The year has started pretty much as it ended, with a lot happening. However, in between, I hope everyone got the opportunity to rest, recharge and spend time with those they love.
This year shapes up to be one of significant change in mental health and disability services. We await the Government’s response to the Disability Royal Commission and the NDIS Review recommendations, as well as the analysis being undertaken about psychosocial support services for people with lived experience across the Nation. Each of these important processes and reports bring much opportunity for reform, transformation and improvement.
Each of these areas continues the important call for people with lived experience, and their families and carers, to be foundational partners in determining what changes are made. The term “co-design” positions people as equal partners, with services, clinicians and funders, in the creation, leadership and governance of contemporary mental health and disability services and supports. We support this requirement, and our approach is detailed in our Co-design Guidelines, co-designed with people with lived experience accessing our services who make up our Community Advisory Council.
Following the same theme, lived experience leadership and governance, including in co-design of services, was given an important boost last year with the release of the Lived Experience Governance Framework. This framework, and the associated tool kit, are of great assistance to services. They support us to consider how we shape up in relation to making co-design and co-production a reality. This year, we will specifically reflect on these important issues. In that way, as we state in our Recovery Action Framework, we seek to continue to demonstrate our commitment to ensuring lived experience is fundamental to all Flourish Australia does.
Finally, I am excited to share with you our International Women’s Day on-line event featuring the inspiring Grace Tame. I hope you can join us. More details are in the story.
Enjoy the Newsletter.
Mark Orr AM
Chief Executive
