26/07/2026
We are pleased to be supporting the Australian Government Department of Health, Disability and Ageing (the department) to appoint lived experience of su***de representatives to support the work of the Mental Health and Su***de Prevention Senior Officials (MHSPSO) Group, Data Governance Forum (DGF) and National Mental Health Workforce Working Group (Working Group) under the National Mental Health and Su***de Prevention Agreement (National Agreement).
A total of five lived experience of su***de positions will be available across MHSPSO and its Working Groups. Positions are for an initial 12-month period from July 2026 to June 2027 aligning with the 12-month extension of the National Agreement, with a possibility of extension.
Further below you will find a message from the department about this important opportunity.
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Available positions
**Expressions of Interest close midnight Friday, 14 August**
👉 Mental Health and Su***de Prevention Senior Officials Group (MHSPSO)
The department is seeking two lived experience of su***de representatives to support the work of the MHSPSO Group, under the National Mental Health and Su***de Prevention Agreement (National Agreement)
Expression of Interest for MHSPSO: https://forms.cloud.microsoft/r/7S35CxkGLc
👉 National Mental Health Workforce Working Group
The department is seeking two lived experience of su***de representatives to support the work of the National Mental Health Workforce Working Group (Working Group) under the National Mental Health and Su***de Prevention Agreement (National Agreement).
Expression of Interest for Working Group: https://forms.cloud.microsoft/r/VkVMmf1y4W
👉 Data Governance Forum
The department is seeking one lived experience of su***de representative to support the work of the Data Governance Forum (DGF) under the National Mental Health and Su***de Prevention Agreement (National Agreement).
Expression of interest for DGF: https://forms.cloud.microsoft/r/4zJUtxE1My
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👉 A message from the department
Earlier this year, MHSPSO agreed to implement transitional governance arrangements for the 12-month extension period of the National Agreement, from 1 July 2026 to 30 June 2027. This included changes to the existing governance structure to better support advice to governments on a potential new National Agreement, as well a decision to disband the Lived Experience Group (LEG) and transition lived experience representation on MHSPSO and its Working/Project Groups from the LEG to national lived experience peak bodies.
Lived experience representation on MHSPSO and its Working/Project Groups will span consumer, carer, First Nations and lived experience of su***de perspectives. Representative opportunities will primarily be facilitated through the national lived experience peak bodies, these being: the National Mental Health Consumers Alliance (NMHCA) (for consumers), Mental Health Carers Australia (MHCA) (for families, carers and kin) and the Indigenous Australian Lived Experience Centre (IALEC) (for First Nations lived experience). In the absence of an officially designated national lived experience of su***de peak body, the Australian Government Department of Health, Disability and Ageing has asked Roses in the Ocean to act as lead agency to provide a lived experience of su***de lens on the recruitment of lived experience of su***de representatives. This will involve working closely with NMHCA, MHCA and IALEC to leverage collective stakeholder networks to promote the opportunities, and to select appropriate representatives.
