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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Final decision on the SCHADS Award gender undervaluation review.
The Fair Work Commission’s SCHADS Award decision is an important step toward addressing gender-based undervaluation across our sector.
@qldallianceformentalhealth welcomes the recognition of lived and equivalent experience as a valid basis for classification, a reform we strongly advocated for.
While the decision advances pay equity for the care and community services workforce, providers must receive adequate funding to meet increased Award obligations.
Community based mental health services cannot absorb rising wage costs within existing funding arrangements. Every dollar of increased wage costs must be matched by government funding to protect essential mental health services.
Read the briefing and guide for the review on our website: https://www.qamh.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/QAMH-Member-Briefing-on-SCHADS-Changes.pdf
#SCHADSAward #MentalHealth #CommunityMentalHealth #LivedExperience #PayEquity #PeerWork #MentalHealthWorkforce #Queensland #MentalHealthAdvocacy
QAMH recently attended the Queensland Mental Health Commission’s (QMHC) 2026 Leading Reform Summit, joining sector leaders, policymakers, and lived experience representatives to shape the future of mental health reform in Queensland.
Over two days, our team took part in discussions, collaborative workshops, and forward-looking conversations. We were also proud to contribute to the panel, The 2026 Reform Landscape: Positioning Queensland for the Future, sharing insights on the opportunities and challenges shaping the sector.
The Summit was an opportunity to reconnect with members, peers, and colleagues, sparking meaningful conversations, fresh ideas, and valuable collaborations.
A big thank you @qld_mhc for hosting such an inspiring event and to everyone who shared their expertise and passion for reform. Events like this showcase the impact of working together to drive better outcomes for Queensland communities.
Pictured, the QAMH team:
Back (L to R): Chloe Jesson, Chelsea Jones
Middle (L to R): Annalise Roberts, Linda Buxton, Yumi Stamet, Kat Bhathena, Michelle Wattridge, Sasha Sullivan
Front (L to R): Chris Trupp, Allie Andrew, Jun Song
#MentalHealthReform #QueenslandMentalHealth #CommunityMentalHealth #MentalHealthLeadership #LivedExperience #Collaboration #WorkingTogether
CEO Opportunity
Help shape the future of community mental health and wellbeing in Queensland.
@qldallianceformentalhealth is seeking an experienced CEO to lead the organisation through its next phase of growth, advocacy and sector impact.
Working alongside government, Members and key stakeholders, the successful candidate will champion sector reform, strengthen strategic partnerships and amplify the voice of more than 145 Member organisations delivering essential community mental health services.
This is a rare opportunity for a proven, values-driven CEO with a passion for social impact to lead a respected peak body, drive meaningful change and make a lasting difference across Queensland communities.
The full Position Description is available on our website at https://www.qamh.org.au/about/join-team/.
Alternatively, see our advert on Seek https://lnkd.in/g-p9XB4w
QAMH supports NDIS reform that is sustainable, inclusive and centred on people.
In our submission to the Senate inquiry into the NDIS Amendment Bill 2026, we advocate for genuine co-design, strong safeguards and a carefully planned approach to reform that supports people throughout the transition. We also highlight concerns about the timing and design of proposed changes, including ensuring supports remain in place while alternatives are established.
QAMH has made nine recommendations to help deliver positive outcomes for people living with psychosocial disability, their families and communities.
Thank you to all members who contributed their expertise and insights within a very short consultation period, helping to strengthen QAMH`s advocacy.
Read our key recommendations and full submission on the Advocacy section of our website or copy link https://www.qamh.org.au/the-national-disability-insurance-scheme-amendment-securing-the-ndis-for-future-generations-bill-2026/
#NDIS #NDISReform #CoDesign #PsychosocialDisability #CommunityMentalHealth
Build your workforce from within. Our new, free micro-credential, Hosting Trainees in Mental Health & Peer Work, is now live.
Designed for:
· Managers, team leaders, decision-makers or anyone considering or curious about hosting a traineeship for the first time.
