News and Events

Media

ARAFEMI as the peak support service for carers of people with a mental illness in Victoria is an active advocate and media spokesperson on issues that impact on families and carers.

Mental Health Carers Speakers Bank

As a peak service provider for carers of people with a mental illness in Victoria, we receive a variety of requests from the media and community groups to access people who have or are actively caring for someone with a mental illness. Requests may come from: Radio, Television, News media and journals as well as government and community groups seeking representation, focus groups and other carer forums. Carer representatives may also participate in ARAFEMI training to other carers through sharing their stories and knowledge.

MAKING A SPEAKERS BANK REQUEST

Please telephone ARAFEMI on (03) 9810 9300 or email: admin@arafemi.org.au if you wish to request a carer representative. We will confirm the details of your request then contact our speakers bank. We will ensure a 24-hour turn around for all requests.

Please note: we do not provide personal details of our speakers to the media or other groups. All of our speakers will be supported to make contact with you to complete their speaking assignment.

We value and respect the privacy of our speakers, and their lived experience of mental illness.

ARAFEMI Media Releases

Carers in the News

Mental Health in the News

Guidelines and Tips for Responsible Media Coverage

ARAFEMI recognises that the media is one of our most important allies in the effort to raise community awareness about the impact of mental illness on families and carers. For this reason, we strive to work with the media to produce accurate, insightful and informative pieces that will resonate with the public.

Mental health is an issue that must be covered in a careful and responsible manner in order to avoid inadvertently presenting stereotypical views of mental illness which preclude hope for recovery.

One challenge of explaining mental illness is the individual and complex interplay of biological, psychological and social forces that cause or effect the mental health outcomes of individuals. The same rules apply for families, who are each unique, have different experiences of mental illness and may use different supports to aid recovery.

This page contains basic information and statistics for reporting on families and carers of people with mental illness:

Please include contact numbers, addresses, or web links to information and support resources wherever possible. ARAFEMI provides support and advice, has an informative website (www.arafemi.org.au) and a Telephone Helpline (1300 550 265) If you need more information, please ask. ARAFEMI has access to the latest resources and in many cases we may be able to point you to treatment professionals, other carer organisations or carer speakers in your coverage area. We cannot, for ethical and legal reasons, provide contact details for carers directly, but we can support the linkage process. Thank you for your commitment to accurate, sensitive, and responsible coverage.

Links to Guidelines and Tips for Responsible Media Coverage


Australian Government's Mindframe National Media Initiative in Australia
A resource on portrayal of suicide and mental illness
http://www.mindframe-media.info/

Sane Media Centre
Information for reporting mental illness
http://www.sane.org/sane-media

Links to Statistics about Carers

Carers Victoria
http://www.carersaustralia.com.au/?/vic/section/2:about-carers 

Australian Bureau of Statistics
http://www.abs.gov.au/

Victorian Mental Health Reform Strategy
http://www.health.vic.gov.au/mentalhealth/reformstrategy/index.htm