Volunteering Opportunities

Canberra Health Services (CHS) is currently seeking feedback on its Draft Disability Inclusion Plan (DIP) 2026-2031.

A copy of the Draft Plan can be downloaded in Word | PDF

This consultation may be of particular interest to mental health consumers. Mental and physical health are closely connected, and many people living with mental health challenges also experience disability or disability-related barriers when accessing healthcare. In addition, psychosocial disability is increasingly recognised within Australia’s disability and health policy landscape.

The Network is collaborating with the Health Care Consumers’ Association (HCCA) to prepare a submission on the draft plan. If you would like your views to be considered as part of this submission, please send your feedback in writing to Jessica Lamb at HCCA by 24 August 2026. Jessica’s email address is jessicalamb@hcca.org.au

 Please note that participation in this consultation is not reimbursable.

About the Draft Disability Inclusion Plan

The Draft Disability Inclusion Plan 2026-2031 aims to improve the experiences and outcomes of people with disability, their families and carers, both as users of health services and as members of the CHS workforce. The plan will guide how CHS identifies and removes barriers, promotes inclusion, and improves access to health services for people living with disability.

The draft plan has been informed by previous consultations, consumer and staff feedback, an evaluation of the Disability Action and Inclusion Plan 2022-2025, and other commitments, including the ACT Disability Health Strategy 2024-2033. It was developed in consultation with the CHS Disability Inclusion Plan Steering Group, which includes consumers and staff with lived experience of disability, as well as carers.

The National Mental Health Consumer Alliance (NMHCA) is establishing a national registry of Lived Experience Consultants and Contractors, Peer Workers, Allies, and technical specialists to support paid contract and backfill opportunities across Australia’s mental health consumer peak body network, including:

• The National Mental Health Consumer Alliance (NMHCA)
• Mental Health Lived Experience Peak Queensland (MHLEPQ)
• Mental Health Lived Experience Tasmania (MHLET)
• BEING – Mental Health Consumers (NSW)
• Victorian Mental Illness Awareness Council (VMIAC)
• ACT Mental Health Consumer Network (ACTMHCN)
• Lived Experience Northern Territory (LENT)
• Consumers of Mental Health WA (CoMHWA)
• South Australian Lived Experience Leadership & Advocacy Network (LELAN)

If you have lived expertise, allied experience, or technical skills aligned with lived experience values and you are available for short notice or project-based work, we want to hear from you.

Opportunities span six domains including:

1. peer workforce
2. policy
3. advocacy
4. communications
5. operations
6. corporate services.

More information here:

Expression of Interest Form: https://bit.ly/consultant-registry-eoi-form

Consultant Registry – Further Information: https://bit.ly/consultant-registry-further-info

Consultant Registry – Disclaimer and Terms and Conditions: https://bit.ly/registry-disclaimer

Consultant Registry – Invitation to Apply: https://bit.ly/consultant-registry-apply

The National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) is inviting NDIS participants aged 18 years and over, and authorised plan nominees, to help test the New Way of Planning before it begins rolling out from April 2027.

The NDIA is seeking participants from a broad range of disability types, support needs and lived experiences to help ensure the new planning process is designed with participants, not just for them.

Participating in the testing does not mean endorsing the proposed approach. Rather, it provides an opportunity to share your experiences, identify what is working well, highlight areas that need improvement and help shape a planning process that better meets the needs of people with disability. The more diverse the voices involved, the more likely the future planning process will reflect the experiences of all NDIS participants.

Participants may be asked to:

• experience what the proposed new way of planning may be like;
• take part in a simulated support needs assessment;
• help train and accredit future NDIA assessors;
• provide feedback about what works well and what could be improved; and
• help improve planning for future NDIS participants.

Participants will receive $200, paid directly by the NDIA. The NDIA will also arrange and fund any reasonable supports required to enable participation, such as interpreters, live captioning or support workers.

Participation is entirely voluntary and will not:

• affect your current NDIS plan
• affect your future funding or eligibility
• impact your current supports, or
• result in a new plan or budget.

Any information shared during testing will only be used to improve the planning process and cannot be used to make decisions about an individual’s NDIS plan.

To register your interest:

• Read the Participant Information Pack (available in PDF, Word and Easy Read formats) on the NDIS Engage website 
• Select “Express your Interest” and complete the Expression of Interest form.

If you require assistance completing the Expression of Interest, please contact the NDIA on 1300 790 467 and let them know your enquiry relates to participating in the New Way of Planning.

If you know another eligible NDIS participant or authorised plan nominee who may be interested, please feel free to share this opportunity with them.

Roses in the Ocean will be delivering Voices of In-Sight in Canberra on Thursday 29 and Friday 30 October 2026.

This is a two-day, suicide-specific lived experience workshop for people who want to build confidence in how they use their lived experience safely and purposefully in suicide prevention.

The workshop may be relevant for people whose lived experience includes suicidal thoughts, surviving a suicide attempt, supporting someone through suicidal crisis, or being bereaved by suicide.

Click this link to open or download the flyer for registration details.

There are only 10 places available, and participants need to attend both full days. People who register their interest will have a confidential conversation with someone from Roses to talk through the workshop, readiness and whether it feels like the right fit at this time.

Adults aged 45 years and over with schizophrenia are invited to take part in this research project by completing a survey, which is the first stage in developing a new digital tool to improve functional capacity.

If you choose to participate, the survey can be taken online or via a hard/paper-based copy. The latter will need to be returned via the pre-paid envelope, which is supplied. 

It is anticipated that the survey will take between 30-40 minutes to complete. The survey consists of questionnaires assessing whether digital health literacy and daily functioning, as well as additional questions such as demographics, digital technology use, and your preferences for digital tools and supports.

Click here to download the flyer.

Click here to download more information about this survey.