Integrity Initiative newsletter edition 2 (second half of June 2025)
Monthly(ish) Updates – Second half of June, 2025
Summary / Most Important Things
Hello and welcome to the second half of a ridiculously busy month! June was far more than I ever imagined possible in a single month - it was incredible and it was also overwhelming. If I can help it, I certainly will not be holding three events in two weeks again in a hurry (though in my defence it was not planned that way!).
The second half of June saw our second launch event, countless grant applications, storage unit strife, and a lot of sickness (😷🤧)… but we’ve made it! I am very excited to be planning several new and exciting workshops, events, collaborations and more.
Just in also - WE WON THE FUNDRAISING JAR AT GRILL’D APPLECROSS (hurray!!!!)
Events
Past Events
On Tuesday the 17th of June we had our second screening of ‘Forget What You Think You Know’ at The Backlot Perth. It was a lovely event that once again proved community power.
Upcoming Events
We have just announced an exciting collaboration between Integrity Initiative and How To Be Well… Unfiltered! This is still very much in the planning stages, however the date for the launch event is officially booked as Sunday the 5th October, 10am - 12:30. It is a ticketed event, and tickets are a pay-what-you-can donation, available here. At the moment there are 50 tickets for release, however we will look at holding a second event (at a larger venue) if numbers call for it.
Expressions of interest to participate in the filming are open until the 14th - please note that unfortunately we will not be able to remunerate interviewees unless we are successful in our grant application, as we are currently operating this project on a total budget of $0 😅. That said, we will endeavour to make sure all participants feel as greatly appreciated as they are! We welcome people of all backgrounds - if you are interested in applying the EOI is here.
Integrity Initiative will be presenting at TheMHS in Brisbane early September. Sophie and Rachael will both be travelling over with an e-poster, five-minute Ignite presentation, and a 1.5 hour workshop, Compassionate Creation (an extended version of the workshop run at the WAPSN conference for those who attended). Thank you to those that have supplied us with quotes to use on our e-poster!
We have a few more events that are in the planning stages - one involving a Pride book sale, and another to celebrate our partnership with 1000 Hearts.
Our next event at Grill’d will be sometime in September - keep an eye out for more details! Let us know if you have any ideas/ event requests!
Partnerships
Grill’d has confirmed partnership with us! As a part of this we will be hosting fundraiser events there quarterly.
How To Be Well, run by Lily Gresele, has been a core partner over the past few weeks and I am excited to work alongside more. Lily is an incredible young advocate who’s vision and mission align very closely with Integrity Initiative’s.
Health and Disability Services Complaints Office (HaDSCO) are keen to support and engage with Integrity Initiative, which is a massive win!
We have also had a meeting with the Office of the Chief Psychiatrist about ways in which we can partner and will be meeting semi-regularly.
We have an upcoming meeting with the team at CCYP, the CEO of Child Adolescent Health Service and Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service and are looking forward to seeing what follows.
p.s. see our updated partners list here
Ways you can help
Storage unit - we are desperately searching for space to store the huge amounts of stock we have for our care packages and ideally also want a space that can grow with us. We are looking at getting some space that we can collectively share with Lily Gresele 🫶🏼
Space for our filming day - if you have an office space or a quiet room that you wouldn’t mind us using to record our interviews in for Unfiltered, we would be eternally grateful!
Space for a second Unfiltered event would also be greatly appreciated - it will be in October and we can use a park or free venue as a fail safe but it would be great to have a couple of options.
Pilot our workshops and/ or encourage others to pilot them (more information below!)
Care Package Updates
Our pilot with Perth Children’s Hospital is taking shape - we are on track to be delivering our first care packages in around October of this year. The idea is for a three-month trial, which will commence in line with mental health week.
We are still working with a regional ward and a private clinic however are in slightly earlier stages.
Grants
I have been putting in grant applications left right and centre, hoping that something will stick. Whilst I have found ways around many costs, one thing that I can’t avoid any longer is that of a storage unit and hence we are needing to get some reliable funding onboard.
I have applied for: Westpac social change fellowship, Town of VIC Park arts grant, Spark social sciences grant, WAAMH mental health week grants, Canon community grant, Roses in the Ocean safe space project, Protostars project, a Pride week grant and more.
