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Have your Human Rights been upheld in 2025?
The National Mental Health Consumer Alliance has launched Australia’s only national Human Rights Survey designed by and for people with lived experience of mental health challenges.
They want to hear how your human rights were upheld—or breached—in 2025. Whether in mental health, justice, health, or other systems, your story helps us track where Australia is meeting its international obligations under the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD).
Your responses are completely anonymous and will be analysed by the lived-experience research group ACACIA. The results will shape national advocacy to make sure human rights are real for all mental health consumers.
Take the survey now — closes 31 December 2025.
Upcoming My Rights, My Decisions workshop
My Rights, My Decisions is a free, hands-on workshop designed to help you plan ahead for your mental health care — in a way that feels safe, empowering, and practical.
Wednesday 26 November
10.30am to 2pm
Network Office, Griffin Centre
20 Genge Street, Canberra City
Whether you’ve experienced mental health challenges or simply want to make sure your voice is heard during tough times, this workshop gives you the tools to:
- Understand your rights under the Mental Health Act 2015 (ACT)
- Learn how to choose a Nominated Person and create an Advance Agreement or Advance Consent Direction
- Get your own Form Kit, and learn how to complete and submit it so it’s legally valid
- Start reflecting on your values and preferences with guided activities
- Leave with a folder full of useful resources — including a workbook, fact sheets, a keyring and z-card
This isn’t just an information session — it’s a chance to take real steps toward protecting your rights and making sure your care reflects what matters most to you.
Navigating My Way – Resources and Information Sessions for NDIS Participants and Providers
About the project
Navigating My Way is a set of written, visual and video resources that have been developed through a co-design process centering lived experience. This project was funded by the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission, and was developed by VMIAC, the peak body for mental health consumers in Victoria.
This project is designed to support NDIS participants with psychosocial disabilities in growing their knowledge of their rights when working with service providers. The resources aim to build skills and confidence in self-advocacy, including how to communicate their needs, provide feedback and make complaints.
Navigating My Way also aims to empower service providers and support worker to better understand participants with a psychosocial disability, and to create a better complaints culture. Service-provider specific resources are available as part of the project.
Access Denied: A consumer-led study into barriers to accessing mental health services in the ACT
ACCESS DENIED: A consumer-led study into barriers to accessing mental health
services in the ACT (the Report) is a resource for every person who holds an interest
in improving the ACT mental health system (the system). People with lived
experience of mental illness (consumers) will find the voices their peers identifying
and addressing the issues that affect consumers’ ability to access mental health
services (services). Community service leaders and workers will find detailed
discussion of the issues and dynamics of consumer engagement with the system
that affects the communities they serve. Policy practitioners will find consumer
perspectives as well as discussions that highlight linkages between Commonwealth
policy pillars and the experiences of consumers. Lastly, mental health professionals
and scholars will find primary material, current secondary sources and conceptual
discussion by which to better understand consumer experiences of the barriers to
access (barriers) in the system.
Network News Autumn 2025 now available
The latest edition of Network News (Autumn 2025 is now available for reading.
Click on the image to open.
Rhythm ‘n Tea in the Park Drumming recordings
Thank you to everyone who came to our Mental Health Month event on October 23, we hope you all had a great day.
Britt from Safe Space Counselling has provided us with recordings of the group drumming circles for listening. We hope to make the 10.45am group recording available soon.
One Drum at a Time 9.30am Group
One Drum at a Time 10.45am Group
Important Update on My Rights, My Decisions forms and the Digital Health Record system
As reported in our recent newsletter, the Network can confirm that consumers My Rights, My Decisions forms were not included in the transfer of information to the new Digital Health Record system, which went live in November 2022.
For consumers who have previously lodged a MRMD form, you do not have to complete a new form, just re-lodge your existing form using the following email address:
Canberra Times article on the importance of mental health peer workers
A recent article in the Canberra Times (Lanie Tindale, October 23 2023), featuring our own Paul Thompson, has been printed that highlights the value of mental health peer workers in a person’s recovery journey.
You can read this article via our Facebook page. or by clicking on the image to open in a new window tab.
Summary of Northside Hospital Briefing meeting
In mid-May 2023, Healthcare Consumers ACT (HCCA ACT) and Canberra Health Services (CHS) held a meeting with stakeholders to present on the transition of Calvary Hospital management to CHS, with respect to service continuity and how the transition impacts on consumers and staff.
A summary of the presentation can be found via the HCCA ACT website.
Media Release
CHS Data Breaches
Joint response to the introduction of independent assessments to the NDIS
The Network, in conjunction with numerous other community organisations, recently submitted a joint response to the Minister for Disability, Justice Health and Mental Health, Emma Davidson MLA, highlighting shared concerns regarding the introduction of independent assessments to the NDIS.
You can read this response by clicking on the link below
Acknowledgement of Country
The Network acknowledges and honours the traditional owners of this country, their culture and continuing connection and contribution to the land and community. We pay our respects to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples and to their Elders past, present and emerging.
Acknowledgement of people with lived experience
We also acknowledge people with lived and living experience of mental illness as consumers and their important lived experience expertise and ongoing contributions to the mental health sector.
Vision
A community of connected voices achieving positive change.
Phone: 02 6230 5796
Email: actmhcn@actmhcn.org.au
ACT Charter of Right for People with Mental Health Issues
The ACT Government released the updated ACT Charter of Rights for People with Mental Health Issues on 25 October 2022.
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