I’m deeply humbled to share that I’ve been featured in the WA Mental Health Commission’s Understanding Lived Experience  series, where I speak about organisational readiness and lived experience leadership  - and what it truly means to commit to the WA lived experience peer workforce . As an Egyptian-Australian mental health professional and someone whose life has been profoundly shaped by trauma, caregiving, loss and cultural dislocation , I’ve come to understand that chang

Award-winning social worker and PhD researcher Michael Elwan joins the ALIVE National Centre as Writer-in-Residence, bridging lived experience, culture, and mental health research.

Yesterday was a great day. On Tuesday, I stood beside Poster #159 at the National Suicide Prevention Conference 2025 and presented a program I’ve carried in my heart for decades: “Building Bridges: Fostering Intergenerational Dialogue on Mental Health and Suicide in CaLD Families.” I had many conversations, but one stood out. A woman approached me slowly. She didn’t say much at first - just stood with the poster. After a pause, she whispered: “That was my story too. We never

This week, I had the honour of being featured by Suicide Prevention Australia in a national video spotlighting members of the National Lived and Living Experience Panel. It’s a short but powerful reflection piece, asking each of us: What are your hopes for the upcoming National Suicide Prevention Conference? It’s more than just a video. It’s a reminder that voices like ours - those who carry the pain, the memory, and the insight of lived experience - are not just being heard.

I’m deeply honoured to announce that I will be presenting at this year’s National Suicide Prevention Conference (NSPC25)  in Perth - Australia’s flagship gathering of lived experience leaders, researchers, policymakers, and frontline advocates. My presentation is titled: Building Bridges: Fostering Intergenerational Dialogue on Mental Health and Suicide in CaLD Families 📍 Poster Session 2 | Tuesday 20 May, 5:30 PM | Poster #159 This presentation is more than a professional m

You don’t have to be perfect. You just have to trust that your story is powerful enough to build something real from. It was a true honour to join Natasha Siryj and Janine Defontaine on this Finding North panel, facilitated with heart (and some epic tech resilience!) by Hayley Harris. Together, we unpacked what it means to bring our whole selves into self-employment - the grief, the fire, the faith, and the freedom. In this session, I shared how my journey into lived experien

Today , I had the privilege of standing alongside 30 other people with lived and living experience of suicide to co-sign an open letter addressed to the Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese, calling for urgent suicide prevention funding in Australia . This moment was a powerful reminder of what can be achieved when those with firsthand experience speak with clarity, courage, and collective intent. This letter is more than a statement - it is a plea. A plea from those who have los

I’m honoured to share that I’ll be speaking at Perspectives 2025 , a national Lived Experience e-Symposium hosted by the Finding North Network  in partnership with the Mental Illness Fellowship of Australia (MIFA) . My presentation will explore CaLD mental health transformation  through lived experience leadership and culturally grounded systems change. This event is a powerful annual gathering of lived experience leaders, truth-tellers, advocates, and allies from across the

I’m incredibly humbled to share that I’ve been nominated for the Innovative Practice & Research LiFE Award  as part of the 2025 Western Australia LiFE Awards , hosted by Suicide Prevention Australia. This recognition means a great deal to me - not just professionally, but deeply personally. The LiFE Awards  (Living is For Everyone) honour individuals and organisations making impactful contributions to suicide prevention. To be acknowledged alongside so many dedicated advocate

Award-winning social worker and national advisor Michael Elwan is a finalist for the Mental Health Leadership Award 2025, recognising his impact on multicultural mental health in Australia and lived-experience leadership.

I’m honoured to share that I’ve been featured in UNE News  in an article titled Inspiring Change from the Ground Up , highlighting my journey from lived experience to leadership in mental health and suicide prevention. The story traces my early life in Alexandria, Egypt , where I became a caregiver at 14 after my father - a former Air Force General - was left blind by a stroke. Following his death, I cared for my mother, who lived with severe mental health challenges, until h

I am deeply honoured to share that I’ve been appointed to Suicide Prevention Australia’s National Lived Experience Panel . As the national peak body for suicide prevention, Suicide Prevention Australia’s commitment to embedding lived experience leadership is more than symbolic; it’s transformative. It recognises that those who have walked through loss, grief, and survival must have a voice in shaping the future of suicide prevention in Australia. This appointment is profoundl

Today, I stand humbled and honoured to share a moment that marks both a personal and professional milestone. My abstract, "Building Bridges: Fostering Intergenerational Dialogue on Mental Health and Suicide in CaLD Families" , has been accepted for presentation at the 2025 National Suicide Prevention Conference (NSPC) , right here in my beloved home city of Perth . This is more than an acceptance - it’s the culmination of a deeply personal journey. Mental health was rarely sp

I’m humbled and honoured to share that I’ve been appointed as an inaugural member of the Lived Experience Advisory Group (LEAG) , established by the Mental Health Commission of Western Australia . This appointment brings a unique opportunity to represent multicultural perspectives and advocate for culturally and linguistically diverse (CaLD) communities within Western Australia’s mental health, alcohol and other drug (AOD), and suicide prevention systems. As someone from an..

Award-winning social worker, national advisor, and PhD researcher Michael Elwan reflects on leadership, purpose, and belonging in the Emerging Leaders in Governance Program Report.

Award-winning social worker, national advisor, and PhD researcher Michael Elwan shares his first journal publication on co-creation in mental health services and recovery.

Award-winning social worker, national advisor, and PhD researcher Michael Elwan discusses lived experience leadership on 2MCE Radio, sharing insights from his PhD journey.

Award-winning social worker, national advisor, and PhD researcher Michael Elwan presents at the WA Mental Health Conference 2024 on lived experience leadership and peer workforce futures.

Award-winning social worker, national advisor, and PhD researcher Michael Elwan reflects on his appointment to the ASeTTS Board and his commitment to supporting trauma survivors.

Award-winning social worker, national advisor, and PhD researcher Michael Elwan reflects on suicide prevention and the lived experience workforce after attending the SPA National Lunch Series.