Newsletter
Monthly(ish) Updates – October 2026
14 mins
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Summary / Most Important Things
Integrity Initiative Limited is officially a charity! 🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉. Please bear with us as we change all our email and domain registrations over to .org instead of .com… it is proving quite painful.
Where The Trail Leads closed the Trail of Creativity.
Want care packages for your community? Express interest now!
New creative postal packs through As We Are (EOIs open now!)
We delivered 300 Caring With Integrity packages to CAMHS Community Clinics for World Mental Health Day.
I’m off to Dublin in November for the IAYMH conference.
Rachael’s Update
The first thing I want to open with is WE ARE A CHARITY!!!!! Integrity Initiative Limited is now officially a registered charity, under the following subtypes:
Institution whose principal activity is to promote the prevention or control of diseases in human beings (Health Promotion Charity),
Promoting or protecting human rights
Advancing health
Advancing social or public welfare
Yep. All-freaking-4 that we applied for!
This means that I am in the process of transferring all of my domains from
‘.com’ to ‘.org’, and also setting up a general email account for Integrity Initiative. Stay tuned, this is soon to come!
Another exciting update is that we have a few really exciting opportunities open at the moment
If you work within a community or you know someone/ a community that could benefit from some FREE care packages, we now have up to 500 to give away. Skip to Caring In Community. I have an exciting invitation for you!
If you missed out on a postal pack through the Trail of Creativity, or if you just want another one, you can be a part of the next round, As We Are, for International Day of People With Disability.
As for the month that’s been… well, if September was the month of knocking on doors, October was the month a few of them starting to open. Sort of. I said starting. Most of them just ajar… but they are opening.
Mental Health Month is always such a complex and messy month for me. It is one that has such heaviness for me personally and also has seen such success/accomplishment professionally - and I always find that balance so hard to hold. But, in the very theme of our Where The Trail Leads exhibition, I have been doing my best to meander within the grey as much as possible.
We had some huge wins this month, notably delivering 300 care packages to Child and Adolescent Health Service’s community clinics. This was probably my favourite part of the month - I deeply love getting packages together, sent out… and then preparing to do it all again!
I have been powering through the Big Wig challenge and deeply enjoying it. It has been potentially my favourite part of growing Integrity Initiative, and secretly it is also what is keeping me grounded. This month I had wonderful conversations with Mark Pestell, Pip Brennan, Mary-Ann Stephens, Kate Robertson, Luke Coffey, Katrina Stratton, Lucy Thomas, Damon Chester, Ruth Sghean, Gervase Chaney, Alex Joseph, and so many more marvellous humans! Every one of them gave me something to take away, whether it was advice, a lead, or just a reminder that people want this work to exist. Thank you all. There are more conversations booked for the coming weeks, and I’ll keep you posted on where they go.
Funding is still the hard part. We had more knock-backs this round, and I’m working through a fresh batch of applications with a lot of help from our partners (I realised the other day I currently have 9 applications in!). Thank you to MIFWA, Helping Minds, CoMHWA, Yourtown, Headspace, Royal Perth Bentley Hospital, How To Be Well, Child and Adolescent Health Service, Project Rockit and Pulch for your letters of support. They remind me that the sector has our back. I’ve been dreaming up so many new ideas for incredible projects… now just to get them (and me) funded! Hopefully, with our sparkly new charitable status, we can find some sustainable avenues 🥳
I’ve also been refining how we measure our impact. We now have simplified, standardised feedback surveys for each part of our work. In this, I was honoured to speak with Lexy Staniland at the Curtin enAble Institute. Thank you Lexy!
I am preparing for next month, which will be an absurdly busy one with Dublin ahead. Nervous is an understatement, but in the best way possible. I am also really looking forward to seeing some folks from the ASEAN-Pacific Youth Mental Health Fellowship I completed last year 🐸😎
Board Update
The Board met on Saturday the 24th to look at our Code of Conduct and Charter and to set a meeting rhythm for the year ahead.
