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July/August2022COMMUNITY UPDATE153 Barry Street, Carlton VICTORIA 3053, AustraliaALIVEThe ALIVE National Centre for Mental Health Research Translation is funded by the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Special Initiative in Mental Health grant APP2002047. [Image description: The ALIVE Team and Co-Design Living Labs Members standing outside The ALIVE Centre.]

We acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia and recognise their continuing connection to land, waters and sky. We pay our respects to their Elders past, present and emerging. We are committed to working together to address the health inequalities within our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. We accept the invitation to the Uluru Statement from the Heart.

WelcomeWelcome to the July-August bi-monthly Community Update. In our May-June issue we launched our pocket map guide to the National Centre’s Roadmap for Mental Health Research Translation. The roadmap implementation plans will provide details on research translation strategies and goals. You can find a copy of the pocket map here anytime you need it: https://alivenetwork.com.au/ In this issue, you’ll see brief insights into the actionable areas that have been shared in public co-design sessions during August 2022. Three sessions were convened on the topics of mental health research, mental healthcare improvement, and social issues/social determinants. The actionable areas will support the finalisation of The Centre’s Consensus Statement Phase 1 work – the short-term horizon. To support mental health research translation, we’ve had some exceptional talks in the Ready, Set, Traslate - Virtual Café Series. Dr Grant Sara presented on harnessing system-wide mental health data to support research translation the Centre's Public Engagement Lead, Prof Jill Bennett presented on "Collaborative film and immersive media projects: understanding trauma from lived experience perspectives". Jill is the founding Director of The Big Anxiety Festival which is coming to NAARM in September. We’re honoured to have reached 108 members in the Lived-Experience Research Collective and in early August we hosted a gathering of Lived-Experience researchers who identify. [Featured in the front cover image from left to right: Matt, Josh, Phil, Laurence, Jen, Michelle, Vicki, Rose, Ali, Ann, and Harmony]

Lived-experience researchers identifying as living with mental ill-health and complex trauma, and carers, family and kinship group. These researchers have nominated to form a team for the Implementation Co-Evaluation project being conducted in partnership with NEAMI National. The team will meet and host some research orientation and training sessions ahead of data gathering with the five NEAMI Head to Health sites. You can also read inside for more details on the soon to commence Lived-Experience Research Collective Flagship Project called “The Long Conversation”. Since we’ve run a little over with the release of our update for July-August, we hope that the Next Generation Researcher Network members enjoyed theinaugural Annual Guide to the Mental Health Research Funding Galaxy event held on September 7th! You might also have seen our news that that the National Centre has moved to a Co-Directorship model of operation.I want to take the opportunity to congratulate A/Prof Michelle Banfield on this appointment which is a public recognition of the leadership and decision-making role Michelle has played and will continue to play within the Centre. I hope to see you at one of café series, or Centre updates and research meetings in the next few months! Co-Director Victoria Palmer,The ALIVE National CentreProfessor of Primary Mental Health Care & Co-Design The University of Melbourne

Research Program UpdatesPrevention Across the Life CourseThe ALIVE Pocket Map shows that people feel strongly about prevention of mental health issues in schools and they also care deeply about rural and remote mental health, so we asked Monika Raniti, A Prevention across the Life Course Research Fellow, “Why is prevention in schools and rural regional models important to look at from a life course prevention model?” Schools have long been recognised as an important setting for promoting students' mental health in addition to learning. Schools are where children and young people spend much of their time, providing an opportunity to reach large numbers of students with mental health programs (e.g., mental health first aid, building social-emotional skills) and facilitate access to mental health services (e.g., school psychologists, doctors). However, there is growing recognition of the need to embed these mental health programs and services within a wider whole-of-school approach that also includes mental health promoting policies, inclusive social and physical environments, meaningful collaboration with families and the local community, and addressing social determinants of mental health (for example, discrimination, poverty, access to education) in order for preventive interventions to be effective at a population-level and sustainably implemented. More recently, the COVID-19 pandemic has emphasised the importance of schools in promoting a sense of belonging and positive social-emotional development, as well as being places where students’ families can turn to for support. A life course perspective provides an important foundation

