Arafmi Mental Health Carer Forum –
Brisbane 2025

On Thursday 18 September 2025, Arafmi hosted our annual Mental Health Carers Forum at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre, with carers also joining online. More than 110 mental health carers took part, alongside 30 community organisations and government bodies hosting stalls that provided valuable opportunities to connect with services and resources.

Our Mental Health Carer Forum provided an inspirational and positive event for mental health carers to hear from leaders in the mental health system, connect with other carers and learn how to utilise their Lived-Living Experience to advocate for better support.

The program featured guest speakers, Q&A panels, round-table discussions, an art space, free massages, dance performances, professional headshots, self-care gifts and shared meals, with generous prizes from Queensland Ballet, QPAC and Loving Loudly adding to the celebration.

Feedback from Carers

The feedback that carers provided about the forum was that they valued:

space to pause and reflect on their caring role
learning about their rights and available supports
building confidence to advocate for themselves and those they care for
connecting with others who “get it.”

Some of the carer attendees stated:

It reminded me that I am not alone in my journey or my anxiety and worry for the person I care for. Time at the Forum gave me space to think about how I’ve been living my life for others – and not always for myself.

Thank you for an amazing forum – I really appreciated the opportunity to connect with others, and hear more about the amazing work of Arafmi.

Thanks you so much. This was my first Arafmi event/activity and it was such a great experience.

The forum this year was wonderful, speakers and topics were fantastic. I appreciate all the effort, time, laughter and tears that goes into arranging a forum like this. I found the talk from Dr Christian Heim brilliant; I will certainly be added the notebook DOG AND CAT to my interactions with my young person’s team. Loved the variety of stall holders, would be happy to see more in the future.

When asked about the benefits they gained from attending, the top three responses from carers were: connecting with others (84% of respondents); learning something new (79%), and gaining information to help them as carers (83%).

Overview of the Day

Session 1
The day began with a Welcome to Country by Tribal Experiences, followed by a welcome and introduction to Working with Carers, Family & Kin: A Guide for Healthcare Professionals by Emma Griffiths, Senior Advisor – Policy & Advocacy.

Sue Goodwin, Arafmi’s Lived Experience Advocacy Team Lead, shared progress on the issues carers prioritised at last year’s forum.

Alex Tyson, Arafmi General Manager for Carer Support and Advocacy outlined: the breadth of carer supports provided over the last year; highlighted new resources like the Young Carer Fact Sheet and discussed Arafmi’s partnership with Wellways Carer Gateway to expand supports for carers across Queensland.

Session 2

A panel and Q&A featured:

Hon Emma McBride MP, Assistant Minister for Mental Health and Suicide Prevention, Assistant Minister for Rural and Regional Health
Ivan Frkovic, Queensland Mental Health Commissioner
De Backman-Hoyle, Mental Health Carers Australia
Irene Clelland, CEO Arafmi

Carers also joined round-table discussions exploring how to build allies and support networks.

Session 3

The afternoon featured:

An introduction to MHLEPQ by CEO Simon Katterl
A presentation from Dr Christian Heim, Getting the Most Out of Your Psychiatrist, followed by a Q&A session.

The Forum was a powerful reminder of the strength and resilience of mental health carers and of the importance of creating spaces where their voices are heard, valued and supported.

Presentations

2025 Arafmi Carer Forum – Brisbane Overview

Missed the Event? Watch it now

Arafmi Staff

Meet the Carer Gateway Team: Sue from the Sunshine Coast

“I’m actually on your team.” Meet Sue, supporting mental health carers on the Sunshine Coast. “The person that you care for has a whole team of people around them, but I’m actually on your team.” It’s a sentence Sue comes back to often because she’s seen what happens when a carer hears it for the first time. Every day at the Sunshine Coast Carer Gateway Hub, people caring for a family member, partner or friend living with mental health challenges walk through the door looking for support. For Sue, it often starts with something simple: a smile, a cup of tea and a place to sit. Ask Sue what she loves most about her work, and her answer isn’t what you’d expect. It’s seeing the moment someone realises they don’t have to carry it all on their own. “It probably comes right back down to the look on somebody’s face when they realise that they’ve got somebody on their side and that they can be whoever they want to be. And we’re not going to judge them, we’re just going to try and support them the best way we can.” Putting carers back at the centre Most people walk through

July 3, 2026 No Comments

Carer Story

From carer to lifeline: The Queensland volunteers helping others mental health carers

From carer to lifeline: The Queensland volunteers helping other mental health carers For Arafmi volunteer Louise Dutton, when her son became unwell with mental ill-health, she “didn’t really know what she was dealing with.” That’s where her connection with Arafmi began, not as a volunteer, but as a carer trying to make sense of something overwhelming, unfamiliar and at times isolating. Over time, that experience became something she could offer others. Now 82, she’s spent the past 25 years answering calls on the 24-hour Carer Support Line and sitting alongside carers in support groups. What she brings isn’t a set of answers, but a way of helping people feel understood. As she explains, “Listening plays a big part. And so you’ve got to find out where the person is coming from… sometimes the person is so stressed that they can go round and round in circles. You just try and pick out a few points and confirm, is that what you’re telling me? And then try and help them to understand that we know where they’re coming from because we’ve had a similar experience.” For carers reaching out, that recognition can be enough to help people feel more steady and

April 30, 2026 No Comments

Arafmi Mental Health Carer Forum – Brisbane 2025