Parliamentary Friends of Mental Health

Mental Illness Fellowship Australia proudly hosts Parliamentary Friends of Mental Health Lunch at Australian Parliament House to highlight the importance of psychosocial supports.
Members of the Mental Illness Fellowship of Australia (MIFA) network, federal politicians, people with lived experience, MIFA’s sector partners and sponsors gathered today at Australian Parliament House over lunch to hear from guest speakers about the power of psychosocial supports in mental health recovery. More than 20 Members of Parliament, Senators and their advisors attended this awareness raising event to hear directly from speakers with lived experience of mental health challenges and from academics about the latest research on how psychosocial supports are improving people’s lives for good.

Parliamentary Friends of Mental Health is a vital partnership of elected members and senators, which focuses on the needs and interests of people affected by mental illness. We were thrilled to work once again with the three Parliamentary Friends of Mental Health Convenors of this 47th Parliament, Tracey Roberts MP, Andrew Wallace MP and Senator Jordon Steele-John. All three convenors are passionate about elevating mental health awareness amongst their colleagues and shedding light on system reforms that are needed to support the mental health and wellbeing of Australians.

Chair of MIFA, Claire Moore, was delighted to welcome parliamentarians from the major political parties, as well as independents, to hear from speakers about the difference psychosocial supports in the community make in supporting mental health recovery. As MC of the lunch, National Chief Executive Officer of MIFA, Tony Stevenson, reiterated the importance of Parliamentary Friends of Mental Health in raising awareness amongst our federal politicians of the challenges that arise for people living with severe and complex mental illness, and of the need for mental health reforms to address service gaps and improve current systems.

#mifaoz #timetoact #communitysupports