Lived-experience researchers identifying as living with mental ill-health and complex trauma, and carers, family and kinship group. These researchers have nominated to form a team for the Implementation Co-Evaluation project being conducted in partnership with NEAMI National. The team will meet and host some research orientation and training sessions ahead of data gathering with the five NEAMI Head to Health sites. You can also read inside for more details on the soon to commence Lived-Experience Research Collective Flagship Project called “The Long Conversation”. Since we’ve run a little over with the release of our update for July-August, we hope that the Next Generation Researcher Network members enjoyed theinaugural Annual Guide to the Mental Health Research Funding Galaxy event held on September 7th! You might also have seen our news that that the National Centre has moved to a Co-Directorship model of operation.I want to take the opportunity to congratulate A/Prof Michelle Banfield on this appointment which is a public recognition of the leadership and decision-making role Michelle has played and will continue to play within the Centre. I hope to see you at one of café series, or Centre updates and research meetings in the next few months! Co-Director Victoria Palmer,The ALIVE National CentreProfessor of Primary Mental Health Care & Co-Design The University of Melbournepeers are linked to better mental health. From a life course perspective, effective prevention approaches could include targeting those factors that shape someone’s mental health experiences and life course (e.g., sense of belonging, respectful relationships, social cohesion) while also considering the timing of intervention at sensitive points of development, and the impact of these interventions across the life course on mental health and other outcomes. Prevention during the school years has the potential to reduce suffering and poor outcomes for individuals and society (e.g., school absenteeism and dropout, increased cost of health care use, disruption to later employment and relationships, poor physical health, intergenerational impacts), and also build the knowledge, skills, and environments that are protective for the mental health of individuals and their for mental health promotion and prevention initiatives in schools because it recognises that multiple individual and contextual factors (e.g., biological, psychological, social, environmental) interact to influence mental health trajectories (the course of experiences and needs) over time, including across generations. For example, many adult mental health problems such as what is called depression typically have their first onset during the school years, coinciding with puberty (e.g., increased focus on peers, growing independence from family) and the transition from primary to secondary school. Negative school experiences, such as bullying, can contribute to poorer mental health, while positive experiences such as feeling connected to teachers and Image by rawpixel.com on Freepik

doctors). However, there is growing recognition of the need to embed these mental health programs and services within a wider whole-of-school approach that also includes mental health promoting policies, inclusive social and physical environments, meaningful collaboration with families and the local community, and addressing social determinants of mental health (for example, discrimination, poverty, access to education) in order for preventive interventions to be effective at a population-level and sustainably implemented. More recently, the COVID-19 pandemic has emphasised the importance of schools in promoting a sense of belonging and positive social-emotional development, as well as being places where students’ families can turn to for support. A life course perspective provides an important foundation Research Program Updatescommunities. Although a life course perspective to prevention is relevant for all school communities, it may be particularly important in regional and rural schools where access to mental health services may be more limited than in urban areas and where there is the opportunity to capitalise on strong, existing community partnerships and engagement with families.Investing in these school communities may not only have benefits for population-level mental health outcomes, but also positive development, and shaping positive social, health, educational and employment trajectories. These benefit the individual in during the school years and later in life, their families and future generations, and help to build the capacity and resilience of the wider community. In addition to our Lived-Experience leads (Alyssa Morse, Leanne Constable, and Debra Hamilton), Ann McGuire (Mental Health Matters 2Ltd.) and Caroline Walters (Monash University) attend this research program as the Lived-Experience Research Collective Carer/Family Kinship Lead Group representatives. Mental Health Care at ScaleThe pocket-map travel guide was released this month and presented at program and network meetings. We held three co-design sessions in August. Here are some of the themes we heard more about in relation to the three priority areas of the National Centre:- Mental healthcare improvement - Mental health research - Social issues/determinants (impacts)

for mental health promotion and prevention initiatives in schools because it recognises that multiple individual and contextual factors (e.g., biological, psychological, social, environmental) interact to influence mental health trajectories (the course of experiences and needs) over time, including across generations. For example, many adult mental health problems such as what is called depression typically have their first onset during the school years, coinciding with puberty (e.g., increased focus on peers, growing independence from family) and the transition from primary to secondary school. Negative school experiences, such as bullying, can contribute to poorer mental health, while positive experiences such as feeling connected to teachers and We are currently working on the development of translation strategies and actionable goals from these last stages of public co-design. Early impressions include: An Expanded view of the Lived-Experience workforce that is beyond health service settings and mental health sector roles. For example, people see a role for lived-experience (peer) workers to be situated within wider community and social service settings to grow understanding, reduce stigma and work to redress public misconceptions about working with people with lived-experience.Image by pch.vector on Freepik

