Open consultations
Have your say on issues that matter to Queensland's mental health system.
Your feedback helps inform our work and shape mental health reform in Queensland. We invite community members, people with lived-living experience and stakeholders to participate in our consultations.
There are currently no open consultations. Check back soon or subscribe to our newsletters for updates.
Paid participation
Lived-living experience
Paid participation is one way we recognise the valuable expertise and contributions of people with lived-living experience.
We define lived-living experience broadly as personal experience of:
- mental health challenges
- alcohol and other drug use
- suicide.
This includes family, kin, unpaid carers and supporters, as well as people bereaved by suicide.
Learn more about our approach to partnering with people with lived-living experience.
Why we support paid participation
Paid participation:
- recognises lived-living experience as valuable expertise
- reduces financial barriers to participation
- acknowledges people’s time, knowledge and insights.
What paid participation includes
Paid participation may include:
- payment for engagement and participation activities
- reasonable travel and accommodation costs
- reimbursement of reasonable out-of-pocket expenses.
Payment and reimbursement of expenses must be appropriate to the activity and approved in advance.
Travel, accommodation and other approved out-of-pocket expenses are paid in line with the relevant Queensland Government travel directive.
Paid participation rates
Level 1 (participate)
Example activities include:
- taking part in a community or open forum, information session, workshop or conference where paid attendance has been approved
- completing a survey or poll where payment has been approved.
Rate: $25 per hour
Level 2 (collaborate)
Example activities include:
- taking part in a one-off consultation, focus group or working group
- providing feedback on resources such as websites, brochures, policies, reports and training materials
- participating in community-led discussions, including Kitchen Table discussions and First Nations Yarning Circles.
Rate: $50 per hour
Level 3 (influence)
Example activities include:
- participating in a short-term advisory committee, reference group, steering committee or working group
- taking part in co-design or co-production activities and projects
- participating in a recruitment or grant assessment panel.
Rate: $100 per hour
Level 4 (sitting fees)
This rate applies to more substantial roles and formal governance or advisory activities.
Example activities include:
- participating in an ongoing formal committee with a strategic, governance or advisory role
- hosting or facilitating community-led discussions, including Kitchen Table discussions and First Nations Yarning Circles
- being a guest speaker, panel speaker or master of ceremonies where paid participation is appropriate and the payment has been negotiated and approved in advance.
Rates:
- $234 for up to 4 hours in a day
- $469 for more than 4 hours in a day
- for activities that run over more than one day, the applicable rate is paid for each day.
Some speaking, facilitation, master of ceremonies or other professional services may instead be arranged through a procurement process.
How paid participation supports reform
We recognise that genuine system reform is strongest when shaped by the insights, expertise and solutions of people with direct experience of services and systems.
Partnering with people with lived-living experience in policy, planning and governance supports key priorities and actions under our whole-of-government strategies and plans.