A global organization, creating space for sharing knowledge and learning

The 2SLGBTQIA+ collaborative was established in 2023 to

• Increase the visibility of leaders who are 2SLGBTQIA+ across GLE and advise the board on the further development of inclusivity and intersectionality within GLE 
• Work with other groups within GLE to learn from the experience of trauma and shame and co- produce with today’s young people meaningful responses 
• Gather data and stories that help the sector to understand issues affecting the 2SLGBTQIA+ community and to improve the experience of people who are 2SGBTQIA+ who have mental health problems, have issues with substance misuse and/or have a disability.  
  

To become part of the network or to obtain more information please contact peter@gle.world.

The Addictions Leadership Collaborative was established at the 2022 Leadership Exchange held in Christchurch, New Zealand.

Its purpose is to share ideas and promote innovation, with a focus on reducing stigma and discrimination, and enhancing positive outcomes for people.

The Collaborative acknowledges addiction has effects on everyone – with intersectional ties across mental health, disability and other minority groups and populations.

Members include leaders in policy, service, lived/living experience backgrounds.

The Collaborative meets online quarterly to: 

• Provide opportunities for knowledge sharing relating to substance use and gambling harms, and identify innovative solutions and approaches regarding agreed areas of interest 
• Share best practices, interventions and innovations to recognise, address and reduce stigma and discrimination 
• Serve as a sounding board for members to share ideas and practices 
• Align with GLE values and enhance GLE frameworks and activities

To become a part of the Collaborative, or for more information contact jenny@gle.world.

This collaborative works to ensure national multidisciplinary clinical leaders can share and explore   issues that are of priority/concern in their countries. The focus is on issues consistently feature in all nations including: 

• Workforce 
• Financing 
• Quality 

The focus is on sharing knowledge and expertise to help address these areas of challenge. 

This collaborative works to ensure global discussion on public health and mental health impacts, focusing on: 

• Strengthening population mental health and resilience as a key part of emergency response, preparedness and a comprehensive mental health systems 
• Evidence and strategies to improve population mental health are relevant and applicable to national direction on Covid-19 recovery and renewal 
• Building capacity for mental health and wellbeing within communities 

Through our Emerging Leaders work, we bring together established and emerging leaders to connect in a space of mutual respect and to be contributors with insights of equal value to share.  

We also share helpful practice and adaptations, which enable all leaders to integrate support for emerging leaders into their practice, in all spheres of life. 

This work is currently paused as we seek to review and renew, with the aim of recommencing in 2026. 

International CIty and urban Regional CoLlaborativE (I-CIRCLE)

I-CIRCLE is a collaborative supported by GLE that involves cities and urban regions working together to problem-solve and spread innovations to support mental health and wellbeing and enable citizens to thrive.

The idea was conceived when Dr Arthur Evans, then Philadelphia’s Commissioner of Behavioral Health and Disability Services, now a GLE Board Director, presented at the Leadership Exchange in 2015.

Dr Evans highlighted the major issues for our urban communities (e.g. homelessness, education, employment, criminal justice) are intertwined with behavioral health issues and how effectively addressing those helps to improve mental health in the population.

I-CIRCLE brings together leaders from several cities, towns and urban regions around the world, including in the US, Canada, England, Ireland, Sweden, the Netherlands. Australia and New Zealand.

Participants share knowledge about emerging and developed best practices and innovations. The focus is on taking a public and population health approach. 

The Lived Experience Council (LEC) is an independent lived experience group, with its own identity, purpose and workplan, linked with GLE’s strategic direction.

Clenton Farquharson CBE chairs the LEC, bringing significant lived experience and expertise to the role. Clenton is also a Board member of GLE.

The LEC is in its early days of formation and will comprise six members, including the chair, and will be representative of regions and a range of lived experiences.

For further information, contact Jenny Wolf, GLE Programme Lead jenny@gle.world or Sean Russell sean@gle.world.

