The GMHPN strives towards establishing a well-represented global structure that consider diversity among population groups and within country settings.

The establishment of a strong sustainable structure is the foundation on which the Global Mental Health Peer Network is built and further developed to reach persons with lived experience and the groups and movement representing them, within which country specific strategies are developed to help address key challenges and needs of persons with lived experience that are country specific, and where lived experience “voices” are able to influence policy and legislation.

One of the Global Mental Health Peer Network’s core focuses is on the development of leadership among persons with lived experience in mental health to ensure there are meaningful and authentic participation in the development, design, review, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of services for persons with lived experiences at all stages and in all aspects of life.

The Global Office is based in Johannesburg, South Africa, and responsible for the day-to-day operations; project development, implementation, monitoring and evaluation; sustainability and donor relations; partnership development; and coordinating the structural committees and forums.

Two key structures exist within the Global Mental Health Peer Network; the Regional Executive Committee and the Country Executive Committee. Both of these Executive Committees are made up of persons with lived experience who are representatives of their region or country respectively. The members of the Regional and Country Executive Committees are appointed in their roles as global lived experience leaders in mental health who all are actively involved at local and/or international levels in mental health and advocacy, many of whom are young people. 

A Honorary Mentorship is being developed, flowing from the Regional and Country Executive Committee, where members who served 2 years and more on this structure, are able to become mentors.

Members of the Country and Executive Committee automatically become lifelong Honorary Members once they have completed their term in office - in recognition for their commitment, support and valuable contributions to the GMHPN over the years.

Sub-Committees are being developed to develop specific focus areas such as lived experience research. Members of the Regional and Executive Committee join the Sub-Committees aligned with their interests and expertise, and work together to develop projects which the Global Mental Health Peer Network then implement.

The entire GMHPN, as an international organisation, is solely driven and managed by persons with lived experience; including Staff Members, the Board of Management, and each and every member of the Regional and Country Executive Committees, including the sub-structures, who are all people with lived experience.