Renai Buchanan

Renai works at the intersections of lived experience, systems change, and human connection. Their practice is grounded in the belief that people’s stories, rights, and communities should shape the mental health system, not the other way around.

As Senior Lived Experience Advisor at MIFA, they lead national efforts to embed lived experience leadership across policy, practice, and reform.

Grounded in rights‑based, relational, and community‑driven approaches, Renai focuses on shifting power, strengthening ethical practice, and expanding models of support that honour autonomy, dignity, and neurodivergent and cultural diversity. Across the sector, they are known for bringing clarity to complexity, holding space for discomfort, and championing community wisdom as a driver of meaningful reform. Their work continues to strengthen the MIFA federation, elevate lived experience leadership, and contribute to a mental health system that is compassionate, accessible, and grounded in the realities of the people it exists to serve.