Introduction
Supporting a loved one experiencing mental ill health, suicidality, or alcohol and other drug (AOD) challenges can be rewarding, challenging, and life changing. Families and friends often provide care, encouragement, advocacy, and practical support, while navigating their own experiences and wellbeing.
The voices shared here come from people who have supported a family member, partner, friend, or loved one through difficult times. These lived experiences offer valuable insight into the realities of caring, supporting, and walking alongside someone on their journey.
To protect privacy and confidentiality, all names and identifying details have been changed.
This safeguards both the family member or friend sharing their experience and the person they support.
By sharing these experiences, MHFFTas help shine a light on the challenges they face, the supports that make a difference, and the gaps that still exist. Their voices play an important role in advocating for better policies, services, and supports for families, and friends.
These experiences help inform governments, service providers, and decision-makers about what is needed to better support families and friends. Together, these voices contribute to positive change and a more responsive, inclusive, and compassionate system for everyone affected by mental ill health, suicidality, and AOD challenges.
Please Read Before Continuing
The Voices of Families and Friends stories are powerful accounts of lived experience. They speak honestly about the challenges, grief, trauma, and resilience that can accompany supporting a loved one experiencing mental ill health, suicidality, alcohol and other drug use, family violence, or other complex life circumstances.
Because these stories are shared authentically and in the storytellers’ own words, some readers may find the content distressing or triggering. We encourage you to prioritise your wellbeing, read at your own pace, and seek support if needed.
Thank you for approaching these stories with care, respect, and compassion.
Content warning: Readers may find this content distressing. It includes references to mental ill health, suicidality, AOD use, family violence and other complex circumstances.
June 2026
A family member requested support through the Call2Connect program seeking support regarding the proposed discharge of their adult son from an inpatient mental health facility. The caller was distressed and expressed significant concerns about her son returning to the family home. She reported that her son had a long history of mental health challenges dating back to childhood, including a suicide attempt at a young age, and had since been diagnosed with schizophrenia. Although he had access to NDIS-funded supports, he was reportedly unwilling to engage consistently with support providers.
Support was provided to explore the caller’s concerns and discuss options available to her. The caller stated that she did not feel able to support her son at home and was concerned for her own safety and wellbeing if he were discharged back to the family residence. Information was provided about communicating these concerns to the treating team and advocating for discharge arrangements that considered both the consumer’s needs and the family’s capacity to provide support. Information about Legal Aid was discussed as a potential avenue for advice regarding housing and tenancy matters. Self-care strategies were also discussed. The caller was advised to contact emergency services if her son returned home and she felt unsafe.
The caller expressed a desire for advocacy and described having extensive documentation relating to her son’s mental health history. She was invited to provide relevant information that could assist in better understanding her circumstances and inform service improvement activities.
During the discussion, it became apparent that the caller had not been informed about the availability of family peer support while her son was an inpatient. This represented a missed opportunity for earlier engagement, emotional support, and information sharing during a particularly stressful period for the family.
A follow-up from phone call from MHFFTas occurred after the son’s discharge from hospital. The caller was provided with an opportunity to debrief about the experience and discuss the outcome. This experience highlights the challenges families can experience when supporting a loved one with severe and enduring mental illness, particularly during periods of hospital admission and discharge planning, and reinforces the importance of family-inclusive practice, advocacy, and timely access to peer support services.
Content warning: Readers may find this content distressing. It includes references to mental ill health, suicidality, AOD use, family violence and other complex circumstances.
Frances shares her experience as a Family and Friends Representative, highlighting the challenges families face when providing important information to mental health services. She advocated for better recognition of families’ right to confidentiality, leading to the development of new statewide guidelines for Tasmanian Health Services.
During a recent Family and Friends Representative activity I raised the question about the challenges families sometimes experience when wanting to pass on information about the person they support. Mental health staff can focus on the need for the confidentiality of the consumer. However, families and friends require confidentiality for the crucial information they provide to services. This may include not sharing some or all of that information with the family member they support.
My comments were communicated to senior staff for further discussion. It was agreed this is a service wide issue and guidelines have now been developed and distributed to Tasmanian Health Services staff. The guidelines focus on clarifying privacy and developing practical tools to support clinicians to receive, document and manage family provided information safely and consistently.
