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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In 2026, QAMH will focus its advocacy on a clear set of priorities shaped by what our members are experiencing across Queensland and the reform opportunities ahead.
These priorities will guide how we influence investment, system design and the critical role of NGO-delivered community-based mental health services. And through them, QAMH will champion a decisive shift to earlier, recovery focused and psychosocial support delivered in the community, while strengthening the foundations that allow services and workforces to thrive.
Across this work, we will apply a strong rural, regional and remote lens, ensuring our advocacy reflects the realities of thin markets, workforce shortages and access challenges.
Over the coming months, we will spotlight each priority, sharing what it means for Queenslanders, services and the broader mental health system.
#communitymentalhealth
Members are invited to attend Orientation Training live online with LLE researchers and trainers Dr Louise Byrne and Dr Melissa Chapman.
Brought to you by Lived Experience Training, this event is fully funded by the Queensland Mental Health Commission, and co-sponsored by QAMH, QLEWN and IMPACT.
Designed for all staff with benefits for all role types, over 1.5 hours you’ll learn shared language, definitions and concepts as well as gain a shared understanding about Lived-Living Experience work.
Thursday 19th February 2026 from 1:00pm – 2:30pm
Seats are strictly limited for this one-off event. Book yours now at https://livedexperiencetraining.org/live-orientation-training/
@qld_mhc
#QLEWN
#livedexperiencetraining
New staff often fall into “fixing mode” because they care deeply.’
Our new (and free) micro-credential Introduction to the Community Mental Health Sector can support them to move from a feeling of needing to be the expert to walking alongside people they are supporting.
It introduces:
• what person-led practice looks and sounds like
• how to shift from rescuing to walking alongside
• real conversation examples and activities
• the legal and ethical foundations behind collaborative support.
If you want your staff to start strong — aligned with sector values and safe practice — this is an easy, practical tool for onboarding.
Register to complete the micro-credential here at the link in our bio.
@footprintscommunity
QAMH closed out 2025 by contributing to the first consultation on the new Disability Support Quality and Safeguarding Framework, responding to the Disability Royal Commission.
Our submission highlights that effective safeguards must:
- apply across the whole ecosystem, not just the NDIS, recognising the critical role of community-based psychosocial supports
- recognise the realities of psychosocial disability, including trauma, fluctuating needs and relational support
- be co-designed in ways that influence real decisions, led by people with lived experience, First Nations peoples, families and carers
- focus on meaningful outcomes, including wellbeing, reduced crises and fewer hospital admissions
- acknowledge that quality improvement has a cost, and requires fair, predictable and sustainable funding
Developed with Mental Health Lived Experience Peak Queensland (MHLEPQ) and ARAFMI (Queensland), our submission reinforces that accountability must extend to system-level decisions across housing, hospitals and justice, ensuring quality and safeguarding work together to deliver safety, dignity and rights for people with psychosocial disability.
Read the submission here: https://www.qamh.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/QAMH-2025-Submission-Disability-Safeguards-Consultation.pdf
@arafmiltd @mhlepqld
Shine Bright Mental Health is a multidisciplinary mental health organisation supporting individuals and families across the Wide Bay region. They provide therapeutic mental health nursing, DBT groups, trauma-informed women’s programs, SMART Recovery groups, NDIS supports, behaviour support, and community safety initiatives such as the Shine Bright Sanctuary and DV Play Safe sporting-club program.
Shine Bright Mental Health`s passion is creating accessible, safe, and empowering spaces where people can receive professional mental health care without stigma — meeting people exactly where they are and walking alongside them as they rebuild, recover, and reconnect with their strength.
We are proud to have Shine Bright Mental Health as QAMH Members and wish them the best for 2026.
Learn more: https://shinebrightmentalhealth.com/
We’re taking a break to recharge and celebrate the festive season. We`ll be back to support you on Monday, 5 January 2026. Have a happy, safe and restful Christmas and New Year. 🎄
#communitymentalhealth
QAMH Wrapped 2025: A Year of Advocacy and Impact. It was a transformative year for QAMH. We launched a groundbreaking RAP, the community mental health services map, and unveiled our 2025-2030 strategic plan. We made waves with 19 policy submissions, directly shaping mental health and suicide prevention initiatives, the SCHADS Award Review, the Defence and Veteran Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy and Youth Mental Health Models of Care.
