Queensland Alliance for Mental Health, 109 Logan Road, Woolloongabba, Greenslopes (2025)

12/08/2025

Our Deputy CEO and Policy & Impact Officer, Chloe and Justine, just completed the first stage of our regional roadshow, visiting the Sunshine Coast, Gympie, Bundaberg, and Maryborough. What an incredible journey it’s been!

At our networking and policy insights events, we heard firsthand from service providers about the challenges they face and the powerful work they’re doing in their communities. From service gaps to workforce challenges, a key theme emerged: the need for more peer-led programs, better integration between services, and a stronger focus on early intervention and community resilience in mental health support. We were truly inspired by the passion and dedication of those working in our sector, all committed to improving the lives of the individuals and communities they support.

A huge thank you to the organisations that welcomed us to visit their services during our stay and are making such an impact on the ground and to those who attended these sessions on the Sunshine Coast and in Bundaberg.

Stay tuned for more updates as we continue our roadshow and collaborate to strengthen the community mental health and wellbeing sector across Queensland. At the completion of the roadshow, we will compile a Regional Insights report to share our learnings more broadly.

10/08/2025

QAMH Members: Quality and Accreditation – What You Need to Know

Join us online this Friday 15 August, from 10am – 11am for our next Members Forum, as we welcome Fiona Loughlan, CEO of the Institute for Healthy Communities Australia (IHCA). With over 25 years of leadership experience across government, not-for-profit and private sectors, Fiona brings a deep understanding of the quality improvement landscape.

Fiona will provide a practical update on quality and accreditation processes relevant to community mental health organisations, including:
- What the transition from the National Standards for Mental Health Services (NSMHS) to the National Safety and Quality Mental Health Standards for Community Managed Organisations (NSQMHCMO) means for your organisation
- How to combine NSQ CMO, Digital Mental Health (DMH) and Psychosocial Community Hubs (PCH) standards for streamlined accreditation
- Tips to reduce complexity and build confidence in your quality systems

There will also be time for Q&A, so bring your questions and hear directly from one of the sector’s leading quality and accreditation experts. If you’re part of a member organisation and don’t have the link in your calendar, email us at members@qamh.org.au and we’ll make sure you’re included.

06/08/2025

This week, QAMH proudly shines the Spotlight on Velvet Eldred and the team at Awesome Anglers. Awesome Anglers combine the benefits of fishing with the goal of creating friendships to facilitate social inclusion opportunities for people living with disability or mental health challenges.

Located in Cairns and Brisbane North, the team provide Mental Health Respite Services designed to help participants of all abilities and ages build confidence and live a better life through the joy of fishing and outdoor activities in a fun, safe and encouraging environment.

Awesome Anglers welcome everyone! And they do what they do because they genuinely believe in people. So much so they now employ three former program participants as mentors and fishing facilitators (pictured in post above).

To learn more visit www.awesomeanglers.com.au

Pictured in the post: Left Paanthu Creek - mentor, Middle Jack Eldred – founder/operator middle, Right Matthew Smith-mentor. Photo taken at Cairns Wharf by Jack Eldred.

04/08/2025

Many people fall through the cracks long before they ever reach a hospital. The PATHS Project set out to change that.

Co-designed with the Townsville community, the PATHS model offers earlier, more accessible support, grounded in lived experience, cultural safety and connection to place. It shows we don’t need to wait for crisis to intervene, and that community-based care isn’t just more humane, it’s more cost-effective.

Read how this locally led model could transform the way we support people outside the NDIS: https://www.qamh.org.au/paths-project-wraps-up-community-led-model-offers-scalable-solution-to-unmet-need/

Beacon Strategies Community Mental Health Australia

30/07/2025

We’re hitting the road to put your voice at the centre of our advocacy. Join us in your region as we connect with community-based mental health providers across Queensland this August to October. These in-person sessions will provide space to share what’s happening in your region, highlight system challenges and opportunities, and help shape QAMH’s advocacy. They’re also a chance to connect with others working in the sector.

Register for a session in your region below, spots are limited:
Sunshine Coast: https://events.humanitix.com/sunshine-coast-sector-networking-and-policy-conversation
Bundaberg: https://events.humanitix.com/wide-bay-sector-networking-and-policy-conversation
Cairns: https://events.humanitix.com/cairns-sector-networking-and-policy-conversation
Townsville: https://events.humanitix.com/townsville-sector-networking-and-policy-conversation
Mount Isa: https://events.humanitix.com/mount-isa-sector-networking-and-policy-conversation
Roma: https://events.humanitix.com/roma-sector-networking-and-policy-conversation

These sessions are open to all community-based mental health and wellbeing providers in these regions so please share with others in your networks.

29/07/2025

That’s a wrap on !

Over two days at Victoria Park, our sector came together to connect, reflect and challenge. It was a privilege to welcome colleagues from across Queensland (and beyond) into such a beautiful setting to talk about what community mental health is, and what it could be.

Dr Mark Cross brought a refreshing honesty as a psychiatrist with lived experience, encouraging us to feel angry, to challenge the system, and to demand better. Alex Lau pushed us to simplify our messaging and keep people, not processes, at the centre; if we confuse, we lose. Dr Alan D. Thompson opened a confronting but vital conversation on AI in mental health. There was fear in the room, but a collective understanding that we cannot afford to ignore what is already happening. The panels were thought-provoking, the abstract presentations dynamic, and the conversations among delegates continuous.

