Integrating Lived Experience in Suicide Prevention Leadership

Over the decades, many sayings and texts have inspired leadership, innovation, and the courage to navigate uncharted territory. One such inspirational quote, from author and poet Ralph Waldo Emerson, reads:

"Do not go where the path may lead; go instead where there is no path and leave a trail."

This sentiment resonates deeply with the theme of “Integration, Partnership, and Leadership” at the 2025 Roses in the Ocean Lived Experience Summit hosted in Brisbane, Australia this week.

While great strides have been made toward meaningful collaboration that centralises lived experience, there is still work to be done—and everyone has a role in moving this important mission forward.

When engaging people with lived experience, it is vital to start from the ground up. Ask thoughtful, curious questions to understand the moments that brought them to this work. Lived experience encompasses a wide range of life events: experiencing or living with suicidal thoughts, being an attempt survivor, caring for a loved one who is or has struggled, or living through the profound loss of someone to suicide.

Many in this space have endured multiple chapters of these emotionally charged experiences. Building genuine integration and partnership starts with listening first to their full story—within the boundaries of what they are comfortable sharing. These stories can help shape where their passions, interests, and vision for change lie.

True partnership means meeting people where they are and valuing their contributions—no matter how big or small or how brief or lasting your collaboration with them might be.

Everyone is the expert on the subject of their own journey. While clinical experts provide critical insights, lived experience professionals bring equally valuable contributions, sharing truths that challenge systems, shift beliefs, and create lasting change. Working together and bringing a range of these perspectives to bear is a powerful tool.

To those with lived experience: thank you. Your courage, your vulnerability, and your leadership continue to pave the way for meaningful progress in suicide prevention.

To everyone else: we challenge you to reflect on your understanding of suicide prevention. Seek out, listen to, and amplify the voices of those with lived experience. They are essential to breaking down stigma, driving change, and building a future in which everyone feels respected, connected, and able to give to others.