The (Virtual) Australian Association of Mental Health Consumers

It’s not real yet. But this is how we make it happen.

Mental health consumers need a national voice now. And we need to create and raise that voice for ourselves.This website is how we do it.

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)

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.

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.