Background and Purpose
We are inviting expressions of interest from people with lived experience of mental health services in NSW to participate in a project that BEING – Mental Health Consumers are doing with the University of Sydney.
The purpose of this project is to better understand and improve mental health discharge and transfer of care practices, by learning directly from consumers who have experienced them.
Consumer insights are central to ensuring discharge planning, transfer of care and follow-up support recovery, continuity of care, and safety.
About the Project
The project focuses on understanding consumer experiences of discharge and transfer of care from NSW public mental health services.
We are seeking perspectives from people who have experienced discharge and transfer of care from one or more of the following settings in the last five years:
- Emergency departments and mental health admission centres
- Inpatient mental health units
- Community mental health services.
Your lived experience will inform research, co-design activities, and service improvement recommendations aimed at strengthening discharge and transfer of care practices across the NSW public mental health system.
Who We Are Looking For
We are looking for adults (18 years and over) who have accessed NSW public mental health services and have personal experience of being discharge and transfer of care practices in emergency departments, mental health admission centres, inpatient mental health units and community mental health in the last five years.
Participants need to be willing to share their experiences and perspectives in a respectful and supportive setting.
We want to hear from people with lived experience from all walks of life, and so strongly encourage expresions of interest from people with diverse backgrounds, identities, and experiences, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, LGBTIQA+ people and people from culturally and linguistically diverse communities.
We also strongly encourage expressions of interest from people with lived experience of one or more of the following:
- Homelessness and housing instability
- Closed or secure settings, including correctional centres and forensic mental health
- Newly arrived migrants and refugees
- Domestic, family, and sexual violence.
What Participation Involves
Up to 20 consumers will be invited to participate in a one-hour conversation with a member of the BEING team (a fellow consumer) about your experience. All conversations will be online to enable participation from across NSW on Microsoft Teams, so an internet connection is needed.
Each conversation will be recorded to enable review and analysis by the research team at the University of Sydney. Specifically, the recording will be used to convert the conversation into an audio file and then transcribed for analysis and review purposes. The recording will not be used for any other purpose.
All participating consumers will be invited to participate in a one-hour conversation between 6 May and 21 May during business hours. Consumers invited to participate will nominate the time that works between yourself and the BEING team.
We will provide you with the questions beforehand so that you have time to reflect on them before the interview.
Recognition and Support
Consumer participation will be recognised and valued. Participants will be offered payment at a rate of $44/hour, in recognition of your expertise. We are committed to providing a safe, trauma-informed, and culturally appropriate environment, with support available before, during, and after participation if needed.
Confidentiality and Ethics
All information shared as part of this project will be treated confidentially. Participation is entirely voluntary, and individuals may withdraw at any time without consequence. The project will be conducted in line with ethical requirements to ensure respect, safety, and privacy for all participants.
How to Express Interest
To express interest, please complete the online form below to express your interest to participate. In the form we ask information about you and your experiences, and the form will close on 29 April at 5pm. People will be notified of the outcome from 1 May onwards.
Enquiries
If you have questions or would like more information about this opportunity, please contact the project team using the details provided below.
Kylie Smith – kylie.smith@being.org.au
Peter Schmiedgen – peter.schmiedgen@being.org.au