From the launch of major projects like the Peer Work Scholarship Program to hosting our inaugural conference and covering 5,658 km engaging communities across 6 regions through our Regional Roadshow, QAMH continued to drive change in mental health advocacy, leadership, and community empowerment.
And we did all this with your support. Thank you!
#QAMH2025 #Advocacy #MentalHealthLeadership
New to the Community Mental Health sector? Step in with confidence with our new, free micro-credential.
Introduction to the Community Mental Health Sector, helps ease the uncertainty faced by new workers by focusing on values, humanity, and a willingness to learn.
Through real worker stories and reflective activities, new starters will:
• see how their life experience translates into capability
• understand imposter feelings are normal
• recognise why they truly do belong here
• learn the core values driving the sector.
If your team is onboarding new staff, this resource can help them settle, breathe, and step into the work with more confidence. Register for the micro-credential today: https://www.qamh.org.au/courses/introduction-to-the-community-mental-health-sector/
#communitymentalhealth
#mentalhealthworkforce
#microcredentials
Hoping to start the new year in a new job? QAMH is hiring!
Our team is expanding to regional and rural Queensland.
We’re seeking a part-time (0.6 FTE) Operations Support Officer to join our values-driven team. This remote role based in regional or rural Queensland offers flexibility to structure your 22.8 hours each week, with occasional travel to Brisbane for team events.
In this role, you`ll provide high-quality administrative, financial, and coordination support for QAMH’s internal projects and business functions. Key responsibilities include managing systems like SharePoint, Salesforce, and Monday.com, supporting finance tasks, preparing reports, coordinating meetings, and improving internal processes. You’ll also engage with QAMH members in your local region.
We’re looking for someone with strong organisational skills, experience in administration (preferably in not-for-profit or community sectors), and a passion for systems improvement. Proficiency in Microsoft Office and project management tools is essential.
This is an excellent opportunity to make a real impact in the Queensland community mental health sector while enjoying a flexible, collaborative work environment.
Salary: SCHADS Award Level 5, with salary packaging options.
Interviews: Wil take place online in the week starting 13 January 2026.
Learn more and download the position description here: https://www.ethicaljobs.com.au/members/qldalliancemh/operations-support-officer-remote-rural-regional-queensland?keywords=Operations%20support
We are community.
Our thoughts are with everyone impacted by the events in Bondi.
We stand with our communities in care, strength and solidarity.
This week, QAMH shines the Spotlight on ONCALL Group Australia, a trusted provider of disability and family support services for over 30 years.
ONCALL operates across Queensland and nationally, providing a range of services including disability support, child and youth services, and NDIS respite care.
ONCALL is committed to improving lives through inclusive and connected communities, ensuring individuals` rights and dignity are upheld, always. They focus on delivering high-quality, person-centered support that empowers clients to achieve their personal goals and foster independence.
We’re proud to have ONCALL as part of our QAMH membership.
As you wrap up the year in your Cert IV Mental Health, Peer Work, or Community Services programs, consider rounding things off with our new micro-credential: Introduction to the Community Mental Health Sector.
This free, self-paced 2-3 hour course provides a practical overview of the sector, helping students:
• understand sector language and the bigger picture
• explore real roles and pathways from Queensland workers
• think in a person-led, relational way
• build confidence before placement
It’s a great way to help student make sense of the sector and prepare them for their next steps. Access it now! https://www.qamh.org.au/courses/introduction-to-the-community-mental-health-sector/
In November, QAMH joined HumanAbility’s workshop on VET enrolments and completions, exploring why students disengage and how to lift completion rates.
With only 31% of Queensland students finishing community services qualifications in 2024, strengthening the VET pathway is critical to building a sustainable community mental health workforce.
Drawing on insights from our Peer Work Scholarship Program and Mental Health Industry Connector Project, we shared insights about:
• the impact of strong mentoring and industry connections in keeping students engaged
• the need for better placement support — including options like paid placements and traineeships to reduce financial barriers.
• providing clear pre-enrolment guidance on course expectations, placement requirements and workforce realities.
These conversations are essential as we work together to support students and grow Queensland’s community mental health workforce. Read the research here: https://humanability.com.au/projects/enrolments-and-completions-research.aspx
This week, we spotlight Basic Rights Queensland (BRQ) and its CEO, James Farrell. BRQ is a vital state-wide community legal centre, offering free, holistic legal services, advocacy, education, and support. Dedicated to advancing rights to social security, workplace justice, and protection from discrimination, BRQ champions fair and just outcomes for all.
