5th June, 2024

Over the last few months, the MHCN team have been hard at work preparing for accreditation interviews that were held at our office in Wynyard last Monday and Tuesday. Participating in accreditation has allowed MHCN to demonstrate a commitment to continuous quality improvement which will further enhance systems and processes and enable us to further […]

11th January, 2024

MHCN’s News from the Network for 2023 has now been released! In this quarterly newsletter, we share our staff highlights, summarise MHCN’s yearly activities, feature carer services spotlights, and much more! Read the latest edition below:

10th January, 2024

This month, we are moving to an exciting new co-working space with our friends at Wayahead. The new office address is Level 2.03, 3 Spring Street, Sydney NSW 2000. MHCN’s phone line and contact details will remain the same.

7th January, 2024

Our December edition of Peak Speaks is now available to watch online! Hosted by MHCN’s Engagement Coordinator, Jade Curran, tune in to hear Shubhangi Kaushik and Mark Hopfenbeck from The Open Dialogue Centre discuss the core outcomes and values of Open Dialogue and identify the systemic factors that support this recovery approach within Australia. Click […]

5th December, 2023

To close off the year, we are releasing a special pre-recorded Peak Speaks episode – ‘Open Dialogue within the Australian Mental Health Sector.’ We’re excited to be hosting two insightful panelists from the Open Dialogue Centre to discuss the core outcomes and values of Open Dialogue and identify the systemic factors that support this recovery […]

5th December, 2023

Hosted by MHCN’s CEO Jonathan Harms, MHCN staff and board members came together on November 16th to speak about the highlights of the 2022 – 2023 financial year, which included the presentation of our Annual Report, President’s Report, and a 2023 Staff Year in Review presentation from the MHCN team.  We would like to welcome new […]

1st November, 2023

Purposeful Storytelling, live online via Zoom – Stories create a shared understanding, share information, spread news, share ideas, educate, relate and inspire. Purposeful Storytelling introduces participants to sharing their lived experience safely, in a way that protects themselves and others from physical/emotional harm. This course covers the principles and practices that inform purposeful storytelling, elements […]

12th October, 2023

The team at the Mental Health Commission of NSW visited the office to interview MHCN CEO, Jonathan Harms. The Mental Health Commission of NSW have released a video series below in which Jonathan discusses support and resource availability for mental health carers in preparation for the Mental Health Commission’s Carers Week campaign. The Commission is running […]

20th July, 2023

Mental Health Carers NSW is developing seven new resources for carers. These resources will help inform carers about some of the challenges they may encounter whilst caring for their loved ones, family members, friends or persons living with a mental health condition. In partnership with the Family and Carer Mental Health program and NSW Health, […]

12th July, 2023

We run a range of free education and training sessions, designed to inform, empower, and support carers and the people that they care for. Our training courses embody an appreciation for lived experience – all courses have been through a co-review or co-design process with mental health carers and are delivered by a carer peer, […]

8th July, 2023

About MHCN MHCN is the peak body for mental health carers in NSW. Founded as ARAFMI in 1974 by social worker Margaret Lukes, she believed there needed to be more support for families, friends and carers of people living with a mental illness. Mental health carers are people who support friends, partners, members of their […]

29th May, 2023

On 28 March 2021, the Mental Health and Cognitive Impairment Forensic Provisions Act 2020 (MHCIFPA) replaced the Mental Health (Forensic Provisions) Act 1990. We will explain:1.Changes under the new Act2.Carer’s Rights3.Victim’s Rights4.Terms in the new Forensic Provisions Act Modern language – changes in terms such as ‘suffering’ and ‘disease of the mind’ to describe mental […]