You can read the latest issue of the Mental Health Carers Voice April 2023 Update

Hi valued carers,

We hope this voicemail finds you well and safe. It’s been a month of numerous holidays (which we aren’t complaining about). With far less working days, it’s also been another eventful month at Mental Health Carers Voice. We’ve been putting in a lot of effort to make sure that the voices of mental health carers are heard on some critical issues – from pivotal legislation and media attention to territory budgets. Here are some of the highlights from April:

• We hosted a consultation with carers and the Office of the Chief Psychiatrist regarding the proposed amendments to the Mental Health Act 2015 (ACT). This was an important opportunity for carers to provide feedback on the proposed changes and to ensure that their voices were heard.
• We provided a submission to the ACT 2023-24 budget, advocating for a dual diagnosis ward and increased funding for mental health respite services. Read more about the submission below.
• We published a media release alongside Carers ACT regarding the Dhulwa secure mental health ward’s privacy breach incident. We are deeply concerned about this incident and are committed to ensuring that the privacy of consumers and carers are protected.
• We assisted Carers ACT CEO and Manager of Policy and Advocacy in preparations for their meeting with the Minister of Mental Health and CEO of CHS regarding the Dhulwa incident. We will continue to work with carers to ensure that their concerns are heard in this space.

As always, our voice is vital to the work we do and if you have anything you wish to share please feel free to contact us via email mhcarers@carersact.org.au.

All the best,

Catherine Joseph and Catherine Vonarx,

The Mental Health Carers Voice Team