A United Voice for the Community Mental Health & Wellbeing Sector
Advocating for Better Mental Health and Wellbeing Services Across Queensland
Collective Benefit through Collaboration
We are stronger when we work together. Join us to connect, contribute, and shape the future of community mental health.
Integrity with Impact
Curiosity Fuels Innovation
We don’t just ask what’s possible. We try it. Our projects turn insight into impact.
Courage to Disrupt
We speak up where it matters. We work to shift systems, influence policy, and lead change for our sector.
We’re counting down the weeks towards the Connecting for Impact Conference and on Day 2 the Workfo…
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This week’s Membership spotlight shines on Mind Australia, and its Executive Director – Queensland, So…
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The Health Ministers met last Friday to discuss the state of mental health services across the country, and with…
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QAMH member Youth Insearch is a peer-led intervention program that supports young people through their…
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2026 QAMH Members Survey. Tell us what’s working, what matters most to your organisation, and where QAMH should focus next.
Help shape the future of QAMH. Complete the survey by 5 June 2026. Check your inbox for details and link.
The 2026–27 Federal Budget delivers continuity for mental health services but not the long-term investment our communities urgently need.
While funding extensions will provide short-term stability for some programs, this Budget stops short of addressing the bigger challenges facing community mental health: growing demand, workforce pressures, psychosocial support gaps, and ongoing uncertainty about future funding and reform.
Temporary extensions are not a substitute for sustained investment.
Community mental health organisations need certainty to plan, retain staff, and continue supporting people before they reach crisis point.
@qldallianceformentalhealth has analysed what this Budget means for Queensland’s community mental health sector, including key reforms, funding measures, and what’s still missing.
Read the full update: https://lnkd.in/dvMmdec3
#MentalHealth #CommunityMentalHealth #FederalBudget #Budget2026 #MentalHealthReform #PsychosocialSupport
Leaders and managers are invited to an exclusive Online Members Forum to preview Queensland Alliance for Mental Health’s new micro-credential: Growing Your Workforce from Within: Hosting Trainees in Mental Health & Peer Work.
Online: Friday 22 May 2026 from 1.00pm to 2.00pm
Discover practical guidance on hosting and supporting traineeships, employer responsibilities, and building workforce capability from within.
Hear QAMH Learning Designer Sasha Sullivan share insights on:
• Employer responsibilities
• Supervising and supporting trainees
• Creating sustainable workforce pathways
• Building workforce capability from within
This Queensland Government Department of Trade, Employment and Training (DTET) funded micro-credential has been designed by the sector, for the sector, to support Queensland’s community mental health workforce.
Questions encouraged. Check your calendar for an invite or contact members@qamh.org.au for details.
#MentalHealthAustralia #CommunityMentalHealth #PeerWorker #MentalHealthWorkforce #WorkforceDevelopment #Leadership #LeadershipDevelopment
Better workforce data. Better mental health reform.
Mental health reform is moving forward but workforce data must keep up.
Too much of the community mental health workforce remains invisible in national data, limiting effective workforce planning, funding and reform.
In @qldallianceformentalhealth’s submission to the @absstats for the OSCA 2027 update, we’re calling for:
• recognition of psychosocial support work
• a distinct code for Lived Experience (Peer) Workers
• a distinct code for Mental Health Team Leaders
OSCA 2024 was a start. OSCA 2027 is the opportunity to get it right.
It’s time to align the system with how community mental health works.
#MentalHealth #CommunityMentalHealth #MentalHealthWorkforce #PeerWork #LivedExperience #MentalHealthReform #WorkforcePlanning #PsychosocialSupport #QAMH
Recently, Jun Song and Chris Trupp from @qldallianceformentalhealth visited Longreach and surrounding Western Queensland communities to meet with local service providers and stakeholders.
The conversations reinforced a consistent message: while clinical services are often oversupplied, there is a critical shortage of psychosocial supports across the region. Short-term funding cycles and limited training pathways continue to constrain workforce development, resulting in significant gaps in care.
These challenges are even more pronounced for some groups, including people from multicultural backgrounds, who may face barriers such as Medicare ineligibility and inflexible referral pathways. In many cases, community-funded psychosocial supports are the only option—yet when these supports are underfunded or uncertain, people are left without access to care.
Importantly, stakeholders also highlighted what is working: trust, flexibility and genuine connection. As one participant shared, “Community is accepting and embraces those who stay and build rapport.”
Insights from these discussions are directly informing our advocacy for a more responsive and equitable mental health system across regional, rural and remote Queensland.
We thank @oaktree_alliance, @outbackfutures, @rfdsqld, @northandwestremotehealth, @anglicarecq, @liveslivedwell, @selectability__, Barcaldine Regional Council and @countryuniversitiescentre for their time and valuable contributions.
