Celebrating and empowering with
Queensland’s leading mental health awards

The School Award is open to any school or educational institution that demonstrates a whole-of-school approach to promoting the mental health and wellbeing of their students. Schools do this through creating safe, inclusive, and supportive environments that nurture students to develop social and emotional capabilities, as well as to promote positive mental health and wellbeing so that they become confident and resilient youths.

Evaluation criteria:

• Demonstrates effective whole-school approaches to support the mental health and well-being of students; increases help-seeking, value diversity, reduces stigma, and provides clear referral pathways. This includes events, campaigns, programs, and curriculum work.
• Implements strategies and processes to support early identification and intervention of students who may be at increased risk of developing social, emotional, or mental health concerns.
• Promotes and supports students’ social and emotional development, mental health, and well-being through all school activities.
• Demonstrates evidence of the effectiveness of mental health and wellbeing programs within the school community, and provides training to school staff to improve the mental health literacy of all staff and students.

For any organisation that focuses on supporting the best start for young Queenslanders (children and/or parents) from conception through to infancy (up to four years of age); programs, workshops, peer supports, or services should have the goal of reducing or eliminating the effects of mental illness, and a dedicated commitment to improving the lives of young people through happier and healthier families.

Evaluation criteria:

• Demonstrates the provision of child and family support, including parenting skills.
• Provides interventions prior to, during, or following adversity.
• Enhances the quality of life and well-being for young people (up to 4 years) and their families.
• Demonstrates positive introductions for families to access additional supports for overall health and wellness.

Open to any individual who has made an outstanding contribution to mental health in Queensland, and to the promotion of social inclusion and participation through their commitment to improving the lives of Queenslanders living with mental illness.

Evaluation criteria:

• Demonstrates respect, compassion, and care towards people who live with a mental illness, their families, and/or carers.
• Enhances the quality of life and well-being of people who live with mental illness.
• Promotes social justice and raises mental health awareness in the community.
• Demonstrates qualities of leadership, vision, and innovation.

Open to any individual or group who through their lived or living experience with mental illness, demonstrates a significant contribution to improving the lives of people with illnesses, as well as their families and/or carers.

Evaluation criteria:

• Enhances the quality of life, supports, and/or services for people with a mental illness in Queensland.
• Promotes social justice and raises mental health awareness within their community.
• Promotes and facilitates consumer and/or carer participation in Queensland.
• Demonstrates qualities of leadership, vision, and innovation.

Open to any individual or organisation that promotes social inclusion and participation through the provision of mental health-related services, programs, projects, or initiatives that demonstrate a commitment to improving the lives of Queenslanders who identify as LGBTQIA+ and live with mental illness.

Evaluation criteria:

• Enhances the quality of life and well-being of people who identify as LGBTQIA+ and live with mental illness.
• Demonstrates effective collaboration and connection with LGBTQIA+ people who live with mental illness, as well as other relevant stakeholders – i.e. family, carers, and others.
• Delivers leading, best-practice services to those who identify as LGBTIQA+ and live with mental illness.
• Demonstrates qualities of leadership, vision, acceptance, and innovation.

Open to any individual or organisation that promotes social inclusion and participation and demonstrates a commitment to improving the life of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Queenslanders living with mental illness. They achieve this through the provision of culturally specific mental health-related services, programs, projects, or initiatives.

Evaluation criteria:

• Enhances the quality of life, supports, and/or services for people who are Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander-identified and live with mental illness.
• Demonstrates effective collaboration and connection with people who are Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders and other relevant stakeholders – i.e. family, carers, and others.
• Delivers best practice services to those who are Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and live with mental illness.
• Demonstrates qualities of leadership, vision, and innovation.

For any individual or organisation that demonstrates a commitment to improving the life of Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) Queenslanders living with mental illness. They achieve this through the provision of culturally appropriate mental health-related services, programs, projects, or initiatives with a focus on social inclusion and participation.

Evaluation criteria:

• Enhances the quality of life, supports, and/or services for people who are Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and live with mental illness.
• Demonstrates effective collaboration and connection with people who are Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders and other relevant stakeholders – i.e. family, carers, and others.
• Delivers best practice services to those who are Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and live with mental illness.
• Demonstrates qualities of leadership, vision, and innovation.

Open to organisations with 100 or fewer staff that promote social inclusion and participation through the provision of mental health-related services, programs, projects or initiatives – as well as demonstrating a commitment to improving the quality of life of Queenslanders living with mental illness. Nominees must hold a Deductible Gift Recipient (DGR) status.

Evaluation criteria:

• Enhances the quality of life and well-being of people who live with mental illness.
• Demonstrates effective collaboration and connection with people who live with mental illness and other relevant stakeholders – i.e. family, carers, and others.
• Delivers best practice services for people who live with mental illness.
• Demonstrates qualities of leadership, vision, and innovation.

Open to organisations with 100 or more staff that promote social inclusion and participation through the provision of mental health-related services, programs, projects or initiatives – as well as demonstrating a commitment to improving the quality of life of Queenslanders living with mental illness. Nominees must hold a Deductible Gift Recipient (DGR) status.

Evaluation criteria:

• Enhances the quality of life and wellbeing of people who live with mental illness.
• Demonstrates effective collaboration and connection with people who live with mental illness and other relevant stakeholders – i.e. family, carers, and others.
• Delivers best practice services for people who live with mental illness.
• Demonstrates qualities of leadership, vision, and innovation.

Open to any Queensland-based organisation which has demonstrated excellence in the promotion of positive mental health, mental health outcomes, and inclusion of people living with mental illness for the benefit of its communities. This includes innovative programs, practices, or initiatives.

Evaluation criteria:

• Enhances the quality of life, wellbeing, and social inclusions for people who live with mental illness.
• Promotes social justice and raises mental health awareness within their community.
• Delivers best practice programs that promote positive mental health.
• Demonstrates qualities of leadership, vision, and innovation.

Open to any Queensland-based organisation which has demonstrated excellence in the promotion of positive mental health to its employees, as well as supports the inclusion and workplace participation of employees living with mental illness. This includes the implementation of innovative work practices, programs, or initiatives.

• Promotes social justice and raises mental health awareness in the workplace as well as the wider community.
• Demonstrates flexible and appropriate workplace conditions to support equitable access and retention of employment for people with a lived experience to enter, remain, and return to work.
• Delivers best practice programs to promote positive mental health amongst employees, and increases workforce participation for those with mental illness.
• Demonstrates qualities of leadership, vision, and innovation.

Awarded in recognition of individuals or organisations making significant contributions to people living with mental illness. This award is presented to one of the eleven category winners and carries a grand prize of $4,000 for the winner to continue their distinguished and recognised work within the mental health sector.