The National Men’s Lived Experience of Suicide Network builds on work from the Roses in the Ocean Lived Experience of Suicide Summit of 2021. The Australian Men’s Health Forum (AMHF) was invited to co-chair a session with Roses in the Ocean specifically focusing on male suicide. At that LE Summit, the Network was established as one small way in which we can do our bit to address the concerning fact that 75% of suicides in Australia are by males.
The National Men’s Lived Experience of Suicide Network (NMLESN) is primarily an online forum, meeting bi-monthly. We may occasionally meet at conferences or other events where there is likely to be representation. The Network will provide connection, learning, and opportunities to contribute to suicide prevention policy and program development.
Guest speakers join each meeting to share their perspectives and experiences on roles and opportunities for people with lived experience of suicide. The guess speaker for September 28 is Steven Gray, whose interest in mental health began after navigating through his own lived experience of PTSD, motivating his curiosity to seek deeper understanding of responses and reactions to various environments and events.
Moving forward and gaining stability, he has now been working in the mental health sector for 8 years as a counsellor in addictions, abuse, social and emotional wellbeing, and behaviour change.
The National Men's Lived Experience of Suicide Network meetings are co-chaired by a representative from both Roses in the Ocean and AMHF, currently:
- Tynan Narywoncz for Roses in the Ocean
- Jonathan Bedloe for Australian Men’s Health Forum
* The National Men’s Lived Experience of Suicide Network is open to men only aged 18+, who are Australian residents.
Scheduled events for 2022 are:
- Wednesday 28 September
- Wednesday, 26 October
- Wednesday, 30 November
