Mental Health Rights Manual
An online guide to help explain your legal and human rights in the mental health and human services systems in New South Wales.
Read moreRecovery Oriented Language Guide
Words are important. The language we use and the stories we tell have great significance to all involved.
See the guide
Mental Health Coordinating Council is one of nine peak bodies and community-managed organisations that have come together to form the NSW Mental Health Alliance.
This Alliance represents the mental health workforce, people with lived and living experience of mental health challenges, carers and kin from across New South Wales. We have united in calling for urgent reform and investment in the mental health service system and are championing systemic reform and redesign with the NSW Government.
19 MAY 2024
JOINT STATEMENT
The NSW Mental Health Alliance provided a joint statement in response to the NSW Community Mental Health Services Priority Issues Paper released in May 2024 which identified four priority areas for reform: enhanced funding for community mental health services, workforce, and training, improving emergency mental health care, as well as the expansion of psychosocial supports, such as homelessness services and recovery programs. It also proposed solutions for service demand though workforce priorities, infrastructure, and investment to be urgently implemented. Our advocacy continues in supporting these areas that require urgent investment.
4 JUNE 2024
JOINT STATEMENT
The NSW Mental Health Alliance is calling on the Minns Government to take decisive action to fully implement the recommendations outlined in the Upper House Inquiry report into mental health care in New South Wales. The report, developed after months of consultation with stakeholders, highlights critical issues within the current mental health system and provides a clear roadmap for necessary reforms to improve mental health services and outcomes across the state.
NSW has the lowest spend per capita for mental health services compared to all states and territories in Australia, when rates of psychological distress in NSW have almost doubled over the last decade.
The alliance is urging all political parties for a commitment to the following:
A joint statement from CEOs and leaders of the alliance members has been issued to urge the government and opposition to act on the above commitments.
See the joint statement See the expert comments
Following the NSW State of Mental Health survey conducted in early 2023 with over 1,300 mental health practitioners including community workers, peer workers, psychiatrists, psychologists, GPs, and carers, the Alliance launched the report, The NSW mental health care system on the brink: Evidence from the frontline, revealing critical issues in the state’s mental health system that need urgent government attention.
The report The NSW mental health care system on the brink: Evidence from the frontline was launched at a press conference on Tuesday 14 March 2023 which members of the alliance and the media attended.
Watch the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists NSW Election virtual candidates forum held on Thursday 16 March 2023.
This interactive online event was an opportunity to hear directly from NSW political parties about their plans for the mental health system in the lead-up to the NSW Election on 25 March 2023. Participants also had the opportunity to provide direct feedback on their views and to hear from experts from RANZCP and other organisations.
Mental Health Coordinating Council also submitted a report to Members of Parliament to advocate for greater investment to support community-managed mental health.
See our four key recommendations in the report Shifting the Balance: Investment priorities for mental health in NSW.
