The inaugural recipient of Mind’s Stratford Scholarship will explore alternative peer responses to suicide and how these can be practiced through peer community building and knowledge sharing.
Mush McLoughlan (they/them) was selected from over 70 applicants for the scholarship, which Mind Australia developed to honour Anthony Stratford’s immense contribution to the international lived experience movement and to continue his legacy. Much of Anthony’s journey from personal recovery to advocating for system change happened at Mind Australia. Anthony passed away in March 2023.
Each year the $10,000 scholarship will support an emerging Peer leader in Australia to complete a 12-month project that supports the mental health and wellbeing of people in their own and the broader community.
"I’m really excited for this opportunity,” Mush said. “Suicide has had a huge presence in my life, and for many friends, but there’s so little support that feels truly safe, or which talks about sociopolitical issues that cause us to feel suicidal. This is especially true in LGBTQIA+ communities I am part of and deeply committed to working with.”
Mush is a psych survivor who has had a long history of engagement with a variety of mental health services as a youth and adult.
“I no longer access the mental health system,” Mush said. “Instead, I use alternatives to the mental health system. My experiences with the system, particularly crisis and suicide preventions services, have highlighted the harm coercive and pathologising approaches have for many people. It has shown me the need for radically different approaches and sparked my passion for this work."
Mush has co-developed and co-facilitates Alt2su-Naarm, an independent peer support group to talk about suicide in ways that aren't welcome or safe elsewhere.