Mental Health Carers Australia is the only national advocacy group solely concerned with the well-being and promotion of the needs of families and carers supporting someone with mental ill health. Our mission is to be the national voice for families and carers to enable the best possible life.
We are achieving this by influencing systemic change in government policy and service provider practice to improve the family and carer experience of the mental health system.
Mental Health Carers Australia grew out of the national movement of ARAFMI organisations across Australia. Originally ARAFMI was an acronym for Association of Relatives And Friends of the Mentally Ill.
The first ARAFMI group was formed in Sydney in 1975 by a concerned group of carers who identified the need for a service that would specifically address the concerns of carers, relatives and friends.
The movement quickly spread to other States and to the Territories and ARAFMI became the primary provider of services for carers of people with a mental illness in Australia.
Mental Health Carers
Approximately 240,000 Australians care for someone with mental ill health.
The dollar value of the unpaid care provided by families and carers is 13.2 billion annually, which is 1.7 times the current national expenditure on all mental health services.
While people who support or care for a person with mental ill health share common issues and experiences with other carers they also experience a range of factors unique to caring for someone with mental ill health.
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How well does your organisation engage with carers and family members of people experiencing mental ill health?
Carer Inclusive Practice
Many organisations in Australia provide services to people experiencing mental ill health and their carers or family members. Improving service practice to better engage with families and carers will improve outcomes for both the family member or carer and the person they are caring for. We have designed the national Practical Guide for Working With Carers of People with a Mental Illness to help organisations improve their service practice.
Advocating for Change
Mental Health Carers Australia is committed to improving the experiences of families carers across Australia. We advocate at a national level to improve government policy and service provider practice.
Our Members
Mental Health Carers Australia comprises state and national members who are experts in mental health carer practice.
2022 Federal Election platform priorities
Why Mental Health Carers Australia is a vital agent for change?
Mental Health Carers Australia
- has the best reach to mental health carers.
- is the best informed national entity on mental health carers.
- is built on the grassroots Arafmi legacy and directed by the lived experience of mental health carers
- is driving a major national mental health carer advocacy campaign.
- has significant expertise in family centred practice, indigenous and remote mental health and carer support and engagement.
- provides opportunities for collaboration and joint ventures with other members, partners and affiliates
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