The mental health crisis is particularly severe among young Australians: 40% of individuals 16-24 reported experiencing a mental health disorder between 2020-2022, marking a sharp increase over the past decade. Adolescents are facing long wait times for treatment, averaging 99.6 days which exacerbates distress and leads to maladaptive coping strategies like self-harm and substance use. Females report higher rates of psychological distress compared to makes across all aged groups. For example: Among adolescents aged 15-17, 27% of females reported serious mental illness compared to 11% of males. People living in disadvantaged areas experience higher rates of psychological distress, often compounded by barriers to accessing care. Less than half (47%) of Australians with mental disorders received professional care in the past year, with females more likely to access services than males. Cost remains a significant barrier; rising living expenses prevent many Australians from seeking necessary mental health support. The Federal Budget has been criticized for failing to adequately address severe and complex mental health needs, particularly in rural and remote areas. Workforce shortages and underfunded services limit timely access to care. Australia spends approximately $11.6 billion annually on mental health-related services, yet prevalence rates continue to rise. And while the doctor, therapist, and medicine are necessary, they are not enough. Suicide rates continue to rise. The medical (the doctor, therapist, and medicine) aspects of mental health recovery can lead to a type of “learned helplessness.” When someone’s life is interrupted by mental illness, it can be tough to see a practical way forward with day-to-day life, and a good future seems out of reach. Feelings of hopelessness begin to settle in. This hopelessness can lead to suicidal thinking and even death by suicide. A serious gap exists between someone receiving medical treatment for mental illness and them learning how to live well in spite of it. This gap is critical. So we become the bridge, the guide from the point of diagnosis to living well. Research shows that finding a way to live a hope-filled life can be best caught, not taught, by peers who have “been there” and are now living well. Research also shows that the best antidote for hopelessness is a hope that is rooted in faith. We provide those who are hopeless a safe place to process their pain and experience faith-filled hope modeled, shared, and given in support groups, classes, coaching, and resources that are led and written by peers who are living well in spite of their mental health challenge. This serves as a bridge between someone’s diagnosis and living well in spite of their diagnosis. Our approach is based on seven mental health recovery principles and 25 years of clinical research on hope. And it works.