As always, thank you to our Board for the time, care and expertise you bring to Integrity Initiative.
Here is what Ryan D’Lima (a member of the Integrity Initiative Board of Directors) has to say about our incorporation:
Integrity Initiative Incorporation is a proud moment for the board to bring governance expertise from the Initiation. This foresight highlights why the CEO Rachael is so highly regarded and one of Australia’s leading Lived Experience and Youth brightest lights. Exciting times as the organisation hops forward.
- Ryan D’Lima, Integrity Initiative Non-Executive Director
Integrity Army Update
I’ve been catching up with the Army pretty much every week this month, and it’s been one of the nicest parts of my routine.
We had a care package-packing day on October the 3rd, which was a beautiful opportunity to chat, relate and connect whilst also giving back.
We then caught up the following week to prep everything ahead of our big Where The Trail Leads event, and then the following week - of course - was the event itself.
Zoe and Avie joined me at the CoMHWA table for the Rich Mind event, which was a great night.
We also had Avie, Karina and Abbi speak at the Where The Trail Leads event.
This month, the wonderful Zoe Diakoloukas has some bits to share with you:
Hi, I’m Zoe (She/ Her),
I am a 28-year-old Mental Health and Disability Advocate who has recently joined Integrity Initiative.
I found Integrity Initiative right as they started, but remained a big fan and cheerleader from afar. After attending a few events and working with Rachael a few times over the last year and a bit, I was totally encapsulated by the spaces Integrity Initiative was creating.
I have been to enough events to know that, more often than not, I leave feeling deflated, confused, or annoyed, noticing that lived experience is being used as a tick box, a novelty or sidepiece. Over time, this creates bigger worries in my head, and I often leave with a heavy heart.
I’ve seen too many lived experience speakers on panels under-acknowledged, given less time, left without a mic, even without a chair. Is our expertise actually seen, or does it just look good for the event?
Not only did we have to fight the system to survive, we now have to fight the same system to have our expertise heard and truly acknowledged… which is what makes seeing the contrary so bloody magical.
Being part of spaces like Integrity Initiative - for me - isn’t just about change or acknowledgment, it’s about creating places where people feel seen, heard and held, exactly as they are.
Spaces like the ones Integrity Initiative creates make me feel whole, empowered and truly hopeful for the future of the mental health system.
For the mental health community. For the mental health workforce. It makes me truly remember that I’m enough, exactly as I am, flaws and all.
To hear so many people as they leave feel the same way, feel accepted, and find their people, brings me so much joy. To truly join forces for more, for better, and wholeheartedly listen to the people these systems effect. To give voices to those the system and workforce suppressed for so long and to be unapologetically us.
This is the reason I joined Integrity Initiative Army, and I can’t wait to continue working with the team to support this incredible movement.
I look forward to meeting you all soon 😊
Zoe
Thank you to every Army member who helped at Where The Trail Leads. You made the day.
Trail of Creativity
Where The Trail Leads
On Saturday the 17th we took over Level 1 of Walyalup Civic Centre to close the Trail of Creativity, and what a way to finish. The gallery held 84 artworks, the stalls were buzzing, and the panel and speakers gave everyone something to think about on the way home.
Together we raised $639.87 from raffle tickets and art sales, and plenty more went straight to the artists. Thank you to every artist who donated some or all of their sale proceeds back to Integrity Initiative, to our stallholders, to our panel and speakers, and to everyone who came along. Another big thank you to Fox in a Box Perth for the raffle prize, and to Manna Wholefoods for some catering for the night. It meant I could spend 3 hours in the kitchen instead of 4 😂
I also want to share with you all some of my favourite pieces of feedback, as they truly capture everything I have hoped to achieve through Integrity Initiative.
“Everyone here was very raw and honest about their experiences. It felt authentic, and thus, felt like there was no barrier. That relatability and sincerity was what made the event. Very human. Made me feel very comfortable, and hopeful for the future.”