· HR, WD, L&D staff, or anyone involved in training and workforce currently running traineeships or wanting to grow their workforce from within.
Bring traineeships into your team and grow your workforce with purpose. Copy the url to get started. https://www.qamh.org.au/courses/hosting-mental-health-and-peer-work-trainees/
#LearningAndDevelopment #HRLeadership #MentalHealthEducation #Upskilling #FutureWorkforce
Peer Work Placement Project – Expressions of interest now OPEN!
Taking the next step toward completing your Certificate IV in Mental Health Peer Work just got easier.
QAMH’s Peer Work Placement Project is helping connect students with valuable placement opportunities across Queensland and we’re inviting students and organisations to be part of it.
Students: if you’re completing the Certificate IV in Mental Health Peer Work and require an 80-hour placement then get involved. The Project is designed to support meaningful placement opportunities across Queensland.
Organisations: interested in hosting a peer work student? With $4,000 in funding support available per placement, you are encouraged to participate. Whether you are experienced in hosting placements or exploring it for the first time, we welcome your involvement.
Open to everyone across Queensland, wherever you are across all metro, regional, rural and remote regions.
Learn more about the project and how to apply from our website https://www.qamh.org.au/lle-supervision-project-2/
Questions? Reach out to Chris Trupp: ctrupp@qamh.org.au
#PeerWork #MentalHealthPeerWork #PeerWorker #MentalHealth #MentalHealthSupport #LivedExperience #PeerSupport
The next National Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Agreement is being shaped right now and we want Queensland`s community mental health sector to have a real say in it.
QAMH is proud to be co-convening a sector roundtable in June alongside @mhlepqld and @arafmiltd, bringing together senior leaders from across the system to contribute a collective Queensland voice to this national process.
Before we get to the roundtable, we want to hear from our members first. We are hosting an online member workshop on 4th June as a dedicated space for QAMH members to share your perspectives on what the next Agreement must get right. Your input will directly shape what we bring to the roundtable on behalf of the sector.
Are you a QAMH member? Check your inbox for your invitation and make sure you register (or contact Chloe Jesson at cjesson@qamh.org.au if you have not received this). This is your opportunity to help shape the future of Queensland`s mental health system.
#MentalHealthLeadership #PublicHealth #HealthPolicy #HumanServices #CommunitySector
Building a workforce you can see means building the mental health workforce Australia needs. And it starts with recognising the full workforce behind community services.
Right now, key parts of the community mental health workforce are not clearly reflected in national workforce data, including lived experience (peer) roles and mental health leadership positions.
Peer work is a distinct discipline grounded in lived and living expertise. Strong leadership is essential to sustaining capable, connected teams.
OSCA 2027 is an opportunity to better recognise the full community mental health workforce and strengthen future workforce planning.
Read our recent submission: https://www.qamh.org.au/occupational-standards-classification-osca-2027-update-consultation/
@absstats
@healthgovau
@MentalHealthAustralia @communitymentalhealthau
@mhlepqld
@QueenslandMentalHealthCommission
#MentalHealthWorkforce #PeerWork #LivedExperience #CommunityMentalHealth #OSCA2027
Don’t miss this exclusive QAMH Online Launch.
Get a first look at QAMH’s new micro-credential: Growing Your Workforce from Within: Hosting Trainees in Mental Health & Peer Work.
Friday 22 May 2026
1.00pm to 2.00pm (Online)
Learn how to confidently host and support trainees, strengthen your workforce, and create sustainable pathways into the sector.
Hear from QAMH Learning Designer Sasha Sullivan on:
- Employer responsibilities
- Supporting and supervising trainees
- Workforce capability building
- Sustainable workforce pathways
Questions encouraged. Email members@qamh.org.au for calendar invite and link.
#QAMH #PeerWork #MentalHealthTraining #CommunityMentalHealth #MentalHealthQueensland #WorkforceDevelopment #ProfessionalDevelopment #LivedExperience #PeerSupport #Traineeships
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
