Tuesday 23 & Wednesday 24 June 2026
Global Innovation, Local Impact: Connecting AU & NZ Professionals with the World’s Best in Mental Health
When even the smallest shift in thinking can spark meaningful impact, keeping pace with new knowledge isn’t optional, it’s essential.
The International Mental Health Conference brings together leading voices, global insights, and practical innovations from across the worldwide mental health sector. Over two dynamic days, you’ll have access to more than 60 presentations and interactive sessions, each designed to expand your perspective and give you actionable tools and strategies, to put into practice right away.
This isn’t your typical academic conference. It’s a collaborative space for action, ideas, and inspiration, where international expertise meets real-world solutions.
We know the work you do is demanding. That’s why your IMHC experience is also about connection, restoration, and perspective. With a healthy balance of learning, networking with your peers and soaking up the sun on the Gold Coast beaches, you’ll leave re-energised, refocused and ready to help shape the future of mental health with clarity and confidence.
At IMHC26 ….
IMHC26 promises to be a comprehensive exploration of the most pressing issues facing our sector today.
Join your peers as we delve into a wide range of crucial topics, from Digital Realities, Media & Mental Health to Sustaining the Workforce & Systems of Care, IMHC26 will address the innovative approaches and transformative journeys that go along with reimaging mental health.
As well as this, experts will guide discussions on Justice, Rights & Global Mental Health Reform as well as Sustaining the Workforce & Systems of Care.
Walk away equipped with knowledge and innovative strategies to better serve the mental health needs of your community, clients and peers in our rapidly changing world.
The Mission
Be part of the IMHC26 mission
- Address key mental and emotional health challenges facing our global community in 2026 and plan for a brighter future.
- Support mental health professionals and emerging workers in the field by providing access to networking opportunities and a high level of professional development.
- Provide a platform for government policy and initiatives to update, inform and seek feedback from the people who are delivering the services in the community.
- Encourage multi-sectoral collaboration and create an engaging space for knowledge sharing, and learning opportunities within the mental health community.
More about IMHC26
- Does this sound like you?
- Is IMHC26 for me?
- What will I gain from attending IMHC26?
- The fun stuff
Here’s a snapshot of delegates you can connect with at IMHC26
IMHC26 is a leading event in the international mental health community, attracting an incredible cross section of sector leaders, professionals and practitioners.
This is an international conference with delegates from not only Australia and New Zealand but the global mental health community.
Delegates include:
- Psychologists, Psychiatrists, GPs
- Speech Pathologists, Occupational Therapists, Social Workers, Nutritionists, Allied Health Managers, Disability Support Workers, Mental Health Nurses, Physiotherapists
- Team Leads, Program Managers, Project Lead of Hospital and Health Services and PHNs
- Directors & CEOs of Mental Health Agencies and Sector Supplier Organisations
- Researchers & Academics
- Counsellors & Consultants
- Mental Health Advocates and Lived Experience
- Workplace Mental Health Experts
- Peer Support Workers
- Mental Health Leadership, Strategy and Management: CEOs, Directors, Managers and Leaders Mental Health Medical Professionals
- Government: Policy and advocacy
Yes! IMHC26 is for you if you’re looking for…
- Open and connected conversations around the most pressing issues facing our sector
- Up-to-date research and application-based presentations around innovations in mental health
- Practical tools and strategies to create immediate and positive change in your work and the work of your team
- Thoughtful sessions from sector thought-leaders, bright minds and professionals making real impact in the community
- A plan for how we pave a path for a safer future for our communities
- Information on new initiatives and research within the sector
- A break from your every-day to focus on the bigger picture and reconnect with your sector peers
IMHC26 will be the best professional conference you attend this year!
Not only will you get to spend a few days away from your every-day, connecting with your team/peers and community, you’ll be inspired by the work the sector is doing, and your role within it.
At the conference you’ll be treated to a 5-star catering package, an exclusive networking function, the chance to win awesome prizes and onsite interactive fun learning spaces. Take all the valuable knowledge you’ve gained back into your role, your organisation and your community to see positive steps forward.
This is your chance to connect with your peers, other mental health professionals, researchers, and service providers.
