• Mental Health Carers Australia and MHFFTas continue to work closely with the federal Department of Health on the establishment of the two new independent mental health lived experience peaks.
• We signed an MOU with headspace state-wide to deliver our programs and staff information sessions at three sites.
• Helped create and participated in the new Minister’s Carer Advisory Group
• Continued to advocate for families and friends on high-level mental health and AOD committees; AOD Sector Reform consultations, the Alcohol and Drug Services Continuing Care Steering Group, the Mental Health Emergency Response North West Reference Group, co-facilitating focus groups with the Mental Health Council of Tasmania on their Affordability and Accessibility research, attending the National Mental Health Lived Experience Engagement Network Forum in Cairns, and a number of interview panels for services, many for the CAMHS reform.
• Supported the Tasmanian Carers Representative on the National Mental Health Consumers and Carers Forum to ensure the input of families and friends to activities of the mental health sector, including reform of national mental health policy and service delivery in Australia.
• MHFFTas represented Tasmanian mental health and AOD families and friends at the National Forum addressing the Better Access, Mental Health Equity, and Access Evaluation.
• Represented MHFFTas at the Mental Health Access and Equity Forum in Canberra
• Provided placement and mentoring to 2 UTAS students

Developed and submitted

• literature review of the Needs and Experiences of Young People Supporting Someone Living with Mental Ill Health and or AOD use
• submission to the Tasmanian Drug Strategy 2023-2028 Draft,
• submission to the Better Access Mental Health Equity and Access Discussion Paper,
• submission to the Tasmanian Suicide Prevention Strategy 2023-2027.
• Commenced a position paper project to address the common themes occurring within the support role of families and friends
• Developed a Privacy and Confidentiality Paper
• Commenced development of a Family and Friend Lived Experience Charter

• Made connections at the Festival of Wellbeing in St Helens, Carers Expo in Burnie, and Healthy Lifestyle Expo in Hobart
• Presented to mental health nursing students, AOD Reform PCG, ATDC Conference, Head to Health, Headspace, Northwest Anglicare Family and Friend Forum, Northeast Networking meeting, Open Arms, CCS Training, East coast community, The Link, Mental Health Week, Peacock Centre Staff Orientation, and delivered 4 “Challenging Stigma” sessions at the Recovery College, to name a few.
• Co-designed a CRM to increase engagement with families and friends, and service providers to improve promotions and streamline reporting for program evaluation and funding bodies reports.
• Our Facebook followers grew to 1,807, an increase of 71%. 63,669 people were reached.
• Created a LinkedIn profile and engaged 215 followers and reached 4,245 people.
• Launched our new website in March 2023.
• Produced four Caring Voices E-News issues and sent to 1277 subscribers.
• Received 20 compliments from families friends, and stakeholders.
• Developed 8 surveys and consulted with families and friends, service providers, and stakeholders to obtain feedback on our programs.

• MHFF received 105 requests for family and friend representation in the 2022/23 year, up from 90 in the previous year. The real highlight is that we met 100% of these requests, up from 94% in the previous year.
• Welcomed 5 new representatives, 3 of which in the Northwest of the State, and said goodbye to 2 long-standing representatives.
• Co-designed a Family and Friend Representative Training Program and trained 9 of our representatives.

Safe Spaces Peer Support

• Held 27 face-to-face peer support sessions around the state, with 42 registrations and 24 attendees.
• Held 19 online peer support sessions with 30 registrations and 17 attendees.
• In a recent review of the program, participants told us that it is a program “delivered straight from the heart” and provided an opportunity for families and friends to “find solidarity” and to “speak their truth.

Mentoring Program

• Held 3 focus groups with families and friends and developed a proposal for a mentoring program for mental health and or AOD families and friends.

• We partnered with Statewide Mental Health Services through the Conversations with Families and Friends program. Topics included Child and AdolescentMental Health Services reform; Tasmanian Civil and Administrative Tribunal, and Mental Health Services Reform.
• Held self-advocacy workshops in Huonville; Launceston, Devonport, Burnie, King Island, Sorell, Cygnet, and online to a total of 47 participants.
• Printed 500 copies of the toolkit and distributed 72 copies to families and friends and key organisations.