Speaking up for mental health carersDid you know? An estimated 1 million Australians were caring for someone with mental ill-health in 2018, with 700,000 living in the same household. Replacing that unpaid support was valued at $13.2 billion (in 2016)—nearly twice what was being spent on all mental health services at the time. That’s why Arafmi’s Sue Goodwin, Lived Experience Advocacy Team Lead, and Alex Tyson, General Manager Carer Programs and Advocacy met with the Productivity Commission to make sure mental health carers are prioritised in the National Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Agreement. They raised that services and supports for families and unpaid carers need to be part of the mental health system—and valued just as much as services for people experiencing mental ill-health. Without this, carers face long-term emotional, physical, mental and financial impacts. The discussion also highlighted the need for support beyond just primary carers—like children and young people caring for a parent or sibling, and family groups, kin, and chosen family. Everyone involved in the caring journey deserves to be seen and supported. Other key issues included the 92,000+ Queenslanders with moderate and severe psychosocial needs still missing out on care, the lack of after-hours crisis services, and

Powering Up Lived Experience Workforce SummitReflection – February 2025 Written by Heidi Höynk   Attending the Powering Up Lived Experience Workforce Summit in February 2025 was an eye-opening experience. As a long-time carer navigating Queensland’s mental health system, I’ve often found myself feeling frustrated, unheard, and exhausted—not because support doesn’t exist, but because the system itself can be isolating and unresponsive. Organisations like Arafmi have been invaluable in providing a space for carers to feel supported and heard, helping to pick up the pieces when the system fails us. However, the treatment of carers, of loved ones and the systemic issues within mental health services remain draining and disheartening. Stepping into this summit, surrounded by others who truly understood these challenges, I felt a renewed sense of purpose and possibility. Over two days, I had the opportunity to listen, learn, and reflect on what lived experience means in the context of systemic change. Dr. Louise Byrne set the tone with a simple yet profound truth: the lived experience workforce is real, it’s on the ground, and it’s making a difference. Authenticity is key—our stories, both the good and the ugly, are not just valuable but necessary in shaping better services.