New Ads Encourage Australians to Shape Mental Health Reform
From 21 January 2012, advertisements are appearing in newspapers across the country inviting Australians with a lived experience of mental illness to help shape national mental health reform.
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21 January 2012
From today, advertisements are appearing in newspapers across the country inviting Australians with a lived experience of mental illness to help shape national mental health reform.
Minister for Mental Health and Ageing, Mark Butler, today called on interested Australians to apply to become members of the Consumer Reference Group which will help set the directions of the National Mental Health Consumer Organisation.
“The new Consumer Reference Group will ensure the views of people living with mental illness are informing the establishment of the forthcoming National Mental Health Consumer Organisation," Mr Butler said.
“The Group will have an integral role in advising on policy areas for the new organisation. Importantly, it will lay the groundwork to enable our new mental health consumer body to hit the ground running and bring a strong and consolidated voice to mental health policy in Australia, as quickly as possible.
“I encourage people to apply who are committed to a shared vision for an Australia where people with mental health problems and mental illness are better able to participate and be supported in society without discrimination.
“It is important that the group has members from different cultural, social, economic and demographic backgrounds so it represents the diversity of lived experience in Australia.”
The Consumer Reference Group will operate until the National Mental Health Consumer Organisation establishes a membership and elects a board.
The Gillard Labor Government has invested $4 million over five years to establish and operate the new National Mental Health Consumer Organisation as part of its landmark $2.2 billion national mental health reform package.
Background:
The Department of Health and Ageing will convene a selection panel comprised of consumer, non-government and government representatives to select the Consumer Reference Group.
Applicants are invited to submit an expression of interest until 20 February 2012. Information on how to apply is available on the Department of Health and Ageing website from 3pm, 20 January 2012.
For further information, please call the Minister’s Office on 02 6277 7280
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