2015 NSW Election
The NSW State Election will be held on 28th March 2015.
We’ve put together an election agenda to advise NSW politicians on how to make NSW a better State for people with a lived experience of mental illness. This is about many aspects of living well and is not limited to mental health service issues.
Our election agenda identifies six priorities that people with a lived experience of mental illness in NSW said the State Government needs to take action on:
- Inclusive and supportive communities
- Housing supply and public housing support
- Accessible and affordable transport
- Equitable employment opportunities and support
- Holistic and responsive legal assistance
- Mental health education and support for young people
To all political parties: we ask you to commit to the priorities in this election agenda.
To everyone living in NSW: we ask you to support our call for action – you can write to political parties and your local candidates and spread the word about this election agenda to your friends and family. You can also make a big difference in your community by taking proactive actions to be inclusive and supportive of people from all walks of life, including people who have a mental illness.
A copy of <BEING’s election agenda can be found here><link to election agenda document>
Previous Advocacy Projects
Major parties Mental Health Policies for 2013 Federal Elections
Green’s: http://greens.org.au/sites/greens.org.au/files/election_platform_screen.pdf (p37-38)
What are your mental health priorities for this Federal Election?
The Prime Minister has just announced that the Federal Election will be on Saturday 7 September. To get ready, we want to hear from people with a lived experience of mental illness about the big issues and ideas in mental health the Australian Government should take actions on.
Please share your thoughts by filling in our online survey at: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/2013federalelection
Survey closes Friday 31 August 2013
Here are some of the key commitments the current Federal Government announced in its most recent pre-election Economic Statement.
- $14 billion in new funding over seven years from 2012 to roll out DisabilityCare Australia across the country by July 2019. (DisabilityCare Australia is the new name for the National Disability Insurance Scheme, which will provide funding for people with significant and permanent disabilities, including psychosocial disabilities/mental illness, to receive long term individualised support.)
- $2.2 billion over five years from 2011 to deliver additional mental health services across Australia, with a particular focus on prevention and early intervention, and a better integrated system.
- $3.7 billion over five years from 2012 to improve aged care support, including care in the home, better access to residential care, and a stronger aged care workforce.
- $2.9 billion under the Health and Hospitals Fund to improve access to essential health services for rural, regional and remote communities;
To read the Economic Statement from the current Government, click here.
We are awaiting statements from the current Federal Opposition about their pre-election mental health commitments.
To ensure you have a say in this election, check your enrolment now! Go to www.aec.gov.au. Enrol online before 8pm Monday 12 August.
There is no place like home! Survey for Consumers
NSWCAG wants to find out the different types of living situations mental health consumers are in, the types of housing support to which people with a mental illness have access and consumers’ perspectives on the relationship between recovery and having a place to call home. We have developed an online survey to help us to learn about mental health consumers’ experiences with housing and related support services, including what’s working and why and what needs improving.
To find out more click here.
To participate in the online survey click here.
To download a printable version of the survey click here.
To download the promotional flyer click here.
Ageing and Mental Health
NSWCAG is currently looking at the issues affecting older people with mental illness, and would like to gather information to inform our work in this area. We hope to speak to as many older mental health consumers or their carers as we possibly can over the coming months. For more details please click here.
Trauma informed care & practices
Consumers told NSWCAG that services need to learn how to better support individuals who have experienced trauma. Click here to find out what we are doing.
NSW Mental Health Commission
The NSW Government is establishing a Mental Health Commission to improve the mental health care in the State. Information about what we are doing click here