Make a submission into the Federal inquiry into the carer recognition!
Last month our voicemail flagged the federal inquiry currently underway into the recognition of unpaid carers. Carers ACT has since launched some helpful resources to support carers to participate:
Step by step submission how to guide
Personal submissions from carers direct to government will be the most powerful way to participate in the inquiry. Submissions are just a letter from you outlining how you think the government can make improvements. Carers ACT has created a step-by-step guide to ensure carers know exactly what to expect when lodging a submission via the parliament website. Submissions close August 11th, 2023.
Download the 'How to Guide' here.
Submission letter template
Writing submission letters is not something most of us do every day, so Carers ACT has created a template to help carers get started. The template is a guide only and includes a basic structure and some examples. There are lots of different ways to write a submission letter though, so as long as you include your recommendations for change, you can write in whatever way suits you!
Download the template using this link.
New Head to Health service for Canberra
Funding has been allocated to establish a new, free Head to Health adult mental health service in Canberra. This service will complement the existing Canberra Head to Health Centre and be co-designed with the local community. The Australian Government will provide $3.5 million over four years to the Capital Health Network (ACT Primary Health Network) to commission this new service. MHCV is pleased to be collaborating on the work underway for this project as part of continuing role in the Head to Health Steering Committee.
Read more via Minister Emma McBride's media release. Learn more about the existing Canberra Head to Health here.
National Mental Health Consumer and Carer Forum Update
The National Mental Health Consumer and Carer Forum (NMHCCF) has been working in partnership with the national Primary Health Network Mental Health Lived Experience Engagement Network (MHLEEN) on a series of projects centred around Lived Experience Leadership. These include:
- A Lived Experience Digital Library: a central repository of mental health consumer and carer leadership-related knowledge and initiatives. It strives to focus on work by those with lived experience but also includes work generated by non-government organisations and academic and clinical and/or biomedical documents to shed light on the role of systems and their readiness to recognise and provide support for those with lived experience to become leaders of change.
- Lived Experience Governance Framework and Toolkit: created to guide identified priority organisations and jurisdictions when engaging with people with lived experience.
- Lived Experience Training Scoping Paper: proposes a model of what is required for progressive, viable and sustainable lived experience (peer) workforces to develop and thrive in Australia. Recommendations in the scoping paper are aligned with the proposed model to support advocacy and actions that need to be taken to ensure the unique value and transformative impact of lived experience is realised.
Psychosocial Project Group Update
Under the National Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Agreement, states and territories have committed to undertaking further analysis of psychosocial supports outside of the NDIS. The Psychosocial Project Group (Project Group) has been established as a time limited group to progress this analysis. The outcome of this work will be used to inform future arrangements for provision of these supports. Here are some key updates:
- The Project Group have conducted six meetings (15 September, 25 November and 9 December in 2022, and 10 February, 17 May and 4 July in 2023) to progress the analysis of psychosocial supports outside of the NDIS.
- The Commonwealth, on behalf of the Project Group, undertook a procurement process for suppliers with specialist technical skills to undertake the analysis.
- Health Policy Analysis Pty Ltd (HPA) has been selected as the primary supplier to lead the analysis, with assistance from the University of Queensland on aspects relating to the National Mental Health Service Planning Framework.
- HPA will conduct interviews and workshops to ensure that key stakeholders are involved as the analysis progresses. The consultation plan will be finalised and released in August 2023 with interviews commencing shortly thereafter.
- Deb Hamilton has joined the group as a Lived Experience Representative. Deb is a member of the National Register associated with the National Mental Health Consumer and Carer Forum and has extensive knowledge of the NDIS having been actively involved in improving the NDIS psychosocial pathway.
- The Project Group have also met with the NDIS Review Secretariat and recognise important connections between their work and this project. The Project Group will continue to work closely with them to inform this project.
- The Project Group will continue to update key stakeholders as work progresses.
- Going forward, key messaging on the work of the Project Group will be made available through a webpage hosted by the Department of Health and Aged Care. Further information on this webpage will be distributed to you once the page has been published.