Research Program UpdatesA need for trauma-informed and tailored models of care, where trauma is understood as a multidimensional and multifaceted concept, and not a one size fits all model. Some people felt there may need to be a greater unpacking of what trauma means for people.Specific trauma services are needed within early intervention services, as these appear geared to depression and anxiety largely. Child specific services to address intergenerational family violence impacts would also be beneficial. Free services are required if we are to increase accessibility of services. This means a need for greater provision of general practitioners and other workforce members to address the needs of rural and remote communities. This could be achieved with greater maximisation of telehealth services reach but tailored, community models will be important. Image by rawpixel.com on Freepik

Take stock of the stigma reducing and removing models that work in different communities. Shift responsibility from individual to navigate the system to the services to co-create navigational pathways that are clear and supportive? Develop the understanding of what legal rights are for people. there may be opportunities to link this with service models and human rights and existing Charters in the system. Stream A – Priority Populations, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander PeopleYuat Nyoongar Investigator Michael Wright from Curtin University and a small research group from within ALIVE National have been meeting to identify what the collaborative aims for working together will be. Here is the final aim for the ALIVE collaboration with the Looking Forward Research Team (Our Journey, Our Story Project). The Collaboration aims to change the current transactional approach in mental health care to a relational narrative that leads to holistic primary and community care. The collaboration will privilege and amplify the voices of people with lived-experience. The Looking Forward Research Team’s culturally

Research Program Updatesvalidated co-design process harnesses both the wisdom and leadership of Aboriginal Elders and youth to redefine and inform the development of deep engagement. To achieve the shift requires an emphasis on experiential learning through truth telling (shared storying), immersion in culture (on country), and acceptance of worldviews and difference. This will result in a transformational reframing of the contemporary mental health care system where the breadth and depth of lived experience as expertise is central. Co-design has begun on the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Pathways for the National Centre Roadmap which will be shaped by the collaborative aim above and involve the 8ways Aboriginal Learning Pedagogy (Yunkaporta, 2009) that Muruwori & Gumbaynggirr researcher Phillip Orcher is adapting.Here we provide a description of the eight mechanisms of change for co-design and co-production that are embedded within our co-design program of work and national network and share the application of 8 ways for ALIVE National Centre community engagement and mob co-design. The eight ways pedagogy is hosted by the NSW Department of Education and can be found here and also on the next page: https://www.8ways.online/ Stream B - Longer, Healthier Lives by Meeting Unmet Physical Health NeedsTwo pre-implementation studies have commenced. One seeks to understand and develop better prediction assessments for heart disease risk so we can improve heart health needs for people with complex mental ill-health. The second will identify the rates of COVID-19

Take stock of the stigma reducing and removing models that work in different communities. Shift responsibility from individual to navigate the system to the services to co-create navigational pathways that are clear and supportive? Develop the understanding of what legal rights are for people. there may be opportunities to link this with service models and human rights and existing Charters in the system. Stream A – Priority Populations, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander PeopleYuat Nyoongar Investigator Michael Wright from Curtin University and a small research group from within ALIVE National have been meeting to identify what the collaborative aims for working together will be. Here is the final aim for the ALIVE collaboration with the Looking Forward Research Team (Our Journey, Our Story Project). The Collaboration aims to change the current transactional approach in mental health care to a relational narrative that leads to holistic primary and community care. The collaboration will privilege and amplify the voices of people with lived-experience. The Looking Forward Research Team’s culturally vaccinations and the impacts on physical health with people living with complex mental ill-health.These projects are stepping-stones to establishment of tailored, holistic health models that can address the unacceptable gaps in physical health care. Our Western Australian investigator Vera Morgan and colleagues are trying to address the problem with prediction instruments developed in older, general population groups where it has been well established these are less appropriate for use with people living with psychosis. This pre-implementation study is linking comprehensive Survey of High Impact Psychosis (SHIP) interview data, including people’s physical health and metabolic parameters collected at time of interview, to the cardiovascular outcomes on hospital morbidity and mortality registers. Analyses will allow for appropriate risk equations to be formulated for implementation within a tailored model to improve heart health with people living with psychosis. ALIVE investigator in the University of Queensland Steve Kisely has recently sought approval from Australian Institute of Health and Welfare to examine the Australian immunisation register. This analysis of large data will provide a picture on access to preventative services and access to immunisation with COVID-19 vaccine and boosters and impacts on physical health. This data will inform how to address preventative care gaps. In addition to our Lived-Experience leads (Alyssa Morse, Leanne Constable, and Debra Hamilton), Douglas Holmes (MH-worX) will be attending this research program moving forward as the Lived-Experience Carer/Family Kinship Lead Group representatives.