Have a break away from your inbox + the fun stuff
Get ready to enjoy:
- A few days at a stunning Gold Coast location, right on the beach, soaking up that Winter sunshine!
- An exclusive welcome networking function with drinks, canapes and entertainment
- A full day catering package for the entire conference with morning tea, lunch and afternoon tea
- A special gift for returning delegates
- The chance to win awesome prizes
- Chillout mindfulness zones
- Access to all recorded keynote presentations (30 days)
- Access to all recorded concurrent presentations (30 days)
- Access to conference app
- Printed conference materials
- Over 10 hours towards CPD points
- Your personalised certificate of attendance
Shaping the Future of Mental Health: Bold Ideas, Inclusive Solutions
(Click to expand)
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Emerging Frontiers in Mental Health
- Psychedelic-assisted therapies & innovations in psychopharmacology
- Gut–brain axis and nutritional psychiatry
- Neurotechnology, VR/AR, and biofeedback for self-regulation
- AI & machine learning in assessment and care (with ethics foregrounded)
- Climate change and ecological distress as drivers of mental health risk
- Longevity, ageing, and wellbeing across the lifespan
-
Hope, Suicide Prevention & Postvention
- Indigenous- and community-led prevention models
- Coronial learnings and systemic reform for suicide prevention
- Peer-led and lived experience insights
- Postvention supports for whānau, workplaces, and communities
- Digital tools and ethical predictive analytics in suicide prevention
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Trauma & Recovery: Individual, Collective, Systemic
- Complex and intergenerational trauma across communities
- Trauma-informed vs trauma-responsive systems
- Collective trauma and community-wide recovery
- Cross-cultural and Indigenous healing practices
- Virtual and digital approaches to trauma support
-
Neurodivergence & Inclusive Systems
- Strengths-based, affirming therapy and assessment
- Burnout, masking, and trauma in neurodivergent populations
- Neuro-affirming schools, workplaces, and public systems
- Intersection with culture, gender, and LGBTQ+ identity
- Digital accessibility and neurodivergent-led online supports
-
Lived Experience Leadership & Peer Innovation
- Peer-led models: governance, supervision, and outcomes
- Embedding lived experience in system reform
- Career pathways and workforce sustainability for peers
- Authentic co-design beyond consultation
- Peer-driven digital innovations and platforms
-
Justice, Rights & Global Mental Health Reform
- Human rights and equity in mental health systems
- Indigenous worldviews, decolonisation, and cultural leadership
- Refugee, displaced, and humanitarian contexts
- Carceral, policing, and justice system intersections
- AI, surveillance, and privacy in global reforms
-
Digital Realities, Media & Mental Health
- Online hate, misinformation, and political extremism
- Social media and digital wellbeing across the lifespan
- Algorithmic bias, AI ethics, and protective tech design
- Digital inclusion for marginalised and older populations
- Building resilience through digital literacy and safe media use
-
Sustaining the Workforce & Systems of Care
- Moral injury, vicarious trauma, and systemic responsibility
- Reflective practice, supervision, and practitioner identity
- Workforce redesign and non-tertiary roles to meet demand
- Hybrid/remote service delivery and AI-enabled support
- Leadership and governance models that protect staff wellbeing
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Open Topic
If you would like to present around a topic you don't see mentioned, please submit under "Open Topic".
Why you should join us at IMHC26
Understand today’s challenges and tomorrow’s opportunities.
Explore the realities of what’s happening in the field right now, and what must change to better support a workforce under unprecedented pressure. Gain access to the latest global research, data, and evidence-based strategies shaping mental health care.
Collaborate. Share. Transform.
Whether presenting your own work or contributing during interactive sessions, you’ll have the opportunity to exchange insights and amplify your voice. This is more than a conference — it’s a collective effort to transform the future of mental health.Harness innovation for better care.
Dive into advanced systems, emerging technologies, and fresh models of practice designed to elevate collaboration across sectors and raise standards of care.
Connect with a global community.
Join colleagues from near and far to share experiences, swap stories, and explore future possibilities together.
Stay ahead of the curve.
Hear from leading experts about the future of the mental health workforce. Discover strategies to strengthen workforce longevity and learn how to plan and manage more effectively for the years ahead.
