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Welcome To
Mental Health Matters 2

We are a lived experience-led charity that is dedicated to improving understanding of, and responses to, individuals and families experiencing mental health, alcohol and other drug challenges and criminal justice involvement.
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Lived experience research project

Have you got lived experience of mental health and AOD challenges, and justice system contact?

Have you ever been involved in research, or been interested in being involved?

We would like to know more from you about what may motivate or put you off being involved in research as a research partner. 

See the information sheet and EOI form below for more details.

Information sheet

EOI form

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Make a difference today

Welcome! Mental Health Matters 2 (MHM2) honours and prioritises lived and living experience and expertise of people of all backgrounds, genders, sexualities, cultures, ages and abilities.
Become a volunteer
Join us as a volunteer and make a difference in the lives of individuals and families facing mental health, alcohol and other drug challenges and criminal justice involvement.
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Donate to support
Empower transformation and help to create and maintain effective mental health responses through your generous contribution.
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Become a partner
Unlock impactful collaborations by becoming a valued partner with MHM2, amplifying lived experience and reshaping mental health responses.
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What we do

  • Since 2011, our Families 4 Families WA program has offered a face-to-face or online safe, peer-led, education and wellness community for ‘people who care’.
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  • We provide Lived Experience-led education, training, advisory, and consulting services for not-for-profit organisations and government agencies and specialise in using co-design and co-production approaches.
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  • We advise on the development and implementation of Lived Experience (Peer) Workforces.
  • We specialise in bringing Lived Experience perspectives and expertise to research and systemic advocacy initiatives. Our aim is to collaborate with like-minded partners.
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Get involved with MHM2

We warmly invite you to join us in this values-based work. Our values are to work in ways that are Gracious, Just, Reflective and Informed, Resolute and Hopeful. We meet people where they are at and support them to develop their skills, knowledge, expertise, and self-empowerment. We promote and advocate for human rights and peer-based approaches.
Donate to support
Your generosity can help transform lives. If you are passionate about ensuring that Lived Experience voices and expertise should be considered in all future mental health and alcohol and other drug services, then please donate today.
Your donation will be used by MHM2 to develop and provide contemporary education and advocacy to improve outcomes for individuals and families with experiences of mental health, alcohol and other drug use and criminal justice involvement. It may be used to help us fund our core operations (keeping the lights on!); pay Lived Experience Advisors to inform our work; engage in developing innovative projects. Your donation will make a difference.
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You Can Help
If you share the MHM2 vision of mental health, alcohol and other drug and criminal justice responses, services and support being co-produced with people with have a lived experience, please get in touch so we can have a chat about what areas of our current work may be of interest to you.
Your interest or involvement may be in specific projects or ongoing work that MHM2 does in areas such as:
  • Education and Development
  • Research
  • Innovation
  • Lived Experience (Peer) Workforces
  • Systemic advocacy
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Who we are

Mental Health Matters 2 (MHM2) is a Lived Experience led charity which acts to embed the expertise of individuals and families with experiences of mental health challenges, alcohol and other drug use, and possible criminal justice involvement, in and across those areas to achieve better outcomes. We believe that people with these life experiences can, and have the right to, lead full and contributing lives. We actively work to help achieve that goal.
As an inclusive organisation, MHM2 embraces diversity. People of all abilities, ages, beliefs, cultures, ethnicities, genders, races, religions and sexes are welcome.
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Our background

In 2010 MHM2 was founded as a volunteer grassroots systemic advocacy group. It aimed – and continues to aim – to improve the outcomes for individuals, families, carers and supporters with experience of mental health and alcohol and other drug challenges, many of whom find themselves caught up in the criminal justice system. Since 2010, MHM2 has consistently advocated with decision-makers to ensure that the voices and views of people with lived experience as individuals or family members helped to influence and inform the design and implementation of laws, policies and decisions which affected their lives. Examples of this include our systemic advocacy from 2010 to implement and embed a court diversion program for people with mental health challenges. This culminated in the development of the Start Court in Perth which offers treatment and support for people with mental ill-health facing criminal charges. We also advocated over many years for the review of the Criminal Law (Mentally Impaired Accused) Act 1996 which had a successful outcome in 2022 with the passing of the Criminal Law (Mental Impairment) Bill. Over the years, MHM2 has supported members to meaningfully participate in and lead relevant forums, submissions, co-design and co-production activities.