A huge thank you to our sponsors Queensland Mental Health Commission, Queensland Health and Quality Innovation Performance Limited (QIP). Your support made it possible for people with lived and living experience, and those working in regional and rural Queensland, to join us and contribute meaningfully to the discussions.

To every attendee, thank you. It was your generosity in sharing ideas, your willingness to engage in complex conversations, and your commitment to this sector that gave the conference its depth and energy. The sense of community in the room was palpable, and it would not have been possible without each of you.

Here’s a small selection of photos from the event; we’ll be sharing the full gallery in the coming weeks. If you captured any moments while you were there, we’d love you to tag us.

18/07/2025

This week’s QAMH Member Spotlight features James Bell from Neami National

As Director of Safety and Homelessness, James leads multidisciplinary teams across the country, working in su***de prevention, youth mental health and housing support. With a strong focus on lived experience, James is passionate about building systems that are compassionate, inclusive, and responsive to the social drivers of wellbeing.

We’re proud to spotlight James’s leadership and Neami National’s commitment to supporting people to achieve the mental health outcomes that matter most to them.

16/07/2025

QAMH invites executive leaders from our Member organisations to join us for the next forum in our Executive Think Tank series, a space for strategic conversation and peer connection.

This online session will focus on data collection, evaluation, and how we measure service impact in our sector. With growing government interest in outcomes over outputs, now is the time to share how your organisation is approaching this work and explore opportunities to align, collaborate, and strengthen our collective advocacy. This will be an open discussion among leaders facing similar challenges and opportunities in this space.

Join us online from 10am–11:30am on Thursday 28 August. To register your interest, contact Deputy CEO Chloe Jesson at cjesson@qamh.org.au.

14/07/2025

The Productivity Commission’s interim report on the National Mental Health and Su***de Prevention Agreement reflects many of the priorities we raised in our submission.

QAMH called for:
▪ Funding for foundational psychosocial supports
▪ Clearer roles and responsibilities across governments
▪ Better data collection and service mapping
▪ Investment in culturally safe services for First Nations communities

The interim report confirms these are national priorities. It also highlights that the system remains fragmented, with just 3 percent of national mental health funding tied to the Agreement. Critical reforms have not been delivered, and lived experience is still not embedded in design or governance.

The Commission is now calling for a new Agreement by 2027. One that is co-designed, clearly structured, and backed by accountability.

QAMH strongly supports this direction. It is time to fund what works and place community mental health at the centre. Read our summary of the Interim Report here: https://www.qamh.org.au/productivity-commission-confirms-the-national-mental-health-and-su***de-prevention-agreement-is-not-delivering-reform/

04/07/2025

This week’s QAMH Members spotlight shines on The Junction Clubhouse Cairns , and its CEO, Suzie Pont. The Junction Clubhouse is a lovely community of people who support each other in working towards their recovery goals. The Clubhouse offers opportunities for friendship, education, employment and purposeful work, understanding that each person has individual needs and personal goals. The Junction Clubhouse believes in belonging, meaningful relationships and meaningful work and prides itself on being a safe, non-clinical inclusive place for people with lived experience of mental health challenges.

Leading the charge is the organisation’s CEO, Suzie Pont. Suzie has a history of being deeply involved in advocating for social justice, workforce development, and community empowerment – and is inspired by the incredible strength she sees as people navigate their journeys towards a life of independence, and more confidence within themselves.

02/07/2025

Last month the Health and Mental Health Ministers Meeting was held with disappointing outcomes, and with the recent release of the Queensland state budget and lacklustre support for community mental health, the gap for psychosocial supports is ever-widening. Although the ministers recognise the importance of psychosocial supports and peer work, it is not translating into viable and sustainable funding to address the growing mental health needs for Queenslanders.
We need urgent action to make an impact.
Words don’t cut it.

David Crisafulli MP ~ Donna Kirkland MP ~ Tim Nicholls MP ~ Mark Bailey MP

30/06/2025

Rights-based Service Delivery is fundamental in the work of the Community Mental Health and Wellbeing Sector, so grab your colleagues and book your tickets to QAMH’s Connecting for Impact conference to hear more from our esteemed presenters!

On the second day of this two-day conference, those interested in the Human Rights based stream will hear from:
🔹 Saina Avesta, Paul O’Hanlon-Rose and Viktoriia Fomina from Queensland Program of Assistance to Survivors of Torture and Trauma (QPASTT) on their Reflections of Intersectional Practice with Q***r Identifying Refugees and Asylum Seekers
🔹 Dr Graham Pringle from the School of Outdoor Therapeutic Practice on a Complex Trauma-informed Practice Framework: A 2024 Research Outcome.

With registrations almost at capacity, if you haven’t booked yet, you need to book now! Register directly at: https://events.humanitix.com/connecting-for-impact

*️⃣ Details *️⃣
Dates - Monday 28 - Tuesday 29 July (Monday afternoon Networking event additional)
Venue - Victoria Park Function Centre, Herston Qld
QAMH Member and group booking discounts available.

To find out more about the conference program, speakers and registration prices visit: https://www.qamh.org.au/conference
For any enquiries email the team at: conference@qamh.org.au

This Event is proudly supported by the Queensland Mental Health Commission, the Queensland Government, and QIP - Quality Innovation Performance Limited.

Queensland Alliance for Mental Health

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