Michael Elwan - Lived Experience Solutions LEXs

16/08/2025

𝗔 𝗾𝘂𝗶𝗲𝘁 𝗺𝗶𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗻𝗲, 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗱 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗲
I’m honoured to share that I’ve been appointed to the 𝗟𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗱 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘀𝘂𝗹𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗚𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗽 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗢𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗵𝗶𝗲𝗳 𝗣𝘀𝘆𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗮𝘁𝗿𝗶𝘀𝘁 (𝗪𝗔).

This isn’t just a professional update - it’s something much deeper.

When I think about standards and guidelines in mental health, I don’t think of policy first. I think of my mother - her pain, her strength, and the services we tried, the ones we did not know about, and the ones that didn’t even exist.

I think of being a teenage boy navigating care in a system that often didn’t see us- didn’t see her. She died by su***de. That grief changed me. It became purpose.

This role is one way of continuing that purpose. I bring to it my lived experience, my cultural lens as an Egyptian-Australian, and my professional background. I also carry with me the voices of many others who’ve shared their stories; stories filled with both pain and possibility.

This appointment is about more than representation. It’s about ensuring our mental health system is not only clinically sound, but relationally just.

If you’d like to read a more personal reflection, I’ve written about it here:

Some roles are more than professional - they speak to something deeply personal. I’m deeply honoured to share that I’ve been appointed to the Lived Experience Consultation Group (LECG) with the Office of the Chief Psychiatrist (OCP) in Western Australia.It’s a role that holds meaning beyond wo...

09/08/2025

I'm truly honoured and deeply grateful to have been featured by Su***de Prevention Australia as one of their two Stories of Hope for World Su***de Prevention Day 2025. As someone who's navigated the profound challenges of being a carer and a survivor of loss, particularly in culturally and linguistically diverse communities, this recognition feels like a powerful affirmation of the importance of sharing our lived experiences to shatter shame and foster real change.

The theme this year, 'Changing the Narrative on Su***de', couldn't resonate more with me; it's about transforming silence into open dialogue, vulnerability into strength, and grief into advocacy. In my story, I reflect on how personal tragedy has shaped my path - from becoming a social worker with many years in mental health and su***de prevention, to founding Lived Experience Solutions - LEXs, and now pursuing a PhD to elevate voices like mine. It's a reminder that behind the heartbreaking stats (su***de remains the leading cause of death for Aussies aged 15-44), there are human stories of resilience and hope.

If this sparks something in you, I'd love for you to read the full blog post on my website, where I dive deeper into this journey and how we can all contribute to a more compassionate future:
https://www.lexs.com.au/post/honoured-to-share-my-story-as-a-beacon-of-hope-for-world-su***de-prevention-day-2025

***dePreventionDay ***deprevention

I'm feeling a deep sense of humility and gratitude today. I've been selected as one of the two stories of hope featured by Su***de Prevention Australia for 2025; it's a real privilege to stand alongside such powerful voices in this space. As someone who's walked the path of being a carer and a survi...

27/07/2025

𝗜’𝘃𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗻𝗮𝗺𝗲𝗱 𝗮 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘀𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟱 𝗥 𝗨 𝗢𝗞? 𝗕𝗮𝗿𝗯𝗮𝗿𝗮 𝗛𝗼𝗰𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗠𝗲𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗔𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱 - 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿.
It’s hard to put into words what this means. This nomination doesn’t just recognise the work - it affirms something deeper: That conversations don’t have to be clinical to be healing. That quiet, consistent, culturally safe dialogue can reach places services sometimes can’t.

That asking “Are you OK?” - not just once, not just on R U OK? Day, but in the messy, everyday moments of real life - can be revolutionary.

This honour is not mine alone. It belongs to the young carer still navigating silence. The man of colour taught to hide his pain. The grieving mother. The exhausted peer worker. The student social worker. The community elder. It belongs to all those who hold stories the world too often overlooks.

And it belongs to my late mother. Your silence shaped me. But your love drives me.

Thank you to the R U OK? team for seeing the power of lived experience in leadership, conversation, and community.

