Hi valued carers,

As we step into October – Mental Health Month, Carers Week, and the ACT Election are at our doorstep. Given the amount of fun stuff going on, we’re only providing a fairly brief newsletter this month.

September has been a whirlwind of activity. From participating in evaluation of sections in the Crimes Act to presenting to new mental health clinicians at the hospital, we’ve been on our toes throughout the month – and you can find out more in the ‘What we’ve been up to‘ section below. But of course, a lot of our focus has been on our election campaign ‘Stand with Carers’, ensuring that the voices of carers are heard loud and clear in the commitments made by all the candidates.

As we continue to work with the candidates to make this happen, please do check out the Carers ACT Election update newsletter. It’s packed with valuable information to help you make informed decisions come voting day.

As we enter Mental Health Month (and celebrate World Mental Health Day today), we encourage you to participate in the various events and activities designed to raise awareness and promote mental wellbeing in our community. Don’t forget to nominate for grants and awards for the upcoming Mental Health Month Awards (more about that below)! Additionally, Carers Week (October 14-19) is just around the corner. Carers ACT have a range of updates and celebrations to keep your eye out for over the next few days.

We will send you our usual big newsletter after the excitement of the election and Carers Week, catching you up on all the things we’ve been up to. As always, your 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