#MentalHealth #MentalHealthAwareness #MentalHealthMatters #CommunitySupport #RegionalQueensland #RuralAustralia #OutbackQueensland #PsychosocialSupport #HealthEquity
The Australian Government’s $6 billion NDIS reform package aims to deliver significant savings and tighter provider rules but has also intensified a critical national issue: where do half a million Australians needing psychosocial supports fit?
Right now, many are already locked out of both the NDIS and adequate community supports, with no clear pathway forward.
For Queensland’s community-based mental health sector, how these reforms are implemented matters.
Reform cannot come at the cost of continuity of care. Without clearly funded alternatives, people risk losing the supports they rely on every day, and the pressure will simply shift elsewhere.
@qldallianceformentalhealth supports stronger accountability but not gaps in support.
We’re working with partners and decision-makers to ensure Queensland’s community mental health sector has a strong voice and is part of the solution because no one should be left behind to fall through preventable gaps.
#NDIS #MentalHealth #PsychosocialDisability #QAMH #Queensland #CommunityMentalHealth #DisabilitySupport #PolicyReform #NoOneLeftBehind #EndTheLimbo
Join @qldallianceformentalhealth online via Teams this Thursday 30 April 2026, from 1.00pm to 2.00pm.
Hear Donna Ryan from @youthinsearch alongside peer workers Jkoha Rackmann and Breanna Thornley share their journeys.
Discover how lived experience builds trust, strengthens engagement, and reshapes youth services. Gain real insight into stepping into these roles and the support needed to thrive.
Honest. Practical. Grounded in experience. Bring your questions.
This is a Members only event. Check your inbox for your calendar invite or email members@qamh.org for details.
#MentalHealthMatters #PeerWork #LivedExperience #YouthMentalHealth
#CommunityMentalHealth
Based in Far North Queensland, @the.mindsetacademy is equipping individuals, workplaces and communities in Queensland and throughout Australia with the skills to recognise and respond to mental health challenges when it matters most.
Led by Managing Director Tobi Schnell, The Mindset Academy delivers accredited Mental Health First Aid, suicide prevention training and tailored workshops to empower everyone, from leaders and educators to frontline workers and families.
Their practical, evidence-based approach builds real-world confidence, strengthens workplace cultures, and fosters open, meaningful conversations that reduce stigma and support wellbeing everywhere.
We’re proud to shine the spotlight on The Mindset Academy and have them as a valued @qldallianceformentalhealth Member.
#MentalHealthMatters #MentalHealthAwareness #MentalHealthFirstAid #EndTheStigma #MindsetMatters
We’re consistently hearing from members about the growing impact of cost-of-living pressures, particularly rising fuel and transport costs, on organisations, the workforce, and the people you support.
The implications for service delivery and access are real.
In response, @qldallianceformentalhealth is convening an Executive Think Tank for CEOs and Executive Leaders to hear directly from you about what’s happening on the ground, emerging challenges, and where advocacy or practical support is most needed.
• Thursday, 30 April 2026
• 2.00pm to 3.00pm (following the Member Forum)
• Online via Teams
Check your calendar invite for details. If you’re an Executive within your organisation and have not received an invite, email Chloe Jesson, QAMH Deputy CEO at cjesson@qamh.org.au.
We look forward to seeing you there.
#MentalHealth #MentalHealthAwareness
#CommunityCare
#NonProfit #MentalHealthServices
Community-based mental health services play a vital role in helping people stay well and connected in their communities.
Yet across Queensland, this sector remains under-recognised within the broader mental health system.
The impact?
• Weakened referral pathways
• Duplication of services
• People falling through the gaps
QAMH members consistently highlight:
• Limited visibility of NGO services in system planning and commissioning
• Weak connections between hospitals, GPs, and frontline supports
• Ongoing confusion about the role of psychosocial support
We are calling for a shared definition of NGO community-based mental health services, alongside greater visibility and understanding across the system.
Stronger recognition of the sector is critical to positioning it as a credible and essential partner in mental health reform.
This is one of four key priorities shaping QAMH’s advocacy in 2026.
#MentalHealthReform #CommunityMentalHealth #QAMH
Catch up with Jun Song and Chris Trupp. from @qldallianceformentalhealth when they visit Central West Queensland (Longreach, Barcaldine and Winton) from Monday 20 April 2026 to Wednesday 22 April 2026.
They’re keen to meet with local services to understand priorities and explore practical opportunities.
Connect to discuss:
- Improving access for multicultural communities
- Strengthening the community mental health workforce
- Peer workforce supervision support and other opportunities
To arrange a time to meet, contact:
Jun Song: jsong@qamh.org.au
Chris Trupp: ctrupp@qamh.org.au
#centralwestqueensland #communitymentalhealth #QAMH
This week, QAMH proudly shines the spotlight on new Member @wheelnutz_garage and Founder/Director, Jade Burgmann.