Who we work with

Individuals and families with lived and living experience:
Our Families 4 Families WA program provides a hopeful and contemporary, peer-led, safe, online community for anyone who cares or has cared for or about a person with experiences of mental health, alcohol and other drug use and the criminal justice system. People with similar experiences from WA and other parts of Australia connect with and learn from and with each other. International peers are also welcome to our online community!
Services and government:
We provide tailored training, education and consultancy services for not-for-profit services and government agencies seeking to meaningfully engage with people with lived experience. We advise on successfully developing and implementing Lived Experience (Peer) Workforces from initial stages of workforce planning through recruitment, onboarding and peer supervision. Our approaches are lived experience-led and designed to help agencies better hear from, understand and respond to the needs of the people they serve and achieve better outcomes.
Funders
We have a proven track record of working with communities, including individuals involved in the criminal justice system. Researchers who support MHM2’s objectives and are interested in working with specific groups can tap into our networks. Funders can be assured of our governance and achievements to date in providing Lived Experience-led education, training, and advisory services to not-for-profit organisations and government agencies.
Researchers

We are keen to work with researchers who support MHM2’s objectives and are willing to work, or learn to work, equitably with people with lived and living experience. We help researchers to safely connect with our networks which includes traditionally, under-represented people and communities. Research partners have included Curtin University, University of Melbourne, Murdoch Children’s Research Centre, Queensland Centre for Mental Health Research. We have contributed to a wide variety of state, national and international consultations and conferences.

Raised Funds 85%
Financial AID

We warmly invite you to join us in this values-based work. Our values are to work in ways that are Gracious, Just, Reflective and Informed, Resolute and Hopeful. We meet people where they are at and support them to develop their skills, knowledge, expertise, and self-empowerment. We promote and advocate for human rights and peer-based approaches.

RAISED FUND

$8,500

REMAINING

$10,000

EXPIRE DATE

27 Aug, 2024

Get in touch with MHM2 today

At MHM2, our goal is for individuals and families experiencing mental health, alcohol and other drug and criminal justice involvement to live their best possible lives in the communities of their choice. We believe this is more likely to happen when services and systems are co-designed and co-produced with a diversity of Lived Experience expertise. We firmly believe that by working well together, this goal is achievable.
Our long-standing presence in the mental health space is a testament to our dedication and passion for creating positive change. Over the years, we’ve learned, grown, and evolved, always with the aim of enhancing the lives of those in our community.

"We're always dancing on the edge of the abyss and it doesn't take much to fall off. F4FWA has always been a safe space to land"

Rod Person with a lived experience of mental health

MHM2 provides a safe, welcoming and non-judgmental space for people to share, learn, advocate and grow together. The work of changing hearts and minds around mental health, alcohol and other drug use and criminal justice is relational work and we value relationships.

Margaret Doherty Director

"I learned about my own and my son's rights under the Mental Health Act to be involved in planning his discharge. No-one had told me before. When I met with the clinicians, I felt more confident and had the TSDP resources and a friend with me for back-up".

Family member training participant Treatment, Support & Discharge Planning training
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    OUR LATEST BLOG

    News & Updates

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    General
    Welcome to our new website!

      Hi Everyone, We’re back online with our recently updated website.    Thanks to everyone

    Mental Health matters 2 26 March 2024
    Congratulations to Finalists!

    Congratulations to Families 4 Families WA who was a Finalist in the 2023 Support Group

    Mental Health matters 2 25 March 2024

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