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Let's celebrate the changemakers
of mental health!The Queensland Mental Health Awards (QMHA) are your chance to shine a spotlight on the everyday heroes making a big difference in mental health. From grassroots volunteers to trailblazing organisations, these awards honour those breaking down stigma and building stronger, more supportive communities.
Hosted by Open Minds since 1996, the awards feature 10 unique categories. Winners receive a $500 cash prize with one exceptional winner receiving the Earle Duus Award and $4,000 to continue their amazing work.
It’s more than just an award, it’s a celebration of hope, resilience, and progress.
Don’t wait, nominate your mental health hero today!
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See why giving back is so
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Our award categories
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Schools Award (Primary & Secondary)
This category is open to any school who 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 and to promote positive mental health and wellbeing so they become confident and resilient young people.
Evaluation criteria:
- Demonstrates effective whole-school approaches to support the mental health and well-being of students, increase help-seeking, value diversity, reduce stigma, and provide clear referral pathways. This includes through events, campaigns, programs, and curriculum.
- Implements strategies and processes to support early identification and intervention of students who may be at increased risk of developing social and emotional or mental health concerns.
- Promotes and supports students’ social and emotional development, mental health, and wellbeing through all school activities.
- Demonstrates evidence of 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.
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Early Years Award
This category is open to any organisation which focuses on supporting the best start for young Queenslanders (children and/or parents) from conception through to infancy (up to 4 years of age). Programs, workshops, peer supports or services should have a goal of reducing or eliminating the effects of mental illness and a 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 and/or following adversity.
- Enhances the quality of life and wellbeing for young people (up to 4 years) and their families.
- Demonstrates positive introductions for families to access additional supports for overall health and wellness.
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Jeff Cheverton Individual Award
This category is open to any individual who has made an outstanding contribution to mental health in Queensland and the promotion of social inclusion and participation through their commitment to improving the life 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 wellbeing 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.
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Jude Bugeja – Lived Experience Excellence Award
This category is 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 mental illness and thier 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 in the community.
- Promotes and facilitates consumer and/or carer participation in Queensland.
- Demonstrates qualities of leadership, vision, and innovation.
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LGBTQIA+ Award
This category is open to any individual or organisation that promotes social inclusion and participation through the provision of mental health related services, programs, projects or initiatives demonstrating a commitment to improving the life of Queenslanders who identify as LGBTQIA+ and live with mental illness.
Evaluation criteria:
- Enhances the quality of life, supports and/or people who identify as LGBTQIA+ and 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 other agencies.
- Delivers best practice services to those who identify as LGBTIQA+ and live with mental illness.
- Demonstrates qualities of leadership, vision and innovation.
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Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples Award
This category is open to any individual or organisation that through the provision of culturally specific mental health related services, programs, projects or initiatives demonstrates a commitment to improving the lives of Queenslanders who are Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples and living with mental illness, and by promoting 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 with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, their family and/or carers, and other relevant agencies.
- Delivers culturally focused, best practice services to those who are Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander with mental illness.
- Demonstrates qualities of leadership, vision, and innovation.
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Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) Award
This category is open to 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 from CALD backgrounds who live with mental illness.
- Demonstrates effective collaboration and connection with CALD people living with mental illness and other relevant stakeholders i.e. family, carers, other agencies to minimise isolation and create pathways for community integration.
- Delivers culturally focused services to people from CALD backgrounds who live with mental illness.
- Demonstrates qualities of leadership, vision and innovation.
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Not-For-Profit Organisation Award
This category is open to any organisation that through the provision of mental health related services, programs, projects or initiatives demonstrates a commitment to improving the quality of life of Queenslanders living with mental illness and by promoting social inclusion and participation.
*Nominees must hold 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 other agencies.
- Delivers best practice services for people who live with mental illness.
- Demonstrates qualities of leadership, vision, and innovation.
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Workplace Award – Community Wellbeing
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 and wellbeing of people with mental illness.
- Promotes social justice and raises mental health awareness in community.
- Delivers best practice programs to promote positive mental health in community.
- Demonstrates qualities of leadership, vision and innovation.
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Workplace Award – Employee Wellbeing
Open to any Queensland-based organisation which has demonstrated excellence in the promotion of positive mental health to its employees, and 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 and wider community.
- Delivers best practice programs, services or initiatives to promote positive mental health and social inclusion for the benefit of all employees.
- Demonstrates qualities of leadership, vision and innovation.
- 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.
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Earle Duus – Overarching Award
Awarded in recognition of individuals or organisations making significant contributions to people living with mental illness. This award is presented to one of the ten 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.
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