Writing on lived experience, mental health and practice

When a lived experience role carries substantial responsibility without decision rights, organisational access or a clear response pathway, the problem is structural rather than individual.

Michael Elwan is a Western Australian finalist in the Australia’s Local Hero category of the 2027 Australian of the Year Awards.

How lived experience input can shape clearer digital mental health access pathways, alongside Michael Elwan's accepted Global Mental Health Summit online poster.

Practical questions for culturally responsive social work supervision, alongside Michael Elwan's accepted online poster at the Global Mental Health Summit 2026.

Michael Elwan has won the 2026 Australian Mental Health Prize in the Lived Experience category. Read about the recognition and his work through LEXs.

What decision can community input change? Three practical commitments for service providers seeking to connect refugee and culturally diverse participation to decisions and action.

Five supervision questions to help social workers examine certainty, family responsibility, missing context and the limits of treatment in mental health practice.

Ahead of ALIVE’s Emergent Ecosystems event, Michael Elwan reflects on lived experience leadership and what it means for people to recognise themselves in the research structures and statements intended to shape the future.

Mental health conversations can miss what is already in the room. Michael Elwan reflects on culture, migration, masculinity and why recognition must come before assessment.

Ethical frameworks organise complex social work decisions. Supervision helps practitioners test the judgement, assumptions and pressures shaping what they do next.

Award-winning social worker Michael Elwan on culturally responsive supervision, and three moves that change what a supervision note can see

A general guide to peer work supervision, including its purpose, boundaries and relationship with line management. LEXs does not currently offer this service.

Award-winning social worker and PhD researcher Michael Elwan on his article in Psychiatric Services, exploring certainty, treatment, and lived experience in psychiatry.

Award-winning social worker, national advisor, and PhD researcher Michael Elwan on co-design, power and lived experience leadership, and who gets to decide what lived experience means.

Award-winning social worker, national advisor, and PhD researcher Michael Elwan explores how organisations can embed lived and living experience in governance beyond advisory groups and consultation.

Award-winning social worker, national advisor, and PhD researcher Michael Elwan explores why co-design in mental health often fails and what meaningful participation requires.

A practical question bank for social workers preparing for reflective supervision, with prompts for ethics, risk, culture, boundaries, use of self and professional judgement.

Award-winning social worker, national advisor, and PhD researcher Michael Elwan reflects on his appointment as Carer/Family/Kinship Co-Lead at the ALIVE National Centre.

What to discuss in social work supervision, including ethics, risk, boundaries, culture, leadership, private practice and professional judgement.

Social work supervision fees vary across Australia depending on format, timing, experience, funding source, and the type of support required.