8 ways Aboriginal Learning Pedagogy (Yunkaporta, 2009 and Palmer et al., 2019)Deconstruct reconstruct:Modelling and scaffolding, working from wholes to parts (watch then do).Story Sharing:Approaching learning through narrative.Non-verbal:Applying intra-personal and kinaesthetic skills to thinking and learning.Learning Maps:Explicitly mapping visualising processes.Symbols and Images:Using images and metaphors to understand concepts and content.Community Links:Centring local viewpoints, applying learning for community benefit.Land Links:Place-based learning, linking content to local land and place.Palmer, V.J., Weavell, W., Callander, R., Piper, D., Richard, L., Maher, L., Boyd, H., Herrman, H., Furler, J., Gunn, J. and Iedema, R., 2019. The Participatory Zeitgeist: an explanatory theoretical model of change in an era of coproduction and codesign in healthcare improvement. Medical humanities, 45(3), pp.247-257.Yunkaporta, T., 2009. Aboriginal pedagogies at the cultural interface (Doctoral dissertation, James Cook University).8 mechanisms of change for co-design & co-productionRecognition:Identities matter, experiential and cultural knowledge is equal to other forms of knowledge.Dialogue:Sharing stories and faciilitating conversations is essential and multi-dialogue.Cooperation:Working together to cooperate on an area that needs to change.Accountability:Shared commitment and change in attitudes becomes intentional and we hold our actions to account.Creativity:Participatory collaboration, creative methods for design and making and shaping.Enactment:Use advocacy for change to be implemented.Attainment:Implement and check back in.

Palmer, V.J., Weavell, W., Callander, R., Piper, D., Richard, L., Maher, L., Boyd, H., Herrman, H., Furler, J., Gunn, J. and Iedema, R., 2019. The Participatory Zeitgeist: an explanatory theoretical model of change in an era of coproduction and codesign in healthcare improvement. Medical humanities, 45(3), pp.247-257.Yunkaporta, T., 2009. Aboriginal pedagogies at the cultural interface (Doctoral dissertation, James Cook University).8 mechanisms of change for co-design & co-productionRecognition:Identities matter, experiential and cultural knowledge is equal to other forms of knowledge.Dialogue:Sharing stories and faciilitating conversations is essential and multi-dialogue.Cooperation:Working together to cooperate on an area that needs to change.Accountability:Shared commitment and change in attitudes becomes intentional and we hold our actions to account.Creativity:Participatory collaboration, creative methods for design and making and shaping.Enactment:Use advocacy for change to be implemented.Attainment:Implement and check back in.Application for ALIVE National Centre community engagement and mob co-designLocalise recognition with mob of the targeted areas. Significant stories of trauma to the community’s and nations affected must be recognised.Open dialogue with local community leaders (Elders, leaders) to hear and empathise with community and stories that emerge.Adapt to the needs of the local community to achieve a shared outcome.Ensure cultural security and psychological safety is enabled to allow free thought and expression and be accountable to our unconscious bias that could emerge.Using localised land links for solutions to apply creativity to adapt for communityEnsure that data Sovereignty is practiced to ensure ownership of Intellectual property.Giving back - if you take something put something back.vaccinations and the impacts on physical health with people living with complex mental ill-health.These projects are stepping-stones to establishment of tailored, holistic health models that can address the unacceptable gaps in physical health care. Our Western Australian investigator Vera Morgan and colleagues are trying to address the problem with prediction instruments developed in older, general population groups where it has been well established these are less appropriate for use with people living with psychosis. This pre-implementation study is linking comprehensive Survey of High Impact Psychosis (SHIP) interview data, including people’s physical health and metabolic parameters collected at time of interview, to the cardiovascular outcomes on hospital morbidity and mortality registers. Analyses will allow