𝗜 𝘄𝗿𝗼𝘁𝗲 𝗮 𝗳𝗲𝘄 𝗿𝗲𝗳𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗷𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗲𝘆 𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲: https://www.lexs.com.au/post/from-silence-to-conversation-finalist-for-the-r-u-ok-barbara-hocking-memorial-award

***deprevention

This week, I received an email that made me stop, breathe deeply, and feel the weight of both sorrow and gratitude in my chest.I’ve been named a finalist in the 2025 R U OK? Barbara Hocking Memorial Awards, under the Conversation Leader category. To say this is an honour doesn’t quite capture wh...

19/07/2025

𝗙𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗴𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗼 𝗰𝗼-𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿
I’m deeply honoured to share that I’ve been appointed as a Digital Health Adviser - Consumer and Carer with the Australian Digital Health Agency.

This role means a lot. Not just professionally, but personally.

It brings full circle the quiet, painful chapters of my life. Now, I’ve been given the chance to bring that lived experience into the design rooms, policy spaces, and conversations that shape the future of digital health in Australia.

This role is about more than apps and dashboards. 𝗜𝘁’𝘀 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗱𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆. 𝗧𝗿𝘂𝘀𝘁. 𝗟𝗮𝗻𝗴𝘂𝗮𝗴𝗲. 𝗖𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗻𝘂𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲. 𝗦𝗮𝗳𝗲𝘁𝘆. 𝗜𝘁’𝘀 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗱𝗶𝗴𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵 𝘁𝗼𝗼𝗹𝘀 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗔𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗮𝗻𝘀 - including those who’ve been left behind before.

To read the full story and why this work matters to me so deeply, I’ve written a blog from the heart:
👉 https://www.lexs.com.au/post/bringing-lived-experience-to-digital-health-a-new-chapter

Thank you to the Australian Digital Health Agency for this opportunity to contribute. I’m excited to learn, co-create, and keep pushing for systems that are not only smart - but human.

***deprevention

I’m honoured to share that I’ve recently been appointed as a Digital Health Adviser - Consumer and Carer with the Australian Digital Health Agency (ADHA). It’s a role I step into with both humility and purpose - one shaped by the weight of lived experience, a commitment to equity, and a belief...

11/07/2025

𝗕𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗵𝗲 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻 𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗸𝘀, 𝗵𝗲’𝘀 𝗮𝗹𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘆 𝗯𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝘀𝗶𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗱.
When a 𝗺𝗶𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗺𝗮𝗻 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗮 𝗖𝗮𝗟𝗗 𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱 enters a mental health service in Australia, he may already be carrying shame, grief, fear of judgment, and the invisible scars of identity loss.

Not one barrier - 𝗹𝗮𝘆𝗲𝗿 𝘂𝗽𝗼𝗻 𝗹𝗮𝘆𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺.

I’m proud to share my latest published piece with PEERnet:
"𝘓𝘢𝘺𝘦𝘳 𝘜𝘱𝘰𝘯 𝘓𝘢𝘺𝘦𝘳: 𝘜𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘐𝘯𝘷𝘪𝘴𝘪𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘉𝘶𝘳𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘔𝘪𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘔𝘦𝘯 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘊𝘢𝘓𝘋 𝘉𝘢𝘤𝘬𝘨𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘴"

It explores the quiet, compounding struggles faced by men who are expected to never falter, yet are placed in systems not built to hear them.

🔻 In many cultures, masculinity is tied to provision and emotional restraint.
🔻 Migration brings loss of role, status, language, and community.
🔻 Systemic racism, unemployment, and isolation are common - but unspoken.
🔻 Mental health services often miss the mark: one-size-fits-all intake forms, lack of cultural nuance, fear of repercussions.

What we label as “non-disclosure” or “resistance” is often survival.

This article is personal to me - not just as a mental health professional, but as a man who migrated to Australia carrying grief and silence. A man who rebuilt from peer work to national advocacy. Who now supports systems to see what they’ve been missing.

I believe in the power of stories to shift systems.

Read the full piece here:
👉 https://peernet.au/2025/07/10/layer-upon-layer-understanding-the-invisible-burdens-of-migrant-men-from-cald-backgrounds/
📌 Note: You’ll need to create a free PEERnet account to access the article.

To those reading: if this resonates, share it. Start a conversation. Use it in training. Or reach out to explore how we can do better - together.