Workshop Updates
WE OFFICIALLY HAVE OUTLINED FOR TEN CORE WORKSHOPS! Such an incredible milestone and one that has brought us far closer to being able to pilot with various organisations. Here is the link to the blurbs for all of our workshops!
Here is a VERY basic overview:
TITLE
THEME
RECOMMENDED FOR
Grow Up! Reimagining Youth Engagement
Youth engagement
non-tokenism
organisations working with young people
You Can’t Ask That!
Stigma
taboo
Common misconceptions
ANYONE!
Real Talk, Real Change
Clinical compliance and compassionate care
iatrogenic harm
people working in clinical professions
Eating Disorders 101
All things eating disorders!
Anyone working with or supporting someone with an eating disorder
Taking Charge of YOUR Mental Health
Rights and responsibilities
lf care and mental health maintenance
People experiencing mental health challenges
Forget What You Think You Know
Eating disorders
Intersectionality
ANYONE!
Creating Compassion
Creativity
Innovation
ANYONE!
Integral Language
Appropriate vs inappropriate clinical language
The history of the consumer movement
Individuals and organisations in clinical and government settings
Not A Success Story
Disability
‘inspiration porn’
Anyone working with or supporting someone with mental health challenges or disability.
If you are interested in having us facilitate one of these with your team or even just causally, send me an email at rachael@integrityinitiative.com.au.
Spread the word amongst organisations that might be interested in taking part! Encourage them to do so!
If you would like us to adapt something for a particular audience, let us know!
Whilst we are flexible with pricing in this pilot phase, we do aim to initially utilise these workshops as a way to support our income.
Donations
Thank you to Helping minds for your generous $500 donation! This will be incredibly helpful and will go towards our much needed storage unit.
Thank you to those who donated at our launch event!
If anyone else wants to donate, the link to our Give Now is here - otherwise get in contact with us directly to arrange a bank transfer!
Other news
I am thoroughly enjoying my involvement in the Orygen ASEAN-Pacific Fellowship and am learning so much about how mental health challenges translate into other cultural contexts. It has been truly incredible to see how - despite the fact that each fellow lives in a completely different country - we all share such universal stories and experiences, and are united by similar passions. I look forward to the forum in Kuala Lumpar, to which I will be headed in early August.
It is now also confirmed that I will be speaking at Pharmaceutical Society of Australia’s national conference in early August in Sydney. I will join a panel discussing paediatric medication risks and potential harms. Mind blowing!
Team spotlight
Sophie has been absolutely CRUSHING it this month! Straight after our quiz night and WAPSN presentation, she jetted off to New Zealand and then over to Melbourne, because she is an absolute GIRLBOSS! (Go Sophie!!) p.s. she has just made a new Linked In account - go give here a follow! Congratulations are in order for Sophie - your work is incredible!
Another spotlight to Bri, who has been my other half for the remainder of June. Bri is always there for a pep talk (much needed this month) and is always well on top of the many grants and opportunities that are upcoming. Thank you Bri!
Our priorities
At the moment we are very focused on finding a storage unit for all of our stock, which will be a significant cost (hence donations would be appreciated!). If anyone has space that we can use as storage or even an office space, please let us know!
As we move into a new financial year and await the outcomes of numerous grant applications, we are getting ready for workshops, more fundraisers, and our pilot deliveries. All very exciting!
We are also streamlining our volunteer process, working on our frameworks/ structures, and prepping for a busy few months of travel and presentations.
What we’ve learned
That three events in two weeks is TOO MUCH
That storage units are ridiculously expensive
That we miss Sophie (come back please!!!!)
That the community who supports us (that’s you) are damn incredible.
Slay Takeaways
Some frogs, like the wood frog, can freeze solid in the winter and thaw out in the spring, resuming their normal activities
and the last takeaway for today is that I had FAR too much fun making this newsletter.
P.S. I have included some folks in here who haven't signed up to the newsletter but who have expressed they want to hear updated. To be sure you are signed up, complete the form here. You are also more than welcome to forward this email as you please!
Take care froglets,
Rachael and the Integrity Army
