what we have been up to. NTLEN Newsletter – June 2021 Click on the ‘subscribe’ button at…
Submission for the Review of the NT Mental Health Act
The NT Lived Experience Network has made an independent submission to the NT Government for the review of the NT Mental Health and Related Services Act (1998). Our submission was…
May Newsletter
Our May 2021 Newsletter is out. Click on the link below to see what we have been up to. NTLEN Newsletter – May 2021 Click on the ‘subscribe’ button at…
Online Survey: Your Voice Matters!
We have created an online survey to capture the experience and views of Territorians about NT Government mental health services. The survey takes less than 30 minutes to complete, and has optional…