Because healing begins not with asking “What’s wrong with him?” - but “What’s standing in his way?”

***deprevention

The discussion of peer work can be complex. We all have different experiences, thoughts and feelings, and acknowledging this is a fundamental part of the work that peers do. We would like to extend this awareness across all of the interactions on PEERnet, ensuring that we respect each other’s trut...

05/07/2025

𝗜𝘁’𝘀 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗴𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗵𝗼𝗻𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗺𝘆 𝗽𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝘀𝗼 𝗳𝗮𝗿. In March 2026, I’ll be delivering a national webinar through our professional peak body – the Australian Association of Social Workers (AASW):

🧭 𝗙𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗦𝗶𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗴𝘁𝗵: 𝗦𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗠𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵 𝗶𝗻 𝗠𝗲𝗻 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗖𝗔𝗟𝗗 𝗕𝗮𝗰𝗸𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝘀

🗓️ 𝗧𝘂𝗲𝘀𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝟭𝟳 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲 | 2:00–3:30pm AEDT

🎓 𝟭.𝟱 𝗖𝗣𝗗 𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀 (𝗦𝗸𝗶𝗹𝗹𝘀 & 𝗞𝗻𝗼𝘄𝗹𝗲𝗱𝗴𝗲 – 𝗠𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵 𝗖𝗿𝗲𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗮𝗹)

🎥 Includes 2-week replay + slides

🔗 Read more here – https://www.lexs.com.au/post/michael-elwan-aasw-national-webinar-on-cald-men

This is personal.

As a CALD man, a social worker, and someone who’s walked alongside grief, displacement, and identity negotiation - I know what it means to carry stories no one asked to hear.

CALD men experience high levels of psychological distress – but too often access mental health support late, involuntarily, or not at all.

𝗪𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵. 𝗪𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗱𝗹𝘆 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗱.

This webinar invites us to stop, listen, and lean in. Together, we’ll explore:

🔹 The cultural weight of masculinity, shame, and role expectations

🔹 Structural barriers: visa precarity, underemployment, service distrust

🔹 Tools to adapt assessments using metaphor, narrative, body language

🔹 Ways to honour collective identity, spirituality, and non-Western expressions of distress

🔹 How we, as practitioners, can shift our own lens – with humility and care

This is for social workers (evolving and established), counsellors, peer workers, and allies ready to move beyond cultural awareness – into cultural intelligence, identity-safe practice, and deeper connection.

𝗜 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗿𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝗶𝗻 𝗵𝗼𝗻𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝗺𝘆 𝗳𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗺𝗮𝗻 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝘁𝗮𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘀𝗶𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝘀𝘂𝗿𝘃𝗶𝘃𝗮𝗹.

Let’s change the story. Together.

***deprevention

There are moments in our professional journey that feel deeply personal - where lived experience, cultural identity, and social work practice meet at the heart of transformation. Delivering a national webinar through the Australian Association of Social Workers (AASW) is one such moment.From Silence...

01/07/2025

This week, something happened that still feels surreal to write. I have been appointed to the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (Ahpra) Board’s Accreditation Committee. Even as I type these words, I pause. Because this isn’t just a professional milestone - it’s a deeply personal...

01/07/2025

I’m honoured to share that I’ve been appointed as the Western Australian member of the Multicultural Mental Health Expert Panel, a national initiative co-led by the National Mental Health Consumer Alliance (NMHCA) and the Federation of Ethnic Communities’ Councils of Australia (FECCA).This gro...

01/07/2025

I’m deeply humbled to share that I’ve been featured in the Understanding Lived Experience series by the WA Mental Health Commission, where I speak about organisational readiness and what it truly means to commit to the W...

01/07/2025

I’m honoured to share that I’ll be speaking at Perspectives 2025, a national Lived Experience e-Symposium hosted by the Finding North Network in partnership with the Mental Illness Fellowship of Australia (MIFA).This event is a powerful annual gathering of lived experience leaders, truth-tellers...

01/07/2025

Yesterday was a great day.On Tuesday, I stood beside Poster #159 at the 2025 National Su***de Prevention Conference and presented a program I’ve carried in my heart for decades: “Building Bridges: Fostering Intergenerational Dialogue on Mental Health and Su***de in CaLD Families.”I had many co...