In June 2022 the ALIVE National Centre researchers Phil Orcher and Victoria Palmer were warmly invited to Wadjuk and Nyoonga Land to attend the Burdiyas! (Elders or Community Boss) A Call-to-Action Community Conference. Reflection written by Phillip Orcher who attended the Aboriginal Elder’s Conference on behalf of The ALIVE Centre. On Day One the formal proceedings kicked off with the Elders demonstration of the “Relational versus Transactional” (RvT) concept which is highlighted by Uncle Michael’s “Our Journey Our Story project” and the Looking Forward Moving Forward project. This had Elders share, in their own time, who they are and then, what role they had in the project. This kicked on into Elder led panels that demonstrated cultural security in practice. The panels encouraged the RvT discussions with Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) of five peak bodies to share who they are, not what they are professionally. Panels then moved into questions about the benefits that organisations have experienced since commencing the project 5 years ago. CEOs declared how their organisations benefited from RvT Elders approach by better understanding of the community needs based on the relational engagement and conversations had with Elders. With this trust from the RvT approach, Elders had a platform to address community directly with the Burdiyas (boss to boss) and this highlighted the importance of Aboriginal Staff addressing the issues that organisations wanted to address. Elders provided insight to issues that were important to community, and CEOs listened and adapted the focus in their

organisations to achieve better outcomes for both community and organisation. On Day Two, the call to action was declared by Elders and community and delivered to the CEOs of the peak bodies. This used the recommendations of the Looking Forward Moving Forward project report and there were 10 Priorities for the CEOs to take back and implement in day-to-day business as usual from the Wadjuk Nyoonga Peoples. This was delivered through a smoking ceremony and a message stick for the CEOs to take back to their respective organisations. CEOs accepted the challenge from Elders with dignity and respect and understood the importance of the need to continue the partnership using the Relational vs Transactional approach working with the Wadjuk and Nyoonga Peoples and surrounding nations. The two days conference were enlightening and inspiring to witness. Protocol, values and process by the Burdiyas, who were gracious in their leadership, created a culturally secure platform for CEOs to sit at the table with Aboriginal community leaders, both youth and elders, to listen to the needs of community. Thank you to Michael Wright and the team who have granted The ALIVE National Centre the permission to re-print the call to action from the Elder’s Conference – we hope some of our partners and investigators will read and see their role in this too. See here for more information: https://debakarn.com/conference-page/ Allawah! Burdiyas!Call to Action>>

Current Activities in ALIVE

Current Activities in ALIVE

Next Generation Researcher Network (NGRN)A guide to the mental health research funding galaxy“Advice from past successors is about the most massively useful thing a funding applicant can have” When Douglas Adams wrote the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, little did he know how influential his ideas and work would become. The supercomputer Deep Thought spends 7.5 million years trying to deliver the answer to the ultimate question of life, the universe and everything – only to return to say that the answer seems meaningless because whoever asked for the answer did not know the question! Hey, this sounds a bit like some funding calls, right?In this special annual event from the ALIVE Next Generation Researcher Network, we offer mental health researchers the chance to get the questions right and receive answers from a panel of exceptional mental health researchers across different fields and settings. But you do not need to wait until the day – the conversation starts now on the ALIVE National Centre’s newly launched Community Crowdsourcing Space.We’re launching this space with a Next Generation Researcher Challenge – get the questions for 42 set ahead of the panel! Go here to contribute to the call and start ideas generation and voting ahead of the day: https://alivenetwork.com.au/community-crowdsourcing-space/ Network Updates