Wheelnutz Garage is Australia’s only community service dedicated to racing fans, car enthusiasts, and petrol heads of all kinds. Operating across six automotive and tyre fitting garages in South-East Queensland, they support people to learn new skills, build confidence, increase capacity, and improve job readiness for future employment.
Built on the belief that a workshop can be more than just a place to fix cars, Wheelnutz Garage creates a space where men feel comfortable to talk, connect, and look after their mental health. By meeting blokes in a familiar environment, they’re breaking down stigma and creating real pathways to support, purpose, and belonging.
Learn more about the amazing work Wheelnutz Garage do from their website at www.wheelnutzgarage.com.
#MentalHealthMatters #MensMentalHealth #BreakTheStigma #CommunitySupport #StrongerTogether
Queensland has a critical opportunity to shape the future of mental health reform through the National Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Agreement.
But the foundations aren’t yet strong enough.
Roles between the State and Commonwealth remain unclear, and psychosocial support funding is still fragmented and uncertain. Without reform, investment will stay inconsistent and community-based mental health services will continue to be under-recognised.
Our members across Queensland are raising urgent concerns:
• Unclear responsibility and long-term sustainability for psychosocial support
• Inconsistent inclusion of NGO community-based services in national frameworks
• Reporting requirements that add burden without improving outcomes or visibility
We’re calling for a clear Queensland position in National Agreement negotiations that secures shared investment, clarifies accountability, establishes a fit-for-purpose national outcomes framework and embeds community-based mental health services at the centre of the system.
National reform must position NGO community-based mental health services as an essential, investable part of Queensland’s mental health system.
This is one of four key priorities shaping QAMH’s advocacy in 2026.
#MentalHealthReform #PsychosocialSupport #CommunityMentalHealth #MentalHealthMatters #SuicidePrevention
Psychosocial hazards are a real consideration in community mental health and wellbeing work. Our new, free micro-credential, Workplace Wellbeing Leadership, explores what this means in practice, including:
* The difference between unsafe psychosocial work conditions and discomfort that is inherent to the role.
* Organisational responsibilities under Work Health and Safety obligations.
* The role managers and workers each play in identifying and addressing risk.
The Workplace Wellbeing Leadership micro-credential supports clearer conversations and shared accountability across teams so you and your organisation can meet your psychosocial safety requirements.
Copy and paste this link (https://lnkd.in/gPT9_ZYk) to hear Mel James CEO @social_care_solutions and Christina McLaughlin, Chief of Strategy and Governance at Social Care Solutions discuss psychosocial risks.
See the link in bio to enrol in our new micro-credential today.
And as always, a special thank you to Sasha Sullivan, the Learning Designer behind the @qldallianceformentalhealth micro-credentials.
#HealthLeadership #LeadershipDevelopment #WorkplaceWellbeing #PsychologicalSafety
Yesterday’s launch of the @upbeatarts Choir in Bundaberg struck a powerful note, highlighting the vital role of creativity, connection, and community in mental health support.
Chloe Jesson (Deputy CEO, @qldallianceformentalhealth) joined Sandra Eyre (Executive Director of MHAOD Strategy Branch) and Robyn Bradley (Executive Director, MHAOD, Wide Bay HHS) for a panel discussion, facilitated by Jane Rowan (Board Chair, Upbeat Arts; Board Member, @_accoras), on the role of arts-based supports in building inclusion, confidence, and wellbeing.
While in Bundaberg, Chloe also had valuable conversations with QAMH members @bridgeshealthcc and 88 Constellations, both pitch-perfect examples of community-based mental health in action.
In the photo with Chloe Jesson (from L to R): Sandra Eyre (ED of MHAOD Strategy Branch), Jane Rowan (Board Chair of Upbeat Arts, Board Member of Accoras), Robyn Bradley (ED of MHAOD of Wide Bay HHS), Peta Bryant (D/DDG of @qldhealth), Amy Della-Torre (Upbeat Arts Bundaberg Program Leader), Susan Gilmartin (Upbeat Arts GM), Bretine Curtis (ED of @qld_mhc).
#QAMH #UpbeatArts #QueenslandHealth #QMHC #MentalHealth #CommunityWellbeing
Short-term, rigid funding is holding community-based mental health services back.
Across Queensland, services are being forced to operate within funding models that don’t reflect reality resulting in disrupted care, limited responsiveness, and growing pressure on already stretched systems.
Right now, our Members are facing:
* Short-term contracts that undermine workforce stability and long-term planning.
* Inflexible funding that restricts how support can be delivered.
* Funding gaps that ignore essential costs like travel, supervision, cultural load, and thin markets.
This isn’t sustainable.
We’re calling for a shift to long-term, flexible, place-based funding that:
* Delivers stability.
