Advocacy
Advocacy for families and carers of people with a mental illness is fundamental to ARAFEMI's grassroots foundations.
As a lead state-wide provider of carer support, ARAFEMI listens to and responds to the voices of carers across Victoria. Our unique knowledge of the lived experience of carers underpins our systemic and personal advocacy activities.
We believe that carers should have better access to support, a voice that is listened to, respected and valued as an ongoing partner in supporting recovery from mental illness.
Our advocacy strategy is focussed across the following areas:
- We advocate for systemic change for improved access to treatment and support for people with mental illness and their carers.
- We advocate for increased support to carers and for the reduction of the stigma associated with mental illness
- We raise awareness of the role of carers and families via general community education and specialist training for specific sectors
ARAFEMI and carers across Victoria are active in raising this voice through a variety of platforms:
Speakers Bank for Carers of People with a Mental Illness – providing skill building and support to carers wishing to share their story to enrich knowledge and advocate for change
Partnerships and Representation: ARAFEMI actively represents carers across a variety of mental health, community and political forums, networks and meetings both at a State at National Level. We represent carers in partnership with ARAFMI National, Mental Health Council Australia, Network for carers of people with mental illness.
Carer research and information sharing; ARAFEMI regularly consults with carers via groups, research projects and advocacy networks to ensure we are taking carer voice from the coal face up. Our research and literature acts as a tool to highlight the needs of carers and to gather evidence for change.
Carer Forums and advocacy networks – these provide a focal point for a collective carer voice as well as reaching out to new and isolated carers in the community.
We provide education to carers and the mental health field with the aim of improving the knowledge of carers needs across the caring and recovery continuum and to better facilitate service linkage and support.
We provide advocacy skills training via our CAST program that can assist individuals and organisations to support carer voice.
Our publications and newsletter aim to raise issues pertinent to carers and create ongoing information sharing and dialogue between carers, consumers and the mental health field.
Our Family Support Services provide scope for families and carers to gain information and support in a peer environment which supports advocacy at a personal level.
To find out more about our advocacy strategy or to become involved please phone ARAFEMI 9810 9300.