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Mental Health Matters 2 (MHM2) is more than a charity – it’s a beacon of hope, connection and empowerment for individuals and families experiencing mental health, alcohol and other drug challenges and justice involvement.
Our roots have been firmly embedded in the lived and living experiences of people and their expertise. This makes us a unique, values-based, lived experience-led charity.
Born from a grassroots systemic advocacy group in 2010, MHM2 has developed into a powerful catalyst for positive, sustainable change. Our goal of embedding Lived Experience expertise at all levels of decision-making seeks to achieve better outcomes and challenge stigma and discrimination.
MHM2 works with and for individuals and families with experiences of mental health, alcohol and other drug challenges and justice involvement. The reason we exist is to bridge the gap between lived experience of these challenges and the services and system responses people received, or do not receive. As a lived experience-led charity, we act courageously to achieve positive, effective systems change which will ensure better outcomes for individuals and families.
We pledge to maintain graciousness, especially during challenging times, ensuring that kindness and clearness pervades our interactions.
Our stance is informed, drawing from the latest knowledge and understandings, including when they challenge the status quo.
We are just, fair, and inclusive in our engagement with others.
Our approach is hopeful – exploring possibilities while acknowledging challenges.
Lastly, we remain resolute, purposeful, and determined in our work.
Better outcomes with and for individuals, families and significant others with mental health & alcohol and other drug challenges & justice involvement.
We are dedicated to fostering growth and development in those we serve, as well as in ourselves.
By providing and partnering in training, consultancy, educational and research activities, we aim to building the confidence and capabilities of individuals, families, services and systems to achieve better outcomes for and in people’s lives.
At the heart of MHM2 is our commitment to developing and embedding Lived Experience (Peer) workforces across services (including MHM2) and systems.
We acknowledge these workforces to be an important disruptive element in transforming service and system responses to achieve better outcomes.
We support the readiness and change that needs to take place in services and systems to sustainably embed these workforces.
This work takes boldness and courage and we’re committed to staying the course with individuals, leaders and services who invest in these changes.
MHM2’s lived experience leadership – including at Board level – is instrumental in steering our charity’s course, embodying our values in every interaction.
We’re committed to informing better outcomes as identified by people in the mental health, alcohol and other drug and justice areas.
We support a move from measuring outputs (what was delivered by a service or program) to measuring impact (what difference was made in the lives of people).
We take pride in being inclusive, innovative and courageous in how we work.
MHM2 works with individuals and families to help them navigate mental health, substance use, and justice challenges. We also work to improve services and systems for better outcomes.
Drawing on our collective lived experience and expertise, we advocate for systemic change, promote human rights, and fight stigma and discrimination.
At MHM2, we champion the transformative power of Lived Experience leadership. Our strength comes from embracing diversity. We honor each person and family’s unique journey, helping them turn their experiences into expertise that drives real change. We support communities to be led by their own leaders, drawing on their cultures and approaches, including Aboriginal-led initiatives and the Social and Emotional Wellbeing framework.
MHM2 is a place where diversity is welcomed and celebrated. We are dedicated to building a space where all individuals, irrespective of their backgrounds and experiences, can feel valued and included.
We work closely with a broad range of stakeholders, including individuals, families, non-profit agencies, and government departments, fostering an environment that is fair, equitable and inclusive.