This episode of Psych Matters explores Psychosocial Rehabilitation within a recovery oriented service system. The esteemed panel includes A/Prof Stephen Parker, A/Prof Frances Dark, Dr Catherine Brasier, and Will McKinlay. Through their discussion they provide us the great opportunity to learn not only clinical perspectives but also from lived experience perspectives about rehabilitation and what role it plays.

A/Prof Stephen Parker is the Director, Research at Metro North Mental Health in Brisbane. He works clinically within a public Early Psychosis service. He has previously worked extensively across a broad range of rehabilitation settings, and continues to conduct research with the goal of improving the experiences and outcomes of people accessing residential rehabilitation services (Stephen Parker (0000-0002-6022-3981) (orcid.org)).

A/Prof Frances Dark is currently the Director of the Rehabilitation Academic Clinical Unit for Metro South Mental Health Services, and the Director of the state-wide Deafness and Mental Health Service. She has a strong interest in psychosocial rehabilitation for consumers with mental illness, and has pioneered innovative programs in Queensland such as social cognition and cognitive remediation groups. Dr Dark has a strong research history, including a publication in Nature genetics.  She has been actively involved in community organization’s including being an advisor to Headway, and on the boards of Open Minds and the Queensland branch of the Mental Illness Fellowship Australia. 

Dr Catherine Brasier's focus is on supporting better connections between people with Lived Experience, research and practice. She is the Lived Experience Strategic Lead of Wellways and Post-Doctoral Research Fellow in the School of Social Work and Social Policy at La Trobe University. She draws on her experience of mental distress and personal recovery, plus her experience as a mental health worker. 

Will McKinlay is a peer support worker with 13 years working experience. Will's background is working originally in NGO’s and over the last 8 years, working at QLD Health; mostly in a psychosocial rehabilitation setting. He believes recovery from mental health issues is possible for anyone and role is to guide someone through their recovery from mental health issues and most importantly, show that there is always hope, even in adversity.

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