News

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 […]

18th May, 2023

The Mental Health Branch (MHB) at the NSW Ministry of Health, has commenced a review of forms created to assist in the administration of the Mental Health Act 2007. The Forms were created when the Act commenced in 2007 and are used to assist clinicians communicate with consumers and carers and to meet the legal […]

18th May, 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 […]

23rd March, 2023

People seeking help from the legal assistance sector often experience mental distress, but they have not had a say in shaping the services they use. Across Australia, the legal assistance sector is not well supported to work with people experiencing mental health issues or carers, even though this is a common part of their work. […]

22nd March, 2023

Last Tuesday, CEO Jonathan Harms and Board Treasurer Andrew Pryor represented MHCN at a press release outside Parliament House as part of the Alliance, made up of 8 leading mental health organisations and peak bodies that includes MHCN. Leading up to the state election, MHCN and the Alliance are calling for all parties to commit […]

22nd March, 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 […]

7th February, 2023

The fantastic news that the Federal Government has announced that it is investing $8.5M to establish to new independent mental health peak bodies has been welcomed by MHCN and Katrina Armstrong, CEO of Mental Health Carers Australia, (the ‘industry’ funded national peak body for mental health carer organisations like MHCN). MHCA has led a push for a […]