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

MHCV Team Update

Hi valued carers,

It’s our last update for the year – and what an year it’s been! Together, we’ve journeyed through some significant changes in the ACT mental health sector, including proposed amendments to the Mental Health Act 2015 (ACT), commissioning for future service delivery in the mental health subsector, and the implementation of new models of care and service delivery within the Canberra Health Services and beyond. We’ve developed a carer awareness training package that works for the ACT, and delivered several training sessions to public hospital mental health staff already. We’ve met with our lived-experience Advocacy and Policy Group regularly (and got to witness them winning an award for their great work) and learnt more about carer experiences attending the new Carer Collective events. We were extensively involved in the landmark national inquiry into unpaid carer recognition and look forward to seeing that work unfold further in the new year. We’ve been front and centre in the spaces that create change, from Senate committees to Lived Experience Director interview panels. From us at Mental Health Carers Voice, thank you for journeying with us throughout the year and for lending your voice to help us bring about change in the ACT.

Going into the new year we hope to continue the good work in policy and advocacy, guided by your voices. As we come up to the holiday season, we also wanted to take a moment to express our gratitude for all that you do to support, advocate, and care in our community. Whether you’re celebrating with loved ones in Canberra or elsewhere, we hope you’re able to make the most of this special time of year.

Before we sign off, we want to share a little change we’re making: starting in 2024, our newsletter will be sent in the first week of the following month instead of the last week of the current month. So, you can expect the first exciting voicemail update in February. As always, your voice is important to us, and we welcome your feedback. Please don’t hesitate to contact us during this little break at mhcarers@carersact.org.au. We look forward to popping into your inbox in February!

All the best,

Catherine Joseph and Catherine Vonarx,

The Mental Health Carers Voice Team