Background and Context 
The Mental Health Commission (the Commission) recognises the valuable contribution that consumers, families, carers and community members make to the planning, implementation, delivery and evaluation of mental health, alcohol and other drug and suicide prevention programs and services. The Commission is working towards designing and promoting sustainable solutions that support people with lived experience to effectively influence and lead change. To achieve this, the Commission requires an understanding of what already exists within the lived experience advocacy space. With greater understanding of this landscape the Commission will co-design improved pathways and opportunities for lived experience engagement.

This survey has 20 questions in two parts and should take 10-30 minutes to complete. You can leave the survey and come back to complete it at any time. Your responses will be auto-saved as they completed.

Please contact claire.timmel@au.ey.com should you need this survey to be provided in an alternative format.

The survey will be open until 5pm on Friday, 3 March 2023. 

Terminology
In line with national guidelines, lived experience perspectives can be considered in terms of two categories. Personal (consumer) lived experience and lived experience supporting someone (carer/family/supporter). Our use of the term ‘lived experience perspectives’ below is inclusive of both categories.

What is the purpose of this survey?
The Commission has engaged Ernst and Young (EY) to map the current pathways, challenges and opportunities for people with lived experience to contribute to improvement across the mental health, alcohol and other drug and suicide prevention sectors. We are seeking to understand lived experience contributions since 2021 where the primary function was to apply a collective lived experience focus to influence and lead program, service or policy (systemic) change.

All survey responses will be reviewed by EY. All responders will remain anonymous and no personal or sensitive information will be shared externally from EY. Survey responses will be collated and findings provided in an aggregate summary. 

Contact
Should you have any questions or comments regarding the content of this survey, or wish to provide additional information, please contact:
EY - Claire Timmel - claire.timmel@au.ey.com 
Mental Health Commission – Kirrily Clarke – sdsecretariat@mhc.wa.gov.au