Newsroom

Lorraine Powell Wins Minister’s Award

Posted 29 Nov 2022

Mentally Healthy WA was delighted to be present at this year’s WA Mental Health Awards where Lorraine Powell was awarded the prestigious Minister’s Award for her work as a leader in mental health lived experience.

For over 20 years, as a consultant, representative and advocate, Lorraine has worked to ensure the experiences and insights of mental health consumers are brought to the planning, implementation, delivery, and evaluation of mental health service.

Drawing on her own experience of recovery from serious mental health challenges, Lorraine has become one of Western Australia’s most respected voices in mental health. As one of the first in Australia to gain a Certificate IV in Mental Health Peer Work, Lorraine has been a trailblazer for the lived experience profession.

In a moving acceptance speech, Lorraine paid tribute to the experience of others and talked about her Torres Strait Islander heritage and her grandmother’s experience as a member of the stolen generation.

As well as holding several high-level roles including WA coordinator and Board director of Lived Experience Australia, for over a decade Lorraine has been a valued member of the Mentally Healthy WA Act Belong Commit Steering Committee in her role as Mental Health Consumer Representative.

Mentally Healthy WA is thrilled that Lorraine’s work to lift the profile and influence of mental health consumers has been recognised and congratulates her and the other winners in this year’s WA Mental Health Awards, presented by the WA Association for Mental Health.

Photo provided by Scene Team.