This collaborative brings together leaders in philanthropy focused on mental health, substance use disorders and wellbeing to examine ways to strengthen their individual and collective impact. The focus has been on addressing behavioural health issues and to provide a safe place to discuss key funding and strategic issues.

Co-lead by Kristen Ward from Mindful Philanthropy and Kathy Langlois, GLE, this collaborative aims to foster strategic conversations and cross-sharing to deepen the collective understanding of the impact philanthropy can achieve in mental health grant-making.

Philanthropic organizations in the US, Canada, England, Australia and New Zealand who work in the mental health space have come together to discuss common issues to assist their knowledge of innovations.

Topics of discussion have included:

• Coordination of behavioral health and primary care, led by the New York Community Trust
• Racial Equity, led by the Steve Fund, the Hogg Foundation, and the Scattergood Foundation
• Children’s mental health and the impact of the pandemic, led by Vredeveld Strategies
• We have been pleased to welcome the Niall Fay Foundation and the Christchurch Foundation

The Rural Behavioral Health Collaborative was formally established during the 2019 Leadership Exchange, with the then IIMHL connecting key rural mental health leaders in member countries, coinciding with the publication of the Orange Declaration (Australia) on rural mental health.

The aim of this collaborative is to encourage innovation and good practice in relation to issues of accessibility of services in rural areas as well as addressing the specific mental health needs of people living in rural areas.

Community development and well-being are rapidly becoming major foci for behavioral healthcare. If the field is to change the power dynamics that sustain systemic racism, the social and physical determinants of health that lead to trauma responses and behavioral health conditions, and the isolation and poverty of historically excluded groups, then it will be necessary to engage, listen to, and support community members themselves as they confront and address these fundamental issues.

The collaborative works to:

• Develop resources and showcase good practice
• Redefine inclusivity to include previously non-engaged and marginalized groups
• Get things done through relationships and interactions

Whāraurau is a national centre, funded predominantly by the Ministry of Health in New Zealand to deliver workforce development initiatives for the Infant, Child and Adolescent Mental Health and/or Alcohol and Other Drugs (ICAMH/AOD) sector.

Benefiting from strong links with the GLE (formerly IIMHL community), the collaborative has supported and coordinated infant, child and adolescent/youth activity for 15 years. We manage the inter-Leadership Exchange zoom meetings where various countries lead the topic – examples presented during the last year include:

• Youth Leadership
• Eating Issues/Eating Disorder
• Maternal methamphetamine use
• COVID impacts on child and youth wellbeing

Whāraurau has a wide range of resources to assist the ICAMH/AOD workforce in their mahi.

Examples include:

• Working with Taiohi | Youth
• Supporting Rainbow Youth
• View Lunchtime Learning presentations
• Trauma Informed Care
• COVID-19 Resources for the workforce

This collaborative works to:

• Develop the child and adolescent mental health workforce nationally
• Provide training and resources of a high quality to mental health professionals
• Advocate for mental health needs of children, young people and their families/whānau
• Promote research in child and adolescent health

Indigenous populations and communities around the world confront historical, cultural, socioeconomic and forced geographic limitations that have profound impacts on mental wellness. The impacts of colonialism and, for some indigenous populations, forced residential schooling and systematic removal of children and the resulting loss of culture and family ties, have contributed to higher risks of mental illness in these groups.

In addition, there are barriers to healing and mental wellness, including inconsistent cultural competence of mainstream mental health professionals, coupled with the limited numbers of Indigenous mental health professionals.

The Wharerātā Declaration is a proposed framework to improve indigenous mental health through state-supported development of indigenous mental health leaders, based on a new indigenous leadership framework.

Wharerātā Group has actively worked to ensure an indigenous focus in all Leadership Exchanges.

Women leaders in the mental health and disability fields came together for the first time in 2021. The aim is to focus women’s leadership style, which is open, collaborative, supportive and inclusive, contributing to diversity in decision-making and adding value to organizations.

This collaborative works to:

• Increase women’s visibility as strong leaders
• Improve women’s representation at decision-making tables
• Put in place the required supports and actions
• Work to improve the wellbeing of women, girls and their communities