We are very excited to announce the release of our Annual Report, which includes key highlights and achievements of our work with and for mental health carers, friends and families from the 2023 – 2024 financial year.

The Policy and Advocacy Team had a busy year, focusing on the NDIS review, the Disability Royal Commission, and ongoing support for NSW Health stakeholder engagement while advocating for carer needs. Key activities included implementing the Carer Experience of Service Survey, contributing to the mid-term review of the Older Person’s Mental Health Services Plan, and collaborating with the Mental Health Alliance to support reforms with Mental Health Minister Hon. Rose Jackson.

The DAFP Team have worked closely with the NSW Disability Advocacy Network to produce several joint letters, submissions and statements to government on policy changes, the NDIS and the Disability Royal Commission. The team met quarterly with the Minister for Disability Inclusion, ensuring MHCN’s DAFP highlighted systemic issues affecting people with psychosocial disability, their carers, families, and kin.

This year, the Capacity Development Team completed the Information, Linkages and Capacity (ILC) project, funded by the Department of Social Services (DSS) under the Individual Capacity Building Program (ICBP). This project involved co-reviewing and co-designing 5 training modules with carers of someone with a lived experience of psychosocial disability and then delivering 67 online and in person training sessions across the 2022 – 2023 and 2023 – 2024 financial years.

In May 2024, MHCN underwent a two-day accreditation assessment with QIP accreditors. While assessors recommended improvements in risk management, feedback management, and quality improvement, MHCN is proud to have achieved accreditation under the Health and Community Services Standards. The assessors also commended MHCN’s professional, evidence-based advocacy for mental health carers in NSW.

MHCN would like to thank our carers, stakeholders, funders, Board, staff, students, volunteers, and donors for a fantastic 2023 – 2024 financial year and we look forward to sharing our plans for 2025!

And this is only a few of the projects we have been working on, click the link to read more in our Annual Report – https://buff.ly/3OtPkZ2