News

8th July, 2026

Thank you to the Mental Health Carer Advocacy Network (MHCAN) members who took part in our Carer Experiences of Crisis Response Survey in April 2026. The results confirm what we’ve long known: Carers are often left out of assessment, treatment planning and discharge, and what they’re calling for is better, more informed care for their […]

1st July, 2026

With great sadness, we announce that Anne Stedman, President of Mental Health Carers NSW (formerly Arafmi NSW), passed away on Wednesday 24th of June 2026 after a short illness. Anne will be remembered as a mother, a carer, a trainer, a Board member, President of MHCN, and a passionate advocate for families and carers supporting people with mental health concerns.  Starting in education as […]

22nd June, 2026

MHCN is thrilled to announce Season 1 of our new podcast series, ‘Caring Between Minds – Mental Health Advocacy in Action’ with a special launch event on Wednesday 29 July 2026. This series is dedicated to amplifying the voices of mental health carers and building greater awareness of carer lived experience throughout the mental health […]

17th June, 2026

Sydney, 17 June 2026 Mental Health Carers NSW welcomes the announcement of additional funding for mental health peak bodies. Mental Health Carers NSW, Being – Mental Health Consumers NSW, and the Mental Health Coordinating Council will each get an extra $333,000 per annum for the next 4 years, which will strengthen advocacy and sector leadership […]

5th June, 2026

MHCN notes the ABC Four Corners program episode aired on 1 June which exposed unacceptable police violence against mental health consumers. In response, NSW’s peak body represeting mental health consumers, BEING, on 2 June 2026 issued an urgent call to the NSW Government to take action to end the over-criminalisation of mental health distress, to […]

1st June, 2026

NSW Ambulance has established a project group to monitor and review the use of restrictive practices within the service. To inform current practice and lived experience, we are conducting focus groups with government and non-government stakeholders, including family and carer representatives. We are seeking input from families and carers on the use of restrictive practices […]

28th April, 2026

Media Release by MHCN, 28 April 2026, Sydney Mental Health Carers NSW (MHCN) recognises the Federal Government’s intention to reform the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) but states that proposed reforms risk significantly jeopardising the healthcare provided to hundreds of thousands of carers who support people living with psychosocial disability. Without a completely funded alternative, […]

28th April, 2026

The Mental Health Branch (MHB) of the NSW Ministry of Health is coordinating the scheduled review of the Discharge Planning and Transfer of Care for Consumers of NSW Health Mental Health Services Policy Directive. To inform the review, the MHB are holding focus groups with government and non-government stakeholders, including family and carer representatives. The […]

9th March, 2026

Mental Health Carers NSW (MHCN) is collaborating with Transcultural Mental Health Centre (TMHC) and UNSW to conduct a study on mental health services and family-focused practice with young people (aged 18 – 25) from Arabic, Mandarin and Vietnamese speaking communities and their families/carers. We are assisting UNSW to recruit participants for focus group discussions with: […]

6th March, 2026

Last Saturday, February 28, the Australian Society of Psychiatrists (ASoP) hosted a one-day hybrid symposium bringing together leading psychiatrists, legal experts and the wisdom of those with lived experience for a series of panel discussions exploring clinical, legal and systems lessons from the Bondi Junction Inquest.   The symposium opened with a powerful address from Elizabeth Young, mother of Jade […]

5th February, 2026

Voices for Change is a co-led initiative by Mental Health Carers NSW and Mental Health Carers Australia. This facilitated learning series includes six interactive 2-hour Zoom sessions to support the development of lived experience advocates in mental health, with a focus on systemic change. Each session introduces a core systemic advocacy topic and provides a […]

12th January, 2026

MHCN’s News from the Network for 2025 has now been released! In this newsletter, we share our staff highlights, summarise MHCN’s yearly activities, feature a Service Spotlight on the Dialogue Room, and much more! Read the latest edition below: News from the Network (Vol 9)