Have your voices heard: join the National Mental Health Commission "Making Connections" Consultations

[Former-Member]

Hi forums community, 

We know that a lot of you have a range of different experiences with the mental health system, and there's an incredible depth of knowledge, experience, and wisdom in this forum that deserves to be heard and amplified

Your voices are vital to understanding what is and isn't working in the mental health system, so we wanted to share this opportunity to get involved with the National Mental Health Commission's Making Connections consultation. 

They'd like to hear your experiences of the mental health and suicide prevention system in Australia, and explore what an accessible, equitable and inclusive mental health system that's based on lived experience might look like. 

There's 2 ways you can do this: 

1. By completing this online survey

2. By joining a community consultation in your area- these are being held at 34 locations around Australia. You can find out more about where those are and register here

Here's some more information from the commission about the purpose of the consultation, and what they'll be looking at:

Many Australians have an experience of the mental health and suicide prevention system,

whether they have reached out to a service, provided care and support to a family member or

friend who has a lived or living experience of mental ill-health, or they are involved in

delivering mental health or suicide prevention services.

The National Mental Health Commission will launch the Making Connections for your Mental Health and Wellbeing (Connections2022) program in July 2022. During this program, we invite you to share your experience of the mental health and suicide prevention system.

Connections 2022 is an opportunity to share how the mental health system is working for you and your community, any challenges you have experienced that impact your mental health and wellbeing, and thoughts about what a functioning mental health system would look like for you:

• What has been the biggest challenge for your community in the past 2 years? 
• What has supported your mental health during those times? 
• How will you know when things are getting better for your mental health? 
• What improvements would you like to see happening in your community? 

For more information you can also call toll free 1800 220 246 or email

community@making-connections.com.au

Your voice is vital to understanding what is and isn’t working and if real and impactful

change is being made in communities across Australia. By sharing your experience, you can

help the Commission to build evidence that shapes outcomes for future national mental

health and suicide prevention reform.

Here's some more information from the commission about the purpose of the consultation, and what they'll be looking at:

Many Australians have an experience of the mental health and suicide prevention system,

whether they have reached out to a service, provided care and support to a family member or

friend who has a lived or living experience of mental ill-health, or they are involved in

delivering mental health or suicide prevention services.

The National Mental Health Commission will launch the Making Connections for your Mental Health and Wellbeing (Connections2022) program in July 2022. During this program, we invite you to share your experience of the mental health and suicide prevention system.

Your voice is vital to understanding what is and isn’t working and if real and impactful

change is being made in communities across Australia. By sharing your experience, you can

help the Commission to build evidence that shapes outcomes for future national mental

health and suicide prevention reform.

I'm just going to tag our community guides and other members who may be interested, but absolutely everyone is welcome and encouraged to make a submission- hearing the voices of lived experience is so incredibly important. 

@Snowie @NatureLover @Zoe7  @jem80 @Aniela @BPDSurvivor @Anastasia @Faith-and-Hope @CrazyChick @MDT @Shaz51 @AussieRecharger @ShiningStar @wellwellwellnez @Eve7 @pinklollipop15 @maddison @Boo13 @HenryX @Judi9877 @chibam @Historylover @Appleblossom 

[Zoe7]

Thank you @Former-Member for bringing the to the attention of the community. It is vital that those with lived experience are heard and there are so many members here that could contribute to this consultation. Tagging @greenpea @Dimity @StuF @Gwynn @Bow @Christheart @Eden1919here also and will tag other members later (my brain is a bit fried at the moment).

[Former-Member]

Agreed @Zoe7! I'm going to tag a few more peeps too:
@TAB @Clawde @petrichor @BlueBay @Wanderer @EternalFlower @Determined 

[TAB]

Okay I did the survey

[Zoe7]

More tags for the above message - @utopia @EternalFlower @Sophia1 (please ignore if you are not up to it Hon) @Emelia8 @Oaktree @Shasan @Adge @Sans911 

[Shaz51]

Thank you @Former-Member , @Former-Member , @Zoe7 

Going to tag @Smc , @Scoo , @Peri , @Emelia8 , @frog , @SmilingGecko , @Kurra , @Sophia1 , @Tinker67 , 

[Zoe7]

Hi all above - for more information on past reports, information, connection, data and future visions from this consultation go here - https://www.mentalhealthcommission.gov.au/Lived-Experience/Connecting-with-Communities 

[Sophia1]

Thank you @Zoe7 for including me at the same time gently letting me know only if up to it. Much appreciated.

Have read a fair bit tonight in different directions.

Also read through the link you posted later.

Will come back to when able.

A matter I feel very strongly about as you know.

Sophia (nearly wrote my name again- head!!)

😯

[chibam]

Thanks so much, @Former-Member 😀! I hope this becomes a regular thing on these forums - alerts about opportunities to contribute to official reports & policies, ect. regarding mental illness, ect.

[Patchworks]

Thanks @Former-Member for this information. I completed the online survey last night. It is great that people with lived experience are being asked these kinds of questions and let's hope it brings improvements to a very large, complex mental health system.

I have experienced hospitalisations in both the public and private sectors and they are vastly different. Over 3 decades of being a MH consumer, it has changed significantly and for the better but there's still a lot more to do.

One gap I noticed in NSW was a lack of services that provide individual advocacy services. I recently needed this kind of support and I could only find systemic advocacy organisations. I gave this feedback in my survey responses, as the levels of stigma, discrimination and disadvantage of ppl with mental illness make it more difficult to self-advovate. We have to deal with government departments, legal issues, counselling for major life stresses just like everyone else but I found myself a step behind due to managing my mental health recovery on top of it all.

Back in the late 90s my psych nurse advocated for me to my employer to save my job but that kind of support doesn't happen these days. There's a good deal more support services which is really fantastic but I'd like to see advocacy added to what's available. 

What other gaps do ppl see?

For example, I think emergency departments should separate physical health patients from mental health consumers. It should also be easier and quicker to get admitted to a private hospital. They seem to operate only Mon to Fri 9 to 5. I'm interested in others views.