You’ll see a short explainer video and the challenge available for you to share all the questions for the Deep Thought panellists to address on Wednesday 7th September at 12:30pm – 1:30pm.Don’t miss this incredible opportunity to help you see the funding galaxy from our panellist's point of view! Click here to register: https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/391451280317Seed fundingThank you to everyone who has applied for seed funding grants supporting our NGRN researchers to develop their research ideas and support larger, future grant proposals and fellowships. Our reviewers are now hard at work and applicants will be notified of the outcomes by September 30th, 2022.The seed funding scheme aimsThe ALIVE National Seed Funding Scheme will be available on a yearly basis. Four grants of $20,000 each will be allocated in 2022. Where eligible applications are submitted, it is expected that two of these four grants will be awarded to projects led by researchers with lived-experience (including carer, family kinship group researchers). Current membership (n=134)The image on the next page is the research disciplines of our current members.

Network, we offer mental health researchers the chance to get the questions right and receive answers from a panel of exceptional mental health researchers across different fields and settings. But you do not need to wait until the day – the conversation starts now on the ALIVE National Centre’s newly launched Community Crowdsourcing Space.We’re launching this space with a Next Generation Researcher Challenge – get the questions for 42 set ahead of the panel! Go here to contribute to the call and start ideas generation and voting ahead of the day: https://alivenetwork.com.au/community-crowdsourcing-space/

Implementation and Translation Network (ITN) The goal of the ITN is support implementation and translation research that enables the earlier identification of needs at any stage across the life course and leads to embedding of preventive interventions across settings that reduces future ill-health. Implementation Briefs - Led by Lisa Brophy at La Trobe University, the implementation briefs will provide implementation and scaling guidance for innovations and models within different touch points and priorities of the Roadmap for Mental Health Research Translation. Co-Design Living LabsThis month we have been preparing for our network to go live on the translation platform. The consumer and carer co-leads have been exploring what is important to share about our Co-Design Living Labs program and about our unique approach to co-design. We hope to build a space for co-design resources, stories of participation in co-design and updates on co-design projects happening across Australia. Discussions are also underway regarding scaling of co-design living labs program to national network supported by ALIVE Hub, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community-specific considerations. Network Updates

Co-Design Living Labs Network UpdateInaugural face-to-face codesign (Diversity and Inclusion) Recently, the team received a small grant from the University of Melbourne Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry & Health Sciences Diversity and Inclusion Fund to create a set of short videos for health researchers about the importance of diversity and inclusion within co-design. We were able to host our first in-person co-design session to explore the importance of Trust and Relationships in Co-Design on August 23rd. Co-designers from within the Co-Design Living Labs Network attended an in-person co-design session and made changes to the [UN]serious board game, Team Up (https://healthvoices.org.au/issues/apr-2021/xxx/).This game was co-designed by Tara Dimopoulous-Bick and Victoria Palmer in 2020-21.Team Up is about fostering relational conditions to prepare for co-designing together. It is based on eight mechanisms in an explanatory theoretical model of change for co-design and co-production in healthcare improvement, and has been developed with co-designer input to the mechanisms (elements) for change.

Co-Design Living Labs Network Update

Lived-Experience Research CollectiveCurrent Membership (n=109)The Lived-Experience Research Collective currently has 109 members across Australia and Internationally. The total number of memberships include 38 Next Generation Researcher Network who identified as Lived-Experience Researchers.You can also see the research interests of our current members on the next page.

Lived-Experience Research Collective

In July, Grant Sara presented on Harnessing system-wide mental health data to support research translation, the fourth presentation in the ready set translate virtual café translation series. Grant is the Director of InforMH, System Information and Analytics Unit, NSW Ministry of Health and is a psychiatrist, clinical associate professor at the University of Sydney and an Honorary Professor at Macquarie University. He discussed the question “How do we get systems to change?” from a data perspective and presented how his team are working on collecting data for a range of purposes that, in conjunction with other factors, have the potential to effect change. Grant presented a case study: MH Living Longer linkage project. This project works to understand causes of premature mortality in NSW mental health service users by collecting data from: community health, ambulance, Emergency Department, public and private hospitals, renal dialysis and transplant, cancer notifications and care, breast screening, cervical screening and deaths to ultimate help to improve policy, planning, research, change and translation.He presented preliminary data on vaccine preventable admissions, breast cancer screening, surgical procedures, and consumer recall about physical health. Grant noted that barriers and challenges may include technical, structural, (e.g. commonwealth and state differences) and cultural factors but highlighted how the role of data in supporting change can be enhanced by: - Active engagement and “data translation” - Localised reporting tools using routinely collected data - Peer comparisons 

