Thought provoking presentations and passionate discussions were the order of the day at the 2026 One Door Mental Health Symposium held in Sydney on Wednesday 20 May.
Watch the One Door Mental Health Symposium here
The theme for the 2026 Symposium was 'Shaping Community Together: Lived Experience and Innovation in Mental Health’. Lived experience perspectives were embedded throughout the program and the entire day, shaping conversations on reform and community-led innovation. The event brought together approximately 150 people united by a shared commitment to building a better mental health system for New South Wales.
The NSW Minister for Mental Health, Rose Jackson MP, provided an opening address about the mental health agenda for New South Wales and the role of lived experience-led and centred services in building better mental health supports in the state.
The keynote address titled “Here I am! Lived experience, human rights and community” was delivered by Tim Heffernan. Tim is the Chair of BEING – Mental Health Consumers, and a former Deputy Commissioner with the NSW Mental Health Commission.
Tim captivated the room with his powerful poetry reflecting on his own experiences in the mental health system. In his poem Gaps, Tim highlighted the importance of embedding lived experience and psychosocial support at the heart of mental health care. He compared communities to rainforests - complex, interconnected, and sustained by unseen eco-systems that enable growth and regeneration.
When these systems are damaged, recovery becomes harder. Similarly, he suggested the mental health system needs to evolve, moving away from approaches that no longer serve people well. He emphasised the vital role of peer work as a key part of this shift, and his message resonated deeply with the audience.
A robust panel discussion followed with Minister Jackson, Tim Heffernan and Mind CEO Gill Callister encouraging plenty of engagement from the audience.
Other Symposium highlights included:
- a presentation on Mind's new and unique Lived Experience Residential Service to open later this year
- a research presentation and panel session on the effectiveness of recovery-based models of Step Up/Step Down services
- a panel discussion on safe and supported housing as a fundamental human right.
At the culmination of the day, a workshop was held to shape the advocacy asks that One Door will take to politicians across the state at the 2027 New South Wales Election. Drawing on the themes and sessions of the day, attendees put forward their priorities for mental health reform.
Mind CEO Gill Callister applauded the diversity and passion of the 2026 Symposium.
“The One Door Symposium brought together such a fantastic mix of people with lived experience, families and carers, researchers, advocates, politicians and policy makers, all sharing their expertise and insights to help build a more humane and community centred mental health system,” she said.
“Thank you to everyone who came along, especially the One Door Fellowship members who provided such rich and thoughtful contributions to the day.”
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