Category: News

Shaping the Future of Mental Health – Arafmi at TheMHS Forum 2025 Arafmi was proud to be a gold sponsor at the TheMHS Forum 2025 in Brisbane (2–5 September), where sector leaders, carers and advocates came together to imagine a better mental health system. A big thank you to TheMHS Learning Network for creating such an inspiring space. Envisioning a Better Future This year’s theme, “Envisioning 2050: Towards a Better Mental Health System,” painted a bold vision of what mental health could look like in the future including: early intervention is routine and universally accessible support is holistic, skilled, culturally aligned, respectful and kind support from those with lived experience is valued and common short-term respite is available and hospitalisation is rare lived experience informs policy and shapes system culture mental ill-health is no longer a barrier to health, citizenship or employment everyone has a home, meaningful work, loving relationships and strong social connections. The Forum asked us to consider: What will the world be like in 2050? What steps must we take now to move towards this vision of an ideal mental health system? These ideas came to life through networking, presentations and panel discussions where delegates shared insights,

New Policy and Advocacy Staff: Welcome Sasha and Farina Our Policy and Advocacy Team welcomes two new staff members – Sasha Ong (Engagement and Advocacy Officer, Lived Experience) and Farina Murray (Policy and Research Officer) – both bringing a wealth of experience and passion for supporting carers and shaping mental health systems. Sasha Ong – Engagement and Advocacy Officer (Lived Experience)  “I’ve grown up in the mental health world, with parents that were trained in psychiatric nursing; working in institutions in the 80’s and 90s. It embedded a view that everyone should have the right to be treated with dignity, empathy and respect. I’ve worked in the carer space for over 12 years in roles varying from carer advisory (phone intake), family carer support, education and community development. Outside of work hours I’m a mum that loves visually pleasing design, permaculture design principles, growing and using medicinal herbs, being by the water and learning electronics and survival skills. I’m excited about working with Arafmi. It is my hope that we can move towards recognising carers as holders of valuable knowledge and history of the people they support. I hope that mental health carers that come after us, have a more inclusive experience navigating our

Mental health carers are still missing from major election promises. Clinical services help—but carers carry the load between the gaps. This election, ask your candidates: Where is the support for carers? Mental Health Carers Australia has responded to the major parties’ funding commitments, highlighting what’s included, what’s missing, and why carer voices must be part of the plan. If you support someone with mental ill-health, it’s worth a read. Read the full MHCA response here: https://arafmi.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/MHCA-Response-to-Major-Party-Election-Commitments.pdf

Did 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 the additional pressures faced by

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. However, it’s not just about being present; it’s about ensuring we have an equal