Expressions of Interest - Mental Health Consumer Reference Group

The Australian Government is inviting mental health consumers across Australia to express their interest in becoming a member of a Consumer Reference Group (CRG).

The CRG will provide advice to an auspicing body to assist with the establishment of the new national mental health consumer organisation. This will include advice on: strategic directions for the consumer organisation; building an inclusive and diverse membership base; and setting up appropriate mechanisms to ensure consumers are involved throughout the process.

Further information on how to apply can be accessed here.

Ten Year Roadmap for National Mental Health Reform - Consultation

Consultation on the draft Ten Year Roadmap for National Mental Health Reform has commenced.

The Commonwealth Government is seeking your comments and feedback on the draft Roadmap via an online survey until Wednesday February 1, 2012.

The draft Roadmap is intended to set out the shared vision for Australia’s future, where good mental health is valued, promoted and understood as a whole of community responsibility, and people with mental illness and their families and carers are supported to live full and rewarding lives. It has been developed with states and territories, with input from mental health experts including mental health consumers and carers. The final version of the document is intended to be provided to COAG at their first meeting in 2012.

You can download a copy of the draft Roadmap here, and provide your comments directly back to the Commonwealth Government by filling in their online survey here.

Further questions about the Roadmap should be directed to the Commonwealth Department of Health and Ageing via email.

Young Carers Project Survey launched on Facebook

UPDATE - MHCA CEO writes open letter seeking support in finding young mental health carers.

The Mental Health Council of Australia (MHCA) has launched a survey targeting young mental health carers on Facebook (www.facebook.com/youngcarersproject).

The Young Carers Project (YCP) survey app aims to collect information from young mental health carers about their caring role; what sort of caring activities they undertake; how caring impacts on their day-to-day lives; what supports are available to young mental health carers in their area; and the appropriateness of these supports.

All young mental health carers aged 13 to 18 in Australia are eligible to participate in the YCP survey app. The MHCA is also offering a $20 pre-paid VISA gift card to survey participants in recognition of their time and contribution. The app will remain live on Facebook until the start of February 2012, or until 1,000 responses are collected.

The MHCA welcomes any support in disseminating information about this groundbreaking research and bringing to the fore the experiences of young mental health carers in Australia. Requests for further information, including promotional material, online banners and graphics should be emailed through to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

Further information about the survey can be found in the media release.