Takeaways
- YOU have a right to confidentiality and privacy
- Learn more about becoming a representative to help make a difference
Content warning: Readers may find this content distressing. It includes references to mental ill health, suicidality, AOD use, family violence and other complex circumstances.
April 2026
A parent contacted the Call2Connect program seeking support regarding her adult son, who lives with bipolar disorder and was experiencing a period of mania and psychosis. The caller described her son as currently being supported by mental health services and receiving depot medication to assist with the management of his condition. Although she did not live with her son, she identified herself as his primary source of emotional support and described the experience of supporting him as a continual rollercoaster of emotions.
Support was provided to explore the caller’s concerns and experiences as a family member supporting someone with a severe mental health condition. Psychoeducation about bipolar disorder was discussed, including information about common symptoms, presentations, and what may be considered typical during periods of illness and recovery. The caller reported finding this information helpful, as it provided greater understanding of her son’s experiences and helped to normalise some of the challenges she had observed.
The caller advised that there were no immediate safety concerns at the time of contact. Discussion focused on the impact that ongoing caregiving and emotional support can have on family members, and the importance of maintaining personal wellbeing while supporting a loved one. Self-care strategies were explored, and information was provided about resources available through MHFFTas, including the Self-Advocacy Toolkit.
This experience highlights the emotional impact that caring for a family member with a mental health condition can have, even when the person is engaged with treatment and support services. It demonstrates the value of providing family members with psychoeducation, emotional support, and practical self-care resources to increase understanding, build confidence, and support their own wellbeing.
Advocacy – You Can’t Ask That –
Speaking Honestly with Tomorrow’s Nurses 2025
Carmel, one of our MHFFTas lived experience representatives, recently joined a powerful panel conversation with around 800 nursing students at the University of Tasmania. Together with lived experience representatives from MHLET, she helped future health professionals better understand the realities families and friends face when supporting someone with mental ill health.
Students anonymously submitted questions through their teachers, who grouped them into themes and created a “You Can’t Ask That”– style Q&A. This format allowed for honest, thoughtful questions that might not have been asked in a lecture hall—questions that opened the door to real learning.
One question that stayed with Carmel was: “Are you happy?” It sparked deep reflection and created space for open discussion about the emotional journeys supporters often carry.
Carmel shared that the session was both enriching and grounding. She came away with new insight—not only from the students’ curiosity but also from the reflections of her fellow lived experience panel members. The conversation encouraged her to pause and consider her own journey as a supporter.
Dr Russell James, MHFFTas President, described the event as having “a profound impact on those in the audience.” After speaking with attendees, he noted a clear message: young Tasmanians need stronger support when they’re caring for or supporting someone within their families or friendship circles.
Dr James also had the chance to highlight this important session at the International Mental Health Nursing Conference, ensuring the experiences of Tasmanian families and friends are heard well beyond the classroom.
Advocacy – Lived Experience System Change in Action – 2026
Families and friends are essential partners in supporting people who are experiencing mental health challenges. However, sharing important information with
services can present ongoing challenges, particularly when navigating confidentiality and privacy requirements. During a recent Family and Friends Representative activity, these issues were raised for discussion by a representative highlighting the need to better recognise not only consumer confidentiality, but also the privacy rights of those providing critical information. This case study outlines how this feedback has informed service-wide improvements, including the development of clearer guidance and practical tools to support safe, consistent, and respectful information sharing across government services.
During a recent Family and Friends Representative activity I raised the question about the challenges families sometimes experience when wanting to pass on information about the person they support. Mental health staff can focus on the need for the confidentiality of the consumer. However, families and friends require confidentiality for the crucial information they provide to services. This may include not sharing some or all that information with the family member they support. My comments were communicated to senior staff for further discussion.
It was agreed this is a service wide issue, and guidelines have now been developed and distributed to Tasmanian Health Services staff. The guidelines focus on clarifying privacy and developing practical tools to support clinicians to receive, document and manage family?provided information safely and consistently. The key takeaways from this experience emphasis that families and friends have a right to confidentiality and privacy when sharing information with services. To explore becoming a representative to contribute to improving systems and outcomes for others, access the MHFFTas website here.
