Award-winning social worker, national advisor, and PhD researcher Michael Elwan reflects on multicultural mental health storytelling and the lessons held in silence.

Award-winning social worker and national advisor Michael Elwan reflects on receiving the WA Mental Health Award 2025 for Lived Experience Impact & Inspiration, supported by the WA Mental Health Commission.

I’m honoured to be joining the Black Dog Institute’s Suicide Prevention Network Community of Practice  this September, where the focus is on suicide prevention in culturally and linguistically diverse (CaLD) communities. This theme is close to my heart. As someone who migrated from Egypt to Australia and carries lived experiences of caregiving, migration stress, and suicide bereavement, I know how deeply culture shapes the way we understand distress, healing, and belonging. C

As R U OK? Day draws near on 11 September, I've been quietly reflecting on the quiet power of these check-ins, especially out here in our regional and rural spots where support can sometimes feel a bit distant. In the fresh edition of Trunk Line from the Manna Institute, I share reflections for R U OK? Day 2025 - part of Manna Institute’s ongoing commitment to community connection and mental health research. Dr Tara Lal AFSM reminds us that "Are you okay?" can feel a tad clos

I recently had the chance to sit down for a chat on the Equi Voices multicultural mental health interview, and I have to say, it was a wonderful experience. Being interviewed by Estela Fuentes was an absolute pleasure; her passion for multicultural mental health and cross-cultural wellbeing is infectious, and it made the whole conversation flow like a natural catch-up over a cuppa. She's got this genuine fire for amplifying diverse voices in the mental health space, and it r

I was recently invited to participate in an on-camera SafeSide interview  with the team at SafeSide Prevention Australia , as part of their commitment to strengthening culturally responsive suicide prevention approaches across Western Australia. This opportunity was more than just an interview; it was a meaningful dialogue about what safety, support, and connection truly mean for people from Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CaLD)  backgrounds who may be experiencing sui

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

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

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.