While much of our 25th anniversary year has focused on reflection and storytelling, the Futures Forum was designed to ask a different question: what comes next?

Held as part of the anniversary program, the Futures Forum brought together voices from across the mental health, alcohol and other drug, legal, community and lived experience sectors to explore a central theme: what do we want our systems, and our communities, to look like in 25 years’ time?

Presented in partnership with VAADA and Mental Health Victoria, and supported by the City of Port Phillip, the event welcomed a highly engaged audience of sector leaders, policymakers, advocates, researchers, practitioners and people with lived and living experience.

Speakers included Professor Patrick McGorry AO (Orygen and the University of Melbourne), Sheree Lowe (VACCHO and the First Peoples’ Assembly of Victoria), Clare Davies (SHARC), Paul Edbrooke MP, and First Step CEO Patrick Lawrence.

The forum created space for thoughtful, honest and at times challenging conversations about the future of care, connection and social justice. Discussions explored the growing complexity of people’s needs, the importance of integrated and multidisciplinary responses, and the critical role of lived and living experience in shaping services, systems and policy.

Importantly, the event was not framed around finding simple answers. Instead, it aimed to encourage curiosity, reflection and dialogue across sectors that are often working toward shared goals while facing increasing pressure and fragmentation.

A recurring focus throughout the forum was the value of lived experience leadership and participation. Contributors spoke powerfully about the importance of designing services and systems alongside the people most affected by them, not as an afterthought, but as essential expertise.

The Futures Forum also reflected First Step’s ongoing commitment not only to service delivery, but to contributing to broader sector conversations and advocating for more connected and responsive systems of care.

Themes and reflections emerging from the event are currently being developed into a Thought Leadership Paper, which will help continue these conversations beyond the forum itself.

As part of our anniversary year, the Futures Forum was an opportunity to look ahead with honesty, imagination and hope, and to continue asking what becomes possible when people, services and communities work together differently.

See photos from the Futures Forum on our Facebook page.