It was an inspiring look at how we can use data to help improve mental health research translation and how data can work in conjunction with other factors to help to implement change. Written by Dana Jazayeri, Senior Research Support Officer – The ALIVE National Centre for Mental Health Research Translation.The event was co-hosted by the Mental Health Care at Scale Research Program and the Next Generation Researcher Network. - Supporting local clinical leaders and managers - Actionable issues: vaccination, cancer screening, provision of health informationOther areas of work to take forward might include seclusion/restraint reduction, involuntary care, ECT practice, acute CAMHS and early psychosis. He also highlighted the importance of having “data translators” to be the bridge between the purely data approach and purely clinical approach. 

Jill Bennett is an Australian Research Council Laureate Fellow at UNSW, where she directs fEEL (feltExperience & Empathy Lab) and the Big Anxiety Research Centre (BARC). She is founding Director of The Big Anxiety festival and leads an Engagement Program for ALIVE. Her most recent book is The Big Anxiety: Taking Care of Mental Health in Times of Crisis, Bloomsbury, 2022. Jill presented at the August ALIVE virtual café series as part of Priority Populations research stream, Stream A – Priority Populations, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People. She discussed how her work focuses on moving beyond clinical approaches to find what create supports in communities leveraging cultural and creative capacity.The Big Anxiety Festival Melbourne/Narm is a UNSW initiative and is coming up on 21st September-15th October2022 based at the RMIT Campus. It is a festival for lived experience, aiming to build knowledge from the lived experience community combining people, art, and science. The event is not just knowledge exchange platform but a way of getting people involved in immersive work form the fEEL lab and what cultural and creative design can do in the mental health sector. For more information about the Big Anxiety and the upcoming events click here: https://www.thebiganxiety.org We were fortunate to have Jill give us an insight into some of her projects and what you can expect at the Big Anxiety Festival, some of which we have highlighted below. We hope to see you all at this exciting event! Mobile Mood lab: a converted ambulance where individuals lie down and can control patterns in the audio and visuals surrounding them by 

well-being, spark curiosity and connect with the Kulin country. https://www.thebiganxiety.org/events/childrens-sensorium-art-play-and-mindfulness-for-a-post-pandemic-recovery/ Parragirls, past, present: a moving immersive experience that describes the abuse and trauma faced by women at the former child welfare institution the Paramatata Girls Home. People have the opportunity to enter the environment the women have recorded their thoughts to gain control of their story, communicate it in such a way that it wont be sensationalised and helplowering their heart rate. This experience explores the connection between stress and heartrate. https://www.thebiganxiety.org/events/mobile-mood-lab/ Snoosphere: a multisensory simulation and relaxation environment by lull studios (Tokyo and Sydney) with autistic young people as consultants designed to provide an insight into hypersensitivity. https://www.thebiganxiety.org/events/snoosphere/ Children’s Sensorium: an interactive space for children that involves engaging with their senses to focus on

ensure such a thing does not happen again. https://www.thebiganxiety.org/events/parragirls-past-present/ Edge of the present: developed by Alex Davies, this mixed reality experience for suicide prevention has been show through pre-post testing to significantly improve mood. Participants enter a plain environment, put on headset, and see a virtual version of that environment. As they move around and make changes, things in the environment changes and they are surrounded by beautiful scenes. This experience is designed to help keep participants in the present and look forward to what the future may bring. https://www.thebiganxiety.org/events/edge-of-the-present/ Uti-Kulintjaku Initiative: the name of this Aboriginal led initiative was derived from the phrase “to listen, think and understand clearly”. The Uti-Kulitjaku have worked with the Big Anxiety and the fEEL lab to create VR experiences including Waumananyi: the Song on the Wind which is an Anagu-led project aiming to address and try to break cycles of trauma.It is based on the traditional story of “the man in the log” and the feelings of constraint and it “…provides a framework for a conversation about the underlying psychological forces that drive human behaviour” (Kim Mahood, the Monthly). https://www.thebiganxiety.org/events/uti-kulintjaku-initiative/ 