“I felt far more comfortable in valuing my own experiences and viewing them as something that can help others.”
If you came to the event and want to give some more feedback, you can do so here: Integrity Initiative Event Feedback – Fill out form
You are also very welcome to give any kind of feedback (any time, anonymously if you wish) here: Integrity Initiative open feedback form – Fill out form (regardless of whether you came to the event!).
Thank you to The City of Fremantle’s small grants program for making this possible.
Impact Report and The Trail Ahead
Closing Where The Trail Leads also means the conclusion of our Trail of Creativity grant period, and that in and of itself is worth celebrating.
You can view each of them through the following links:
You can see all of the Trail of Creativity links here
As We Are
As We Are for International Day of People With Disability
Register via Eventbrite: https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/as-we-are-tickets-2003960175831
View the access guide: https://docs.google.com/document/d/19Ffa7DDToZWB5RmnifGrXiVoz4VqP-0j/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=116335268197129818015&rtpof=true&sd=true
As We Are is a community-led art project from Integrity Initiative. We post free creative packages to artists of all kinds, from people who have never called themselves an artist to people who make art for a living. Then we bring everyone’s work together for a gallery night in Applecross.
This round responds to the International Day of People with Disability 2026 theme, Valued, Included, Leading.
Ask for a free creative package
Each package has art materials, simple prompts and a pocket zine full of ideas to get you started. You can draw, paint, write, collage or make something entirely your own. The instructions are in plain language, and you won’t need art experience or special equipment. You can take part from home at your own pace, including if leaving the house is hard right now.
When you finish, post your piece back to us in the prepaid envelope. You decide if it goes on display, if it’s for sale, the price and how much of it you keep. You also decide what happens to it if it doesn’t sell.
We have 30 packages to give away. Send us an expression of interest here by November 7th.
Come to the gallery night
WHEN: Saturday 12 December, 3pm to 6pm
WHERE: Applecross Community Space, Level 1, 10-14 Forbes Road, Applecross (enter from Kishorn Road)
Free.
Register here: https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/as-we-are-tickets-2003960175831
Wander the gallery, meet the artists and come and go as you like. At 4:15pm a panel of artists will talk about what creativity, accessibility and expression mean to them. Some pieces will be for sale (cash and card), and we’ll draw the raffle at 5:30pm. Tea, coffee, water and light snacks are on us, with gluten-free, dairy-free and vegan options.
You can reach Level 1 by the spiral staircase, or a team member will meet you at the Kishorn Road entrance and take you up in the lift. There’s one accessible toilet, the room is air-conditioned and we will cater for a range of dietary requirements. Read the full access guide here. If you have access needs we haven’t covered, email rachael@integrityinitiative.com.au or message integrity_initiative on Instagram.
The room holds 50 people, so registering helps us plan.
Workshops
On the 30th (yes, still this month, but in true Rachael fashion I’m hoping to get this out before then), Lexington Mitchell and I will co-deliver Participation Matters to the Royal Perth Bentley Group for Occupational Therapy Week. This is deeply exciting and will be the first time Integrity Initiative facilitates on an inpatient unit!
In December we’ll deliver a professional development workshop for gifted and talented teachers at Melville Senior High School, which is a lovely chance to bring together academic giftedness, mental health and neurodivergence. Again, this is indescribably exciting and will mark the beginning of what we hope will be ongoing work with schools.
Some other potential workshops are in the pipeline - more on that soon!
If you’re interested in your own, we’re still taking bookings for anything from a keynote to a multi-session engagement. Reach out to rachael@integrityinitiative.com.au or complete this form: https://forms.cloud.microsoft/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=ugIA263uJkKBaiAp22EEOf2gFmzzmNpIkpZiLkTMiG5UMUVUMzJUSkcxWkowTlZVSkxCTURDQUcyUi4u
Caring With Integrity
Child and Adolescent Health Service
For World Mental Health Day we delivered 300 packages to Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) Community Clinics. This is our first delivery outside of inpatient wards/facilities and into community mental health, which is huge! I am deeply excited to branch out more into community (read more below!)
