ABC Radio National Interview – Carers Week 202615th October, 2026
For National Carers Week, MHCN CEO, Jonathan Harms, and Laura Knight, Carer and MHCN Organisational Development Manager, spoke with Fran Kelly on The Radio National Hour. They spoke about the everyday reality of caring for a loved one with mental illness, and MHCN’s podcast, Caring Between Minds, hosted by Patty Kikos. Laura has cared for […]
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Joint Media Release (14 October) – The $600 million needed to fix mental health that was buried by NSW Government14th October, 2026
Internal papers released this week through Parliament show NSW Health estimated in December 2024 that public mental health services are short $550-600 million a year in frontline staff. Its own planning work found psychosocial support needs to double, another $187 million a year. That is a gap of about $787 million a year. 29% of […]
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Media Release (12 October) – Cutbacks by Legal Aid NSW Will Leave Thousands of Public Hospital Mental Health Patients Without Assistance14th October, 2026
From 12 October 2026, Legal Aid NSW has stopped providing legal assistance to patients in public hospital mental health wards who are facing Mental Health Review Tribunal (MHRT) hearings to authorise involuntary treatment. Due to funding cutbacks, Legal Aid will only represent people in narrowly defined matters under the Mental Health Act, mainly initial involuntary […]
NSW Community Mental Health Services Priority Issues Paper (Gap Analysis Report) Released15th September, 2026
The NSW Community Mental Health Services Priority Issues Paper (Gap Analysis Report) from 2023 has been released. MHCN, alongside our partners in the NSW Mental Health Alliance, has been advocating for the release of this report since it was completed in December 2023. The report was released 28 August 2026. Its release comes off the […]
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Joint Media Release: 220,000 NSW Families Left Out in the Cold as National Agreement Freezes4th September, 2026
Mental Health Carers NSW and BEING – Mental Health Consumers, are urging the NSW Government to prioritise the next National Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Agreement, after it was pulled from today’s Health Ministers Meeting agenda. Discussions were postponed to December after Commonwealth and state and territory negotiations stalled over psychosocial support funding, leaving families […]
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Joint Statement: Government Response to Bondi Junction Coronial Inquest Will Not Prevent Next Tragedy25th August, 2026
On 6 August, Mental Health Carers NSW joined five other leading mental health organisations, BEING, the Mental Health Coordinating Council, Wayahead, RANZCP NSW, and the Australian Society of Psychiatrists, in a joint statement responding to the NSW Government’s handling of the Bondi Junction Coronial Inquest recommendations. While the Government’s initial announcement suggested strong support for […]
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Focus Group on the NSW Health Guidelines for Animal Visits and Interventions in Public and Private Health Facilities in NSW25th August, 2026
NSW Ministry of Health is updating the NSW Health guidance for animal visits and interventions in NSW Health Services. They are seeking carers who support someone who uses an assistance animal or therapy animal. This includes carer(s) whose loved one has had, or would have benefited from, a visit from their pet while in hospital […]
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MHCN Welcomes Landmark Investment in Health-led Mental Health Crisis Response5th August, 2026
NSW Mental Health Alliance Joint Statement3 August 2026 Mental Health Carers NSW has joined seven other leading mental health organisations in writing a joint letter to the Hon Rose Jackson, Minister for Mental Health, and the Hon Yasmin Catley MP, Minister for Police, welcoming last week’s announcement of a new health-led response model for mental […]
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MHCN Podcast Event Launch5th August, 2026
Last Wednesday, MHCN hosted a special event to celebrate the launch of our new podcast series, ‘Caring Between Minds – Mental Health Advocacy in Action.’ Co-hosted by MHCN CEO Jonathan Harms and podcast host Patty Kikos, the event featured the premiere of the official trailer, a sneak peek of Episode 1, and a panel discussion […]
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Wear it Purple Day 2026 – Celebrating LGBTQIA+ Young People, Carers & Families20th July, 2026
Mental Health Carers NSW is proud to host a Wear It Purple Day event celebrating diversity, inclusion, and the voices of LGBTQIA+ young people, families, and carers. The event brings together lived experience speakers, carers, mental health professionals, and community members to discuss what meaningful, affirming support looks like for LGBTQIA+ young people and those […]
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MHCN 2025 Member and Carer Issues Survey Results and Launch of 2026 Member Survey and Carer Issues Survey16th July, 2026
Ahead of our Member Survey and Mental Health Carer Issues Survey for 2026, we are pleased to present the results of our 2025 Member and Mental Health Carer Issues Survey. The 2025 Member and Mental Health Carer Issues Survey was conducted to ensure that MHCN’s advocacy, engagement and member programs and activities continue to reflect […]
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We’re Looking for MHCN Board Members13th July, 2026
As the peak body, MHCN works with and for mental health carers in NSW. We represent the voices and lived experience of mental health carers which help us to advocate systemically for mental health reform. We are currently recruiting to fill a vacancy for an Ordinary Board Member (OBM) on MHCN’s managing Board. MHCN is […]
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