Anyone facing workplace issues, Centrelink challenges, or discrimination can access help by calling BRQ’s support line at 1800 358 511.
Support your new staff from day one.
Our new (and free) micro-credential: Introduction to the Community Mental Health Sector gives new workers a clear, consistent foundation no matter their background.
It covers the essentials that many new staff struggle with in their first months:
• Understanding how the wider mental health system fits together
• Knowing what community mental health services actually do
• Seeing the diversity of services, roles and pathways
• Building confidence when everything feels new
Use it as part of your induction to reduce overwhelm, answer the big “where do I fit?” questions, and set your team up. Enrol with a shared language and grounding.
Register to complete the micro-credential here: https://www.qamh.org.au/registration/?ld_register_id=4600
“The Australian youth mental health system is no longer sufficient to address the growing complexity of mental health challenges faced by young people.” — Youth Mental Health Models of Care Final Report
The final Youth Mental Health Models of Care report shows clear signs of QAMH’s advocacy in action. We called for community-led, holistic and culturally safe support for young people - and many of these priorities now feature strongly in the national direction for reform.
Our influence is reflected in key areas, including:
- Expanded focus on integrated non-clinical psychosocial support through Community Youth Wellbeing Hubs
- Recognition of social determinants such as housing, education, connection and cultural safety
- A stronger role for peer workers, youth workers and lived experience
- Greater emphasis on navigation, continuity of care, and secure, sustainable commissioning
But there’s more to do.
We still need genuine First Nations leadership in model design, greater focus on school-based early intervention support, and dedicated investment in the community-led mental health sector to make these reforms real in practice.
Read the final report here: https://www.orygen.org.au/Orygen-Institute/Youth-Mental-Health-Models-Of-Care/Final-Advice
QAMH has launched a new micro-credential designed by our sector, for our sector. Introduction to the Community Mental Health Sector is the first of three DTET-funded micro-credentials and designed to support new starters understand where community mental health fits within the broader system and how their strengths align with the work. It can also help managers with onboarding and inductions.
In just 2–3 hours, participants explore core principles including person-led, recovery-oriented, trauma-informed and culturally responsive practice, supported by real insights from workers across Queensland. Expect interactive activities, practical scenarios, and guidance on support pathways and further learning.
Watch our video or enrol now:
Link in bio. https://www.qamh.org.au/registration/
People experiencing mental health challenges needing psychosocial support continue to face hidden and systemic forms of discrimination that restrict access to housing, education, work and community life.
In our submission to the Attorney-General’s Department, QAMH welcomes the review of the Disability Discrimination Act as a critical opportunity to modernise Australia’s anti-discrimination laws and strengthen fairness, inclusion and participation. We’re calling for reform that links rights with the community supports people need to participate fully in everyday life, and recommend:
- Modern, recovery-focused definitions of disability that reflect psychosocial disability and use inclusive, rights-based language.
- An enforceable positive duty to eliminate disability discrimination, supported by stronger Australian Human Rights Commission powers.
- Sustained investment in community-managed mental health organisations that already model inclusive practice.
- A tailored implementation framework providing practical tools and training for non-profit, regional and lived experience-led services.
Read our submission on our website on the Advocacy page.
QAMH’s 2024 - 2025 Annual Report highlights a year of continued transformation and strengthened member collaboration. Explore our key achievements including our partnerships, projects, advocacy with impact, and the launch of Queensland’s first Community Mental Health and Wellbeing Workforce Strategy. The report showcases a united sector advancing supports to build a stronger, more inclusive community mental health system for Queensland. Download your copy at the link in our bio.
Australia’s mental health system is not fit for purpose and the Productivity Commission’s Final Report makes that unmistakably clear. QAMH welcomes and backs the call for a complete reset built on prevention, community-led supports, lived experience leadership, and secure long-term funding. Many of our core advocacy priorities are reflected Commission’s recommendations: sustained outcomes-based funding, shared psychosocial responsibility, genuine co-design, and cross-sector integration. But recommendations are meaningless without action. Governments must now deliver the investment, accountability, and reform Queenslanders deserve.
Read our briefing on the report here: https://www.qamh.org.au/qamh-response-on-the-productivity-commissions-final-report-on-the-national-mental-health-and-suicide-prevention-agreement/