Donations
This month we have had several generous donations both for Where The Trail Leads (thank you to Manna Wholefoods for some catering and Fox In The Box Perth for a gift voucher as a raffle prize), and also within the Caring With Integrity program.
A special thank you is in order for:
Kine Australia, who donated 450 of their plant-based body cloths (essentially a shower in a cloth, perfect for package recipients who may struggle to shower)
The Essentials Collective donated 300+ bars of soap that we will be distributing through the Buffalo Club to their patrons
FODbods also donated 372 of their Coconut Raspberry mini protein bars for our delivery through the Buffalo Community Kitchen
OPEN INVITATION - Caring In Community
Integrity Initiative is a Lived Experience-led health promotion charity in pursuit of autonomy, dignity and human rights in mental health spaces through care packages, interactive workshops and community events. After 575 successful care package deliveries, we are now thrilled to invite
As you know, the flagship branch of Integrity Initiative - Caring With Integrity - delivers care packages containing a combination of material basics and resources informing people about their rights, communication tools and effective self-advocacy. Each package acts as a small reminder of humanity and dignity at a time when it’s much needed.
Since Caring With Integrity began, we’ve delivered 575 care packages across youth and adult inpatient wards, mental health clinics and residential services.
Now, thanks to recent donations, we can now make around 500 more to share the love more widely.
Our next round is a community pilot for community mental health, socioeconomic disadvantage and homelessness services, with packages tailored to people experiencing financial hardship alongside mental health challenges. This means that services can request packages at no cost, to hand out to the people they support.
The community-tailored version of these packages are small, practical and easy to carry. Each one includes some variation of toiletries, shelf-stable snacks, personalised letters, reminders of kindness, informative resources, and other material basics.
As they are part of a pilot program, they will be entirely free - Integrity initiative will waive any contribution that packages may usually ask for.
What we ask for in return is feedback, which will help shape what comes next. Every package includes a short anonymous survey, with a QR code for anyone who would rather answer online, and staff handing out packages can share their thoughts in a short online session or form.
Though - again - not compulsory, we would love for staff involved in distributing the packages to share their thoughts in a short post-delivery feedback session.
Receiving packages doesn’t depend on giving feedback, but every response helps and increases our likelihood of getting funding to continue providing packages for free.
This round is a chance to give something back to the communities that have supported us. To everyone who donated and made it possible, thank you.
If you work at a service that might like to be involved, you can register your interest through our expression of interest form here or contact Rachael at rachael@integrityinitiative.com.au.
You can express your interest to receive packages here
Heart Hoppers
Largely thanks to these generous donations, we barely had to touch our existing supplies for this round. The one exception was hearts, which brings me to the launch of Heart Hoppers. This is our new stitching program through which community members can contribute to Integrity Initiative care packages from the comfort of their own home.
How it works:
Receive materials and guides
Stitch your hearts
Send them back to us at P.O. Box 158, Melville, 6156
Never sewn before in your life? No worries! You do not have to have any expertise to make a beautiful heart. The process is super simple. We can also send you guides and tools that help you along the way.
A huge thank you to the wonderful Debbie Childs, our original Heart Hopper, who gifted us around 200 hearts. Debbie, it is a pleasure to have you help spread the love!
Partnership tiers COMING SOON
We will be launching new partnership tiers very soon, with a new system of support both for individuals and organisations to contribute meaningfully through financial and/or in-kind donations.
Each tier will have different benefits and exclusive opportunities, invitations, events, and behind-the-scenes content.