* Reflects the true cost of care.
* Empowers communities to design services around local needs.
Community-based mental health works. But it needs to be locally informed, culturally responsive, and backed by secure, long-term investment.
This is one of four key priorities driving @qldallianceformentalhealth advocacy in 2026.
@nmhcaustralia @abcnews_au @qldhealth @productivity_commission
#MentalHealthReform #CommunityMentalHealth #HealthPolicy #QueenslandHealth #MentalHealthAustralia
Rural, regional and remote Queenslanders deserve timely access to mental health care but too often, they can’t get it.
Across our Regional, Rural and Remote Roadshow, communities told us the same thing: when GP access is limited, people turn to community-based mental health services as their first point of contact.
These services are stepping in to provide early support and stabilisation. Without them, people are more likely to deteriorate driving avoidable pressure on ambulance services, emergency departments and hospitals.
In our submission to the @SenateofAustralia inquiry into rural, regional and remote Medicare access and funding we’re calling for reform that:
- supports sustainable rural general practice
- strengthens coordination with community-based services
- recognises the role of peer workers and community organisations
- supports Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations
- ensures telehealth complements local care.
The system must catch-up an align with community reality.
Read our submission: https://lnkd.in/gx7vRSJS
@QueenslandAllianceforMentalHealth @mhlepqld @AHHA_org_au
#RuralHealthMatters #MentalHealthForAll #HealthPolicy #PrimaryCare #AboriginalHealth #HealthcareLeadership
A strong peer workforce is essential to Queensland’s mental health system, but a key barrier continues to limit its growth.
Securing a suitable placement remains one of the greatest challenges for students completing the Certificate IV in Mental Health Peer Work but without it, many students are unable to finish their qualification.
In response QAMH’s has launched its new Peer Workforce Placement Project, specifically designed to tackle this catch-22 situation.
Over the next 12 months, the project will:
• Fund and coordinate 27 placements across Queensland.
• Support students to complete their studies and transition into the workforce.
• Test and evaluate a new model to better resource organisations delivering placements.
Sector input is critical. As phase one rolls out, we invite you and your workforce to complete a short survey to inform the project. Copy the links below.
• Staff who hold a Certificate IV in Mental Health Peer Work: https://forms.monday.com/forms/b369c4ef2fad886d4292b7025f19297b?r=apse2
• Organisations who would like to or already do host Certificate IV in Mental Health Peer Work Placements: https://forms.monday.com/forms/916b91207a4cadb80cd0a8681d44429e?r=apse2
Your insights will help shape practical solutions to strengthen the pipeline and sustainability of the peer workforce.
Expressions of interest open mid-April.
For further information email Chris Trupp (Senior Advisor – Peer Workforce Development) at ctrupp@qamh.org.au.
#MentalHealth #PeerWorkforce #CommunityMentalHealth #MentalHealthCare #WorkforceDevelopment
@mhlepqld @aumentalhealth
Queensland’s community-based mental health sector is being asked to do more with less.
Just 4.6% of the state’s mental health budget goes to NGO community-based services, despite growing demand and mounting pressure on hospitals and emergency services.
Across the state, Members are reporting:
• funding that doesn’t keep up with SCHADS Award wage increases.
• short-term contracts that undermine workforce stability.
• high vacancy rates and retention challenges, especially in rural and regional communities.
This is not sustainable. Without reform services reduce, the workforce shrinks, and more people are pushed into avoidable crisis pathways.
Community-based mental health is essential, not optional.
We’re calling for:
• a clear plan to close the funding gap.
• long-term investment in a secure workforce.
• stronger State–Commonwealth responsibility for psychosocial support.
Investing in community mental health means stronger communities and fewer crises.
This is a key priority driving QAMH’s advocacy in 2026.
@qldhealth
@healthgovau
#MentalHealthMatters #CommunityMentalHealth #InvestInMentalHealth #MentalHealthReform
Balancing Individual and Organisational Needs: In our sector, supporting worker wellbeing means carefully navigating both individual and organisational responsibilities with clarity and intention.
In this short video from our new, free Workplace Wellbeing Leadership micro-credential, leaders speak openly about how to encourage teams to take ownership of their own wellbeing, while also providing the frameworks and tools needed to support wellbeing at an organisational level.
Watch Amanda Queen Organisational Development Lead at Redcliffe Area Youth Space Incorporated, share the approach they’re taking.
Explore the free micro-credential online here (link in bio): https://www.qamh.org.au/courses/workplace-wellbeing-leadership-in-the-community-mental-health-sector/
Big thanks to Sasha Sullivan QAMH Learning Designer and Queensland Government.
#WorkplaceWellbeing #MentalHealthAwareness #WellbeingAtWork #LeadershipMatters #CommunitySector
