Michael Elwan Appointed to the Office of the Chief Psychiatrist WA - Advancing Multicultural Mental Health Leadership

Some roles are more than professional; they speak to something deeply personal. I’m honoured to share that I’ve been appointed to the Office of the Chief Psychiatrist WA - Lived Experience Consultation Group (LECG), a role that carries both personal meaning and professional purpose.

This appointment reflects a commitment to embedding lived experience leadership and multicultural mental health perspectives within Western Australia’s mental health governance structures. For me, it means ensuring that people from culturally and linguistically diverse (CaLD) communities (often unseen or unheard) are part of shaping safer and more compassionate systems of care.

As an Egyptian-Australian social worker, therapist, and PhD researcher, my approach to this role is grounded in both heart and evidence. My experiences of caregiving, migration, suicide loss, and rebuilding mirror the realities of many families across Australia’s multicultural communities.

This work is not only about clinical excellence; it is about cultural safety. It means making sure that every family can access care in a language and context they understand, and ensuring that our systems reflect the humanity they serve.

Based in Perth, WA, LEXs provides telehealth counselling across Australia for individuals, couples, and NDIS participants. Services extend to Social Work supervision, Peer Work supervision, training, and keynote speaking on men’s mental health, CaLD community wellbeing, and culturally responsive suicide prevention; helping people and organisations make mental-health care more compassionate, inclusive, and effective. LEXs provides services across Australia, supporting clients in Perth, Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, and beyond. To learn more about our work across Australia, visit LEXs' services.