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Honoured to Receive the 2025 WA Mental Health Award for Lived Experience Impact & Inspiration

  • Writer: Michael Elwan
    Michael Elwan
  • Oct 11
  • 2 min read

Updated: Nov 9

Michael Elwan - Award Winner - 2025 WA Mental Health Award - Lived Experience Impact & Inspiration

This week, I was deeply honoured to receive the 2025 WA Mental Health Award for Lived Experience Impact & Inspiration, sponsored by the WA Mental Health Commission.


The award recognises the work I do through Lived Experience Solutions (LEXs) - supporting people and organisations to move from silence to safety, and from stigma to understanding. It celebrates the power of lived experience as both a source of healing and a driver of systemic change.


Through LEXs, I provide culturally-attuned counselling, mentoring, and consultancy for people navigating trauma, grief, migration, identity, and mental health challenges. Many of my clients come from culturally and linguistically diverse and faith-based communities, where traditional services have not always felt safe or accessible. Together, we work in ways that honour culture, family, and spirituality; creating new pathways to recovery that feel human and inclusive.


Beyond counselling, my work extends to advising national and state mental health systems so that policies and services reflect the diversity of the communities they serve.

This award is meaningful because it recognises what I have long believed: that lived experience is not a limitation; it is leadership. When we bring our stories, cultures, and truths into the room, systems change.


To my clients, colleagues, and community - thank you for walking beside me, for your courage, and for reminding me daily why this work matters.


You can read more about the WA Mental Health Awards and the remarkable finalists on the WAAMH website


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 page.

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Walk on the Beach

Together, transforming Australian multicultural mental health through

lived experience leadership


Lived Experience Solutions (LEXs) acknowledges the Traditional Owners of Country throughout Australia and recognises their continuing connection to land, waters and community. We pay our respect to them and their cultures, and to Elders past, present and emerging.

We place lived experience at the core of our efforts, acknowledging the crucial role of consumers, families, and supporters in mental health, substance use, and criminal justice. We value the wisdom of culturally diverse individuals, their families, and kinship groups, whose expertise from living with mental health, neurological disorders, or substance use is central to our work.

 

If you are in a crisis or any other person may be in danger - don't use this site. 

These resources can provide you with immediate help. 

Michael Elwan - Social Worker of the year National award AASW.png
Michael Elwan - Award Winner - 2025 WA Mental Health Award - Lived Experience Impact & Inspiration
Michael Elwan - Finalist - 2025 Sir Roland Wilson Leadership (WA Multicultural Awards)
Michael Elwan Finalist Barbara Hocking Award 2025

© 2025 by Lived Experience Solutions (LEXs)

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