The (Virtual) Australian Association of Mental Health Consumers
It’s not real yet. But this is how we make it happen.
Before long, we hope this website is replaced by the official website of the new, independent, Australian mental health consumer association.
Until then this is our ‘virtual’, unofficial, national association. Join us, have your say, get involved, make it happen, make a difference.
Register: Join your movement and have your say
A small body of determined spirits fired by an unquenchable faith in their mission can alter the course of history.
— Mahatma Gandhi
To all Australian mental health consumers…
Join us, have your say & make a difference
- Have your say in discussion forums
- Vote on decisions
- Add to our numbers, diversity, strength & influence
- Connect with other consumers across Australia
- Join our collective voice for change
- Find others with shared passions
It’s free to register to this website. Registration is only available for people who self-identify as mental health consumers or similar (eg. as survivors, service users, ex-service users, mad, voice hearers, etc).
Our site members
After just two weeks, our site now has registered members from every state and territory in Australia! Check out our growth and where people are coming from… (click on the graphs to enlarge them)
Read more about registration & membership here.
Or jump in and register now.
Our own consumer association: Making it real
Freedom is never given; it is won. — A. Philip Randolph
Help us make this into a real organisation.
Every other interest group in mental health has an official, national representative body: except for us, the people who actually use the mental health system.
- Why we need the national consumer association
- Where we’ve been: Learning from and using past work
- How we get there: the plan
Forums: Discussions by consumers about the issues that matter to us
Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.
— Martin Luther King, Jr.
Discuss issues and share ideas with other consumers. All forums are private. This means you have to register to join the site, and be logged in, in order to see the forum conversations and to post your own comments.
Forums about creating the association
Join conversations with other consumers to discuss what we want for our national association. Different forums are set up for a range of topics like membership of the association, the scope and purpose, raising money, legal matters, and lots more.
Forums for consumer communities of interest
These are the forums where we just get on with consumer conversations and connecting with each other. So many of us are isolated — but it doesn’t have to be this way.
Forums are set up around common consumer ‘communities of interest’, such as human rights and consumer politics, peer work practice, sharing in mutual online support, consumer research, language, philosophy and consumer perspectives. These are spaces where we can share news and ideas, and network with other consumers from around the country.
Visit the forums here. You will need to register if you want to join the conversation.
Consumer information, stories, news & resources
When we lose the right to be different, we lose the privilege to be free.
— Charles Evans Hughes
- Mental health reform & news
- Top consumer issues
- Petitions & action for consumer-led change
- Articles and stories by subscribers
- Links and more reading…
- International consumer-led organisations
- Other consumer organisations, committees & action groups in Australia
- Websites by Australian consumers
- Recommended books, films and more
Visit the info and resources pages here.
Help us spread the word
Share this page on social media & email it to your friends.
Print our flyer and put copies anywhere that consumers might go.