Lived Experience leaders Visit Parliament House
Last week, two graduates of Finding North’s Lived Experience Speakers Program travelled to Canberra to participate in the Parliamentary Friends of Mental Health event and meet with federal decision makers.
Meeting with Decision Makers
During the day, Rachael Burns and Kirsten, along with Finding North’s Hayley Harris, met with several parliamentarians and advisers to discuss key advocacy priorities.
Their first meeting was with Laura Haylen, Chief of Staff to Senator Jenny McAllister, where they spoke about a range of important topics.
They then met with The Hon. Emma McBride MP, Assistant Minister for Mental Health and Suicide Prevention. The conversation focused on Lived Experience leadership, Eating Disorders, and the National Suicide Prevention Strategy.
The group also met with Cameron Caldwell MP, where they discussed the intersection between mental health and housing, values-based leadership, and shared a light exchange about rugby union.
Parliamentary Friends of Mental Health Event
Later in the afternoon, the group attended the Parliamentary Friends of Mental Health event, co-converned by MIFA and Senator Jordon Steele-John, Andrew Wallace MP, and Tracey Roberts MP. The event speakers included Priscilla Brice – CEO of National Mental Health Consumer Alliance, Katrina Armstrong – CEO of Mental Health Carers Australia, and Leilani Darwin – Founder of First Nations Co., all of whom highlighted the importance of elevating Lived Experience leadership. We also heard from Emma McBride. The Event brought together parliamentarians, advocates, Lived Experience leaders, and mental health sector stakeholders to highlight key priorities in mental health reform and elevate lived experience voices at a national level. Rachael and Kirsten connected with parliamentarians along with sector peers from across Australia.
Reflections from Our Speakers
“The day was meaningful because I was included for my expertise, not as a tick-the-box exercise. Lived expertise leadership is real work, and it takes a lot to show up in these spaces with clarity and honesty. When that contribution is recognised and treated with respect, it makes the conversations feel genuine and opens space for real, hopeful change. It was also wonderful to spend the day learning from and with Hayley and Rachael.” -Kirsten
“The week was reassuring. To have leaders acknowledge that mental health, youth wellbeing, disability, housing, education, alcohol and other drugs and justice cannot be addressed in siloes. It was powerful to hear genuine passion, empathy, emotion and accountability towards the devastating failures of current systems without deflection, justification or excusal. I had not expected that.” -Rachael
You can read more reflections from Rachael here
Why This Matters: Lived Experience Leadership in Action
Finding North’s Lived Experience Speakers Program exists to build the confidence, capability, and platform for people with lived experience to contribute meaningfully to advocacy, system reform, and public conversations about mental health.
Seeing graduates step into national spaces – meeting with leaders, sharing their expertise, and representing lived experience communities – is exactly what the program is designed to support.
Events like Parliamentary Friends of Mental Health remind us that policymakers want to hear directly from people with lived experience. These conversations help ensure reforms reflect the realities of those living with mental health challenges and strengthen a more human, rights-based approach to mental health in Australia.
A Growing Community of Leaders
As our speakers met with parliamentarians, they were not only representing their own stories , they were sharing their Lived Experience expertise and reflecting the priorities of hundreds of members within the Finding North community, the many graduates of our programs, and the broader lived experience movement.
“This battle cannot be fought alone. It is hard work – it takes extensive emotional labour and consistent effort, learning, persistence and fierceness. It is fraught with inevitable knock-backs and heartcrushing defeat. That so say… people with lived experience are prepared to work hard as professionals, but we need the doors to open to even make it to the table.” -Rachael
We thank Rachael and Kirsten for the leadership, expertise, and insight they demonstrated in Canberra.