Mental Health NDIS Access Support is a new way to get help accessing NDIS services (see flyer).

The Department of Social Services has undertaken extensive analysis and consultation including public consultation in April 2018 through a discussion paper.

Key suggestions from stakeholders included -

- Aligning service areas to an existing Government service delivery boundary structure, with a strong preference for the Primary Health Network (PHN) regions.

- Containing service areas within state and territory jurisdiction boundaries.

- Avoiding artificial division of metropolitan service delivery areas.

The consultation also indicated the carer provider sector has the capability, capacity and willingness to establish and manage consortia required to deliver across large service areas.

There will be 16 Carer Gateway service areas under the new model; defined service areas that align to existing PHN regions; each service area is based on groupings of PHN regions.

Read the full release paper - Carer Gatway Service Areas

The National Mental Health Commission (NMHC) has released its sixth national report - Monitoring Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Reform - National Report 2018.

The report considers the status of Australia's core national mental health and suicide prevention reforms, and their impact on the wellbeing of consumers and carers.

The National Report highlights progress in mental health reforms across Australia; the key reforms covered in the report, which the NMHC will continue to monitor and report on, are the NDIS, PHN's, physical health, the mental health workforce and the Fifth Plan.

This report is only one mechanism that the NMHC will be using to monitor and report on Australia's mental health and suicide prevention systems, and will separately report on the progress of implementation of the Fifth National Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Plan.

NMHC will submit the report to COAG on 12th October 2018.

Download or read the report at national mental health commission website www.mentalhealthcommission.gov.au

Head to Health is a new website that links Australians to online and phone mental health services appropriate to their individual needs.

Head to Health was developed in collaboration with the community, the mental health sector and the Department of Health.

For more information visit the website at:  headtohealth.gov.au

Since 2010 our objective has been to provide a strong independent and collective mental health carer’s voicefor the Loddon Mallee Region.The Inaugural meeting of the newly formed Committee of Management (CoM) was in February 2016 when members moved to Incorporation and shifted to a strictly strategic focus. We are happy to introduce our first Annual Report of the Loddon Mallee Mental Health Carers Network.

LMMHCN Annual Report 2016 2017

Loddon Mallee Mental Health Carers Network (LMMHCN) identified the need to undertake a study of housing needs for mental health, as carers saw housing as the most pressing issue.

A study was undertaken by LMMHCN with support from Bendigo Health Carer Support Services and research by Latrobe University, Bendigo Campus.

The study took a modest, mixed methods approach to investigating the housing and support needs of people with mental health issues in the Loddon Mallee Region. It used a survey and interviews for data collection and, taken together, these have provided a snapshot of some of the challenges faced by carers and those for whom they care in both short and long term.

The 2016 Carer Cobsultation report has captured the voices of over 200 mental health carers accross the Loddon Mallee Region and highlights the strengths, challenges and opportunities for carers accross the region and moving forward.

A copy of this report can be downloaded at the end of this post.

Hearing from local carers into the future will remain a priority for the LMMHCN. Understanding the needs and experiences of carers is crucial for ensuring that the network can advocate for improved resources, supports and outcomes for one of the regions most precious resources - mental health carers.