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Are you caring for someone experiencing mental ill-health? Want to meet others who are in the same situation, talk through the issues, challenges, explore some solutions and have some fun?  Then come along to Arafmi’s free Mental Health Carer Forum.  The forum will be held during National Carers Week (13-19 October), a time to recognise, celebrate, and raise awareness about the 3 million Australians who provide care and support to family members or friends. There are two ways to participate in the forum this year: Submit an Expression of Interest to attend in person at The Ballroom, Victoria Park, Herston Or watch online via YouTube. You will have the opportunity to: Hear from key speakers including Brian Herd, Australia’s leading expert on law relating to older people and future planning; Shanon Cooper, a mental health carer with extensive experience in the human services sector; and Ivan Frkovic, Queensland’s Mental Health Commissioner. Learn how to use your Lived Experience as a mental health carer to advocate for policies and services that better support you and the person you care for. Engage in discussions with key representatives from mental health organisations on issues that matter to you. Discover the latest information about

Submission to the Human Rights Act Review Arafmi recently made a submission to the Independent Review of Queensland’s Human Rights Act. The Human Rights Act was established in 2019 to protect and promote the human rights of Queenslanders when they interact with Queensland Government departments and services, including public hospitals, public mental health services, police and public schools. In our submission we highlighted that due to lack of appropriate mental health services, many mental health carers feel they do not get a choice in taking on a caring role, which is in essence a lack of protection of their right to freedom from forced work. We provided examples of where public systems and services are not balancing the rights of carers with the rights of those they care for, including in relation to privacy, liberty and security of person.  We also suggested that the right to social and economic participation should be considered for inclusion under the Human Rights Act and that much greater attention needs to be given in public policy and services to the protection of whole families (using the broadest possible definition of families) and children and young people who are caring for someone with mental ill-health.

Arafmi’s inaugural mental health carers report: ‘At what cost? The experiences of unpaid mental health carers in Queensland 2023 – 2024’ “At What Cost?” collates and analyses the feedback from carers in consultations held by our Advocacy Team, late last year. The report has been mailed out to all State MPs, Queensland-based Federal MPs, senior public servants and other stakeholders. Follow-up meetings will occur to raise awareness of the systemic reforms that carers need. In this report, Arafmi has identified six areas for action that will guide our advocacy work over the next two years: Raise awareness of mental health carers so that they can be better recognised and supported. Advocate for physical, emotional, social, mental health, and practical support for mental health carers. Facilitate access to relevant information and training for mental health carers. Promote carer inclusion in mental health treatment planning and implementation. Increase financial assistance for carers. Advocate for inclusion of the voices of mental health carers in mental health reform. A summary of the key findings and recommendations can be found in the document below: Read here “You often find out the hard way what’s available and what would’ve helped in the early stages. It would