About Mind-Life
Live Different Think Different Be Different: The Mind-Life Project set out to solve one of society’s most sticky problems: Creating community connection and a sense of full citizenship for the most vulnerable.
The Mind-Life initiative is funded by the Australian Government Department of Social Services through an Information, Linkages and Capacity Building Grant to reframe psychosocial disability, reduce stigma and improve community access for people who experience psychosocial disability.
We pose the question: What is psychosocial disability? How does the term help us create an inclusive sociality? In fact, does it? Or does it further separate society?
How can we make sense of this term? What does it mean to you?
Mind Life project focus was to work with design teams across the State to create and test try and explore resources that help deliver on what it means to live well and what could we do differently that makes sure everyone can be included.
The Project has a focus on working in regional and rural areas and is led by Bridges Health & Community Care.
Founding Team
Sharon Sarah
CEO
My career in the mental health sector began 23 years ago as a community development officer for mental health and my role was to coordinate activities to enable people with a lived experience of mental ill health to have input into the mental health service system and establish alternative supports and services outside of a hospital based medical model.
I am most definitely a protagonist driven by a sense of duty and belief in the fundamental right for human beings to be treated with dignity, respect and without discrimination. I’m also curious and enjoy challenging the status quo, so my first job after graduating from university as a psychologist was the perfect match.
The concept of the mind-life project was derived from the desire to disrupt a service model that defines people who experience adversity with a labelling term that focuses on what they can’t do rather than what they can. It also seeks to normalise adversity so that the individual holds onto the hope and desire to live a better life, is encouraged to determine their own path to recovery and not be dependent on an illness driven model. The irony of being part of that service system as a mental health service provider is not lost on me and challenges me every day. But, the human-centred design process used within the mind-life project is giving us such a wonderful opportunity to unpack and challenge a service system and design new ways of working in the mental health sector driven by those that use it and work in it.
Gill Townsend
Project Manager
The opportunity to lead a project that sets out to reframe psychosocial disability was irresistible to me. Exploring ideas and designing new resources that challenge and explore the social constructs of disability inspires me to uncover what is possible.
With a background working in both the Human Rights and Equal Opportunities Commission and the Anti-Discrimination Commission, as a disability advocate and in the mental health community sector for the past 15 years I remain curious about how can we find ways to open our collective thinking, hearts and society to welcome and include all.
Helen Glover
Consultant
I have always been a bit of a disruptor, wanting to stretch the ways in which we organise and provide assistance to those who want and deserve more for their life. The Mind-Life project bravely tackles and rethinks the notions of stigma, discrimination, citizenship, community and how services can respond so people can lead and live their best lives, despite the social impacts caused by mental illness and its treatments. These areas, important to me to negotiate, and undoubtedly remain important for many others, as they strive to live beyond the perceived limitations set by themselves or others. I have developed a passion for service design , especially using human centred design approaches. My role in the project is to ensure it remains true to its human centred promise. I am sure Mind–Life will stretch me as I am asked to stretch it.
Contributing Team Members Acknowledgements
Eli Lizzi, Jenni Miners, Melissa Robertson, Melody Edwardson, Sharon Vaughan, Shelley Pisani