Mental health social worker and community advocate Mish Kumar-Jonson has been inducted into the 2026 Victorian Honour Roll of Women, recognising their contribution to making mental health care more accessible and equitable.
Kumar-Jonson was recognised in the Change Agent category alongside other Victorians who have made significant and lasting contributions to their fields and communities.
The 2026 Honour Roll inducted 27 women and gender diverse people at a ceremony at Arts Centre Melbourne on 23 September.
Kumar-Jonson has championed community-led responses to complex health issues, including establishing overdose prevention programmes across Victoria’s north and south-west and helping integrate lived expertise into addiction medicine services.
In 2023, Kumar-Jonson founded The Iceberg Foundation, a community-led mental health charity providing pathways to care for queer, neurodivergent, multicultural and forcibly displaced communities.
The following year, Kumar-Jonson launched the Manaya Pride Program, providing free psychological support for forcibly displaced queer people through identity-affirming care informed by lived experience.
Kumar-Jonson is also a mental health social worker and accredited EMDR clinician, with a focus on supporting people experiencing trauma, shame and abuse. Their work incorporates lived experience and trauma-informed approaches to support people from diverse communities.
The Victorian Government said Kumar-Jonson’s work is helping reshape how mental health care can be delivered more equitably, with their community-led model continuing to influence Victoria’s health and community sectors.
The Victorian Honour Roll of Women was established in 2001 by former Victorian Premier Joan Kirner AC. The programme recognises women and gender diverse people for leadership and excellence in their fields and commitment to the community. The 2026 ceremony marked the 25th anniversary of the Honour Roll.
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