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 deeply honoured to share that I’ve been appointed to the Office of the Chief Psychiatrist WA - Lived Experience Consultation Group (LECG), a role that brings both personal meaning and professional purpose.

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

As an Egyptian-Australian social worker, therapist, and PhD researcher, my approach to this role is guided by both heart and evidence. I bring my own lived experience of caregiving, migration, suicide loss, and rebuilding - experiences that mirror the struggles and strengths of many families across Australia’s diverse communities.

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

I’m deeply grateful to the Office of the Chief Psychiatrist WA for recognising that transformation begins when multicultural mental health leadership and lived experience insight are not afterthoughts, but guiding principles.

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.