In this episode of Consumer Health Partnerships, we speak with Clayton Fletcher, Consumer Carer Senior Consultant, and Emma Hart, the Director of Nursing from Child and Youth Mental Health Service at Children's Health Queensland, about the impact and importance of co-design in creating effective mental health care systems.

Emma and Clayton discuss the success of their Jacaranda co-design project, which has had a profound influence on both the physical design of healthcare facilities and the delivery of services. Sharing insights into the collaborative processes involving consumers, carers, and clinicians that underpin their work, and highlight the importance of mutual respect, active feedback, and the inclusion of lived experiences in developing a care model. While also recounting memorable experiences and feedback that have shaped their current approach.

Key Takeaways: 

• Recovery-focused building designs: The Jacaranda co-design project has fundamentally influenced building designs and services, focusing on recovery and community.
• Facilitating youth feedback: Clayton Fletcher's flexible role includes observing, engaging in, and facilitating feedback-driven group activities designed with young people.
• Lived experiences in healthcare: Emma Hart stresses the importance of embedding lived experiences into healthcare services to ensure they meet diverse needs.
• Holistic Co-design care: They both underscore the value of co-design by involving all stakeholders from the project's beginning to develop a holistic care model.
• Respect and recognition in teams: Respect and mutual recognition within a multidisciplinary team are crucial for effective and innovative healthcare delivery.