Here is a sneak peek of what these tiers will look like:
Presentations
International Association for Youth Mental Health, Dublin
I fly to Dublin in November for the IAYMH conference, with four features on the program. These are my poster “When Hope Becomes A Hindrance,” my presentation “Concern Vs. Condescension,” and two tabletop sessions, “Introducing Integrity” and “This Is Not What I Had In Mind.” Preparation is tracking well, and I’ll report back on how it goes.
Mental Health Speakers Program
You can still book me as a speaker through the Mental Health Speakers Program, or ask for our speakers pack.
External Projects, Advocacy, and Resources
WA Primary Health Alliance Consumer Advisory Panel
I’ve been appointed to the WA Primary Health Alliance (WAPHA) Consumer Advisory Panel, supported by Health Consumers’ Council WA. The panel gives people with lived experience of using health services a paid voice in how primary healthcare is planned, commissioned and evaluated across WA. I’m looking forward to bringing a lived experience and peer lens to that work.
An Open Letter to The West Australian
Recently, The West Australian published a column by Ben Harvey about the Perth Royal Show. I agree with his point that the Show has become far too expensive. The way he made that point was by mocking people in larger bodies, disabled people and their carers, and that does real harm. So I started a petition.
The petition asks for a formal public apology from Ben and the editors who approved the column, for the column to be taken down, and for a published apology to the people it targeted. Since the initial release, an amended version has gone up with an apology from Ben, but it still includes derogatory material and fails to acknowledge the true harms caused by the piece, calling it a ‘mistake’. I believe we deserve better.
The petition now has over 200 signatures, and Butterfly Foundation reached out in support of it, which meant a great deal. I have contacted Ben Harvey and The West Australian several times since. I still haven’t heard back, and I’m very disappointed. More than 200 people have asked our state’s newspaper to do better, and they deserve a response.
If you agree, please sign the petition and share it with your friends, family and colleagues. Every signature makes it a little harder to ignore.
Sign and share here: https://www.change.org/do_better_7West
WA Recovery College Alliance
Integrity Initiative is now a confirmed WA Recovery College Alliance partner organisation, alongside my seat on the Governance Committee. Absolutely thrilled to be working alongside Helping Minds and the WA Recovery College Alliance in whatever forms emerge.
Personal Medicine Coaching
Some of our team and I are in week four of Personal Medicine coaching certification with Trish Tran, through Pat Deegan and Associates. Trish is volunteering her time to run the course for friends of Integrity Initiative, which is incredibly generous. Thank you, Trish.
Media
Our piece with Today Design is coming out soon, and we’re talking with them about a bigger collaboration.
Writing and Publication
New this month is “The Politics of Smallness” (Butterfly Foundation) and “Twenty Four Tens” on our Substack. If you missed last month’s pieces, “This Is Not A Story of Hope,” “I’m The Weird Kid (And I Always Have Been),” “In Defence of Bad Frogs” and “We Need To Talk About Body Image and Eating Disorder Awareness Week” are all still up.
Support Us
As soon as our NFP status and DGR-1 come through, we’ll be setting up tiered memberships and easy once-off or recurring donations. More on that soon! In the meantime, here’s how you can support us.
Book a Workshop or Speaker, from our existing catalogue or customised
Volunteer for Integrity Initiative as a casual volunteer or as an Army member.
Become a Heart Hopper and stitch little felt hearts for our packages.
Donate storage items, craft supplies, unused toiletries, envelopes or printing
Read the Trail of Creativity impact report
Connect with me on LinkedIn
Slay Takeaways
Biofluorescence 🐸💡
Some frog species can glow in the dark under certain lighting. This is actually a relatively new finding - only in 2020 did researchers discover that both frogs and salamanders can glow in the dark under specific lighting conditions. Over 32 different species of amphibians were tested to which all came out positive to be able to re-emit the light that comes from either blue or ultraviolet lighting.
Thank you for being part of this. See you in November (from Dublin, hopefully!).
Take care froglets,
Rachael and the Integrity Army
Join the Ingetrity Army
Be apart of our growing team
