Mental health-related stigma and discrimination has a significant impact on the lives of people with lived experience. Being exposed to stigma and discrimination can take away people’s ability to live lives of meaning and purpose and to pursue opportunities. Experiences of stigma and discrimination deny people their fundamental human rights and strip people of their autonomy, agency, opportunities and voice. Despite efforts over the past four decades, people with lived experience of mental health issues, their families, carers and support people continue to experience stigma and discrimination. Stigma itself is a complex experience with levers for change at individual, community and institutional levels. This presentation will argue that reducing stigma and discrimination in Australia requires a new approach which considers stigma and discrimination not as a simple technical problem to solve, but rather a complex challenge, filled with polarities, which require an adaptive approach to navigate and manage.

In my talk today I will take you on a journey of what I believe is my lived experience and that of others innovation in rural and remote mental health. Having worked in the rural mental health system for over 20 years seeing people come and go, systems change and the wheels re-inventing in one form or another I will aim to share my learnings and observations, the good, the bad and the ugly!! Well not so good!

Since the mid 1990’s Rural Mental Health in Australia has had some significant transformations, with several innovative ideas being tried and implemented. Some stayed while others have been “decommissioned” and or transformed into what might be perceived as more innovative, but is it?

With the theme of the conference being Justice and Equity: Issues and solutions for rural and remote mental health, I will aim to contribute to the collective, experience and lived experiences of those of us who have and will in the future walk the journey of rural and remote mental health. The systems are complex requiring a workforce who are flexible, have time to care and can work in a compassionate way.

I will focus on the value, importance and experiences, of the people who have, now and will use Rural and Remote Mental Health services. In recent years, the focus and importance of person-centred and consumer driven mental health care responses are becoming a shining light in “co-design” of policy, service provision “talk” and research.

The big question being is the talk walking? Are rural and remote mental health consumers experiencing the person-centred / consumer driven care, that for so long they have been asking for?