What We've Done (So Far)
The mission of Australians for Mental Health is to disrupt the status quo and to work, independently of government, to campaigning in support of the aspirations of those who know fundamental change in mental health is a crucial priority for Australia.
Click the dropdown below to see some of the initiatives we have undertaken in the last two years. But we're only getting started - to find out what we are working on now check out Our Approach
Waitlist system reform
Australians for Mental Health provided community consultation and advice to the Federal Department of Health on their rollout of the headtohealth.gov.au model to help transform the existing gateway into a more comprehensive national mental health website.
We also advised the Federal Government on changes in Government-supported university places for psychology and psychiatry.
Holding Out For Help 2022
Campaigned to make mental health one of the Government's top priorities resulting in engagement with audiences of more than 2.8 million people nationally and 10,000 petition signatures.
Specifically we campaigned around the issues of #TheMissingMiddle, people whose needs are not met by current mental health services, and #FixTheWaitlist, the people who are unable to access care due to excessive wait times in the current system.
Setting A Clear Agenda for Reform: Symposium
Hosted by Vice-Chancellor of the University of Sydney Chancellor, Mark Scott this symposium brought together representatives from a broad spectrum of perspectives to discuss the opportunities to make change in the mental health sector and how to engage with governments around this.
Speaking Up at Admiralty House
More than 70 supporters in the mental health sector, corporate partners, and philanthropists joined Australians for Mental Health at Admiralty House in a meeting hosted by the Governor-General in December 2022.
We brought the voices and needs of ordinary people struggling under a broken system directly to government representatives and those in power.
Lived Experience Virtual Town Hall
More than 100 Australians for Mental Health supporters joined our virtual town hall session to share their stories, connect to each other, and to provide valuable quantitative data on their experience in the mental health system to help build understanding of where the system is failing, and the needs of those seeking to access care.