what we are about

our voice is a digital magazine and speakers bureau raising the volume on the lived experience of mental health issues in South Australia. It launched during Mental Health Week in October 2016 and is currently a twice-a-year publication.

our voice is by South Australians for South Australians and aims to be broadly representative of the diversity of experiences and perspectives of living, or having lived with, mental health issues. It is by and for people who do or have struggled, carers and supporters, workers and interested community members.

A future vision is for our voice to become an incorporated and funded peak body that has influence and input on policy, strengthens the voice and understanding of lived experience in mutliple ways as well as provide training and expert advice on the realities of living with mental health issues, recovery and service provision.

mental health touches us all and it is important we talk about it

The lived experience of mental health issues in society in general continues to be stigmatised and for people struggling, and their loved ones, navigating ‘the system’ is harder than it needs to be and adds to the challenge of an already difficult time. In South Australia having a voice from the lived experiene perspective is fragmented which reduces its power to being about real change.

our voice is one small way to raise the volume on the lived experience of mental health in South Australia whilst also being a resource for people seeking support or needing to know they are not alone. If we succeed in these things we know that we will make a difference to lives … and quite frankly we all need more of that!