Take away knowledge that matters.
The IMHC Conference Committee
Dr Andrew J. Greenshaw PhD
Professor of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, University of Alberta, Canada
Ellie Hodges
Chief Executive and Founder Lived Experience Leadership & Advocacy Network, LELAN
Katherine Koh
Learning Consultant & Deputy Lead, Growth & Partnerships, National University of Singapore
Heidi Sturk
Director, eMHPrac (e-Mental Health in Practice), Queensland University of Technology
Registration Options
$ 449 + GST
Virtual
Save $100 with Early Bird. Ends 1/05/2026.
- Live streaming of all keynote presenters
- Live streaming of all sessions in the plenary room over two-day conference period
- Virtual presentations
- Complete online access to audio and visual presentations for 30 days
- Over 10 hours towards CPD points
- Your personalised certificate of attendance
$ 1,249 + GST
In-Person
Save $300 with Early Bird. Ends 1/05/2026.
- All keynote presentations
- All concurrent presentations
- Discounted accommodation rates
- Access to conference app
- 5-star conference catering package
- Access to exclusive networking functions
- Complete online access to audio and visual presentations for 30 days post-event
- Printed conference materials
- Over 10 hours towards CPD points
- Your personalised certificate of attendance
- Exposure for your organisation
- Plus, chances to win great prizes!
$ 3,447 + GST
In-Person Group of Three (3 pax)
Save $600 with Early Bird. Ends 1/05/2026.
- All keynote presentations
- All concurrent presentations
- Discounted accommodation rates
- Access to conference app
- 5-star conference catering package
- Access to exclusive networking functions
- Complete online access to audio and visual presentations for 30 days post-event
- Printed conference materials
- Over 10 hours towards CPD points
- Your personalised certificate of attendance
- Exposure for your organisation
- Plus, chances to win great prizes!
HAVE A TEAM OF 4 OR MORE?
What people are saying about IMHC
Previous delegates say…
“Terrific variety of keynote addresses and also speaker sessions. Lovely space - easy to connect to the outside and not feel shut in the whole day. Interesting food options. Important content, value of the individual and the individual experience, not too formal and a relaxed friendly vibe..”
“This conference has been absolutely wonderful. Organised perfectly and everyone was so respectful and like minded.”
“Everything about the International Mental Health Conference is exceptional. The calibre of presenters is extremely high, and I feel very privileged to have been able to attend. I wholeheartedly recommend it as a leading conference for anyone in the mental health field.”
“Very worthwhile, engaging workshops and inspiring speakers.”
“This is a conference worth attending, great sessions and presentations, well organised and related to my work.”
“This was an excellent and amazingly informative conference. I am eager to attend next year and would highly recommend it to anyone working in mental health. I especially liked hearing from people with lived experience and the presentations about latest evidence-based research was very useful. Having the opportunity to connect and engage with exhibitors during the conference was a highlight.”
“IMHC was another great event, a fantastic opportunity to meet and learn from mental health professionals across the globe. Thank you to the ANZMHA.”
“Thanks for all the info I’ve had a fantastic time feeling refreshed and energized to go back for the workplace with ideas.”
“Thoroughly enjoyed hearing many different perspectives and ideas regarding mental health, from a broad range of people and cultures. Gave me a lot to think about. I also had the opportunity to meet many new people and started brainstorming some ways that we can all work together in better, and smarter ways!”
“I finally made it to the IMHC, and I was not disappointed. An excellent program and I made some amazing connections,”
Where It's Happening
Venue & Accommodation
JW Marriott Gold Coast Resort & Spa
Tuesday 23 & Wednesday 24 June 2026
We are pleased to offer IMHC26 delegates access to discounted accommodation rates at JW Marriott Gold Coast Resort & Spa.
The following rates are only available when you book your accommodation via the online registration portal or direct through the conference secretariat.
ACCOMMODATION RATES (GST inclusive)
Price is per room, per night.
| Standard Guest Room excluding breakfast | $300 |
| Standard Guest Room incl. breakfast for one guest | $365 |
| Standard Guest Room incl. breakfast for two guests | $400 |