Lived experience
Involving people with Lived and Living Experience is essential to delivering compassionate, effective and responsive mental health care.
Their expertise, insights and knowledge shape services to be more inclusive, respectful and recovery orientated.
At SMHS Mental Health, we are committed to embedding these voices at every level of our system from clinical engagement to executive decision-making.
Consumer and carer advisory groups
SMHS Mental Health currently hosts
- 5 consumer and carer advisory councils
- the Fremantle Hospital Mental Health Consumer Advisory Group (external site).
These play a vital role in embedding Lived and Living Experience into our mental health system.
Advisory groups operate across our hospitals and services, offering consultation and structured opportunities for community members to contribute to the planning, delivery, and evaluation of care. These advisory groups ensure consumer and carer experiences actively influences how services evolve at a local level.
Advisory group members have similar roles and responsibilities, including:
- co-designing services that reflect the needs and priorities of the community
- providing consumer, carer and community perspectives on policies, initiatives and projects
- facilitating open communication and consultation between the health service and the public.
- supporting compliance with national standards, including the National Safety and Quality Health Service Standards
- supporting consumers, families, and carers to provide feedback on their experiences
- representing Living and Lived Experience on relevant committees, at all levels of the Mental Health service
- identifying and reporting gaps in consumer and carer engagement and partnerships.
Together, the advisory groups form a solid foundation for consumer, carer and community involvement in shaping mental health services for those who use them.
The Lived Experience Council
The establishment of the Lived Experience Council by SMHS Mental Health in 2025 will further strengthen embedding Lived and Living Experience in mental health governance.
Created by and for people with Living and Lived Experience, it is the first council of its kind within a Western Australian health service.
As a newly established governance body, the Lived Experience Council aspires to become a strong and influential voice within SMHS Mental Health. The council aims to work alongside clinical and corporate teams to inform the meaningful inclusion of knowledge and insights of consumers, carers, families/significant others into all aspects of service design and decision-making.
As the council evolves and integrates into SMHS Mental Health, it will enable Lived Experience to be a vital link between our community’s voices, executive leadership, and clinical care by:
- championing Lived Experience expertise and values and supporting the development of our dedicated workforce
- guiding the integration of Lived Experience principles into SMHS Mental Health models of care
- advising on programs informed by local knowledge and best practice
- building pathways for representation at the highest levels of decision-making, including the Mental Health Executive Committee.
SMHS Mental Health acknowledge the generosity of time and giving of self from all who have drawn from their experience to further the health outcomes of others and to walk alongside us as we fight the stigma and discrimination associated with mental ill-health and disability.
In an emergency
In an emergency or crisis please dial 000 (triple zero) or visit your nearest emergency department (HealthyWA).
Mental Health Emergency Response Line (MHERL)
Metro callers phone 1300 555 788 (local call)
Peel callers phone 1800 676 822 (free call)
Lifeline WA
131 114
24 hours a day / 7 day a week service
Find more mental health emergency service providers (Healthy WA).
Return to the SMHS Mental Health page