Written by Dana Jazayeri, Senior Research Support Officer – The ALIVE National Centre for Mental Health Research Translation.The event was co-hosted by the Mental Health Care at Scale Research Program and the Next Generation Researcher Network. Image by Freepik

World Mental Health Day (10th October 2022)The Big Anxiety FestivalMad Poetry Rooms @ ALIVE For World Mental Health Day in collaboration with the Big Anxiety festival, the ALIVE National Centre for Mental Health Research Translation and the Lived-Experience Research Collective will host Mad Poetry creative workshops during the day, and live readings from 5pm.https://livedexperience.alivenetwork.com.au/event/mad-poetry-rooms/Ready, Set, Translate – Virtual Café Series Check out the 2022 Virtual Café Series calendar here: https://alivenetwork.com.au/ready-set-translate-the-alive-mental-health-research-translation-virtual-cafe-series/ Events

Community Crowdsourcing SpaceCrowdsourcing launched earlier this month. This platform is a space for engaging with communities to help solve the implementation and translation challenges in mental health care in Australia. It is a space where “challenges” can be set up and ideas submitted, with the opportunity to upvote ideas to endorse what might resonate with you. The first challenge posted is for the next generation researcher network “a guide to the mental health funding galaxy” where NGRN members have the opportunity to post questions for the panellists to answer in advance of the day. To watch a detailed presentation on how this works and to start having your say click here: https://alivenetwork.com.au/community-crowdsourcing-space/ Have an idea for a Community Crowdsourcing challenge that you’d like the ALIVE National Centre to run? Reach out to us about it via email to info@alivenetwork.com.au ForumNew update - forum posts have now been made private for members with log in details to read and reply to only. View forum topics here:https://livedexperience.alivenetwork.com.au/lived-experience-research-collective-forum-topics/https://nextgen.alivenetwork.com.au/next-gen-researcher-network-forum-topics/Start some engaging conversations on the forum here: https://livedexperience.alivenetwork.com.au/forum/https://nextgen.alivenetwork.com.au/forum/

Our first appointment Rachel Tindall has published four amazing pieces so far. Read about them here: https://alivenetwork.com.au/For more information about the program visit our website: https://alivenetwork.com.au/the-alive-national-writer-in-residence-program-is-now-live/ and to register your interest email the HUB at: alive-hub@unimelb.edu.au.Writer-In-ResidenceTHE ALIVE NATIONALWRITER-IN-RESIDENCEPROGRAMImage by Freepik

THE ALIVE NATIONALWRITER-IN-RESIDENCEPROGRAMRachel is a mental health nurse employed as the Program Implementation Manager at Barwon Health Mental Health Drugs and Alcohol Services. She has clinical, research, project management and senior management expertise and is a strong advocate for lived experience participation at all levels of mental health service reform, design and delivery.

People Across ALIVEIn this edition of the Community update we get to know our new team member at ALIVE Rebecca Moran who has joined us as a Lived-Experience Engagement Research Fellow. Bec is working closely with ALIVE Investigator – Jill Bennett at the Big Anxiety Research Centre. I am a lived-experience researcher and criminologist specialising in complex trauma. I have worked as a lived-experience educator in a range of settings (police academies, professional development consulting, for the Blue Knot Foundation, and university undergrad and postgrad courses).

My focus on trauma comes not only from my own experience, but also from a passion to change the systems and structures that impede good support for people who experience complex trauma. My (nearly finished) PhD is called Meaning-making, social action, and politicised victimhood: Personal and political dialogues on child sexual abuse, and is really about survivor missions, complex trauma impacts, and dignity. I've come to understand dignity as 'mattering' and see it as an essential element in any kind of recovery.As well as caring very much about dignity, I love planting trees. In the last 3 months, we have put in around 200 young trees on our 110-acre hill and valley property. I'm excited to watch our forest grow, and love that many of these trees will outlive me. I have a six-year-old son who loves trains, cats, and Lego. I have come to love trains too, but I just can't match his enthusiasm for Lego.