by JoFarmer | Nov 24, 2019 | My story, Sector insights
One of the surprisingly common reactions to my recent announcement that I have started my own business is the question of what my goals are. How soon before I employ someone else? Where is my office going to be? How big do I anticipate growing? It seems I’m not...
by JoFarmer | Jun 18, 2019 | News, Sector insights
As one of their election commitments, the Andrews Government pledged to hold a Royal Commission into the Victorian Mental Health System. This is an incredible opportunity for those with a lived experience, often left out of the policymaking process, to shape the...
by JoFarmer | Mar 4, 2019 | My story, Sector insights
One of the most important practices I have incorporated into my daily life is that of gratitude. It might sound like new-age nonsense, but at its heart is the simple premise that we should look for the good in life, even amongst the bad. And even when life is...
by JoFarmer | Sep 22, 2018 | My story, Sector insights
At the 2018 Australasian Evaluation Society conference in Launceston, I gave a paper reflecting on my experiences of conducting evaluation in the mental health sector while having a lived experience. I experience mental illness, and for some time, I have also worked...
by JoFarmer | Feb 23, 2018 | News, Sector insights
Evaluation is valuable, not just for working out if your project had an impact but for improving the overall quality of your intervention design. I have a blog up on BetterEvaluation about building evaluative thinking into your project from the get-go. It’s...
by JoFarmer | Nov 6, 2017 | My story, Sector insights
I’ve been thinking a lot recently about the important role of workplaces in supporting their employees to be mentally healthy. In my experience, the focus of most employers is on what employees can do to improve their own mental health: things like taking breaks...
I’m a policymaker and evaluator focused on improving the health and wellbeing of all Australians, particularly those who experience mental illness and complex disadvantage.