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VMIAC - Victorian Mental Illness Awareness Council

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VMIAC - Victorian Mental Illness Awareness Council

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VIC's peak body for, and supporting, people with experience of mental health or emotional issues.

VMIAC is committed to:
• Individual and collective empowerment of people with lived experience;
• Participation in all decisions that affect the life of the person;
• People directing their own recovery;
• The promotion and protection of people's civil and human rights;
• Promoting a better quality of life for people with lived experience;
• Service providers and the broader community valuing and respecting people's lived experience and the expert knowledge people have about their own lives and needs;
• Supportive, democratic and safe working environments for all staff and volunteers that are conducive to free, open exchange of ideas and ongoing professional development. MEMBERSHIP
Membership is open to anyone with lived experience of mental health or emotional issues, and to groups of people with lived experience. Associate members (non-consumers) who support the philosophy of the organisation can join VMIAC as non-voting members. DONATIONS
VMIAC is registered in Victoria as a not-for-profit charity and is registered with the Australian Taxation Office as a Deductible Gift Recipient. Donations are gratefully accepted at any time and receipts will be issued - donations of $2 and over are tax deductible.

06/10/2026

Last week, our team travelled to Ballarat to host our first Community Meetup in the region.

We are incredibly grateful for the opportunity we had to learn from locals with lived experience. We got to listen to their experiences, we found out what matters to their community, and we heard their ideas for how to improve mental health services in the region.

Thank you to everyone who joined us for a night filled with meaningful conversations – and thank you for informing our advocacy work.

We look forward to returning to Ballarat to continue these important conversations and to deepening the connections we made. 💜

01/10/2026

With safety concerns making headlines again, the push to put armed protective services officers in hospitals is back in the spotlight. But rushing to armed guards isn’t the right answer.

Hospitals are already high-stress, vulnerable environments. Introducing armed personnel risks heightening distress and escalating situations when what people need is care and de-escalation.

Let's be calm, mindful and intentional – with proper staff support, resourcing, and evidence-based solutions that protect healthcare workers and consumers without adding to the pressure.

24/09/2026

We’re back with our second Lunch & Learn for members.

In this online session, you’ll learn all about VMIAC’s Committee of Management (CoM) from its Chair, Pru Howell-Jay.

Pru will explain how the CoM governs our operations and how VMIAC members can join the committee.

You’ll learn about:

- What the CoM does
- Roles and responsibilities
- CoM elections
- Who’s eligible to join and what’s required of committee members, including time commitments
- The benefits of being on the committee, including payments and personal and professional development

The presentation will be followed by a Q&A and the opportunity to join breakout rooms to share your thoughts and connect with other members.

Please note: This session will be held online via Zoom and will be recorded.

Wednesday 7 October
12pm – 1pm
On Zoom

Register: https://buff.ly/iCY63ty

Not a member? Join for access to future member events.
https://buff.ly/SquMCgI

22/09/2026

As part of our regional program, VMIAC will have a stall at The Collective Mental Health Expo in Ballarat.

The expo kicks off Mental Health Month with family-friendly activities, food vans, and guest speaker Pip Thomas, CEO of Mental Health Victoria.

We’ll be there to meet the community and answer any questions about our advocacy work and how to get involved. We also have some fun activities lined up.

Thursday 1 October
10am – 2pm
Lake Esmond Ballarat

Details: https://buff.ly/OSAsTcO

Free Community Meetup

It’s not too late to register for our free Community Meetup on Wednesday 30 September. We’re providing dinner and a safe space for everyone from the region with mental health challenges to come together.

Register: https://buff.ly/rvqGiCP

Please share this post with anyone who’ll enjoy these two great opportunities for social connection and mental health advocacy.

14/09/2026

Call out for our Central Highlands community.

We’re hosting a free Community Meetup in Ballarat.

This is an opportunity for everyone from the region with lived and living experience of mental health challenges to come together in a safe, welcoming space.

You can expect:
- A communal dinner
- Story sharing and discussion led by locals
- Space to express your ideas about mental health reform
- A chance to meet our team and learn about our systemic advocacy
- An introduction to our self-advocacy resources
- Information about membership, training and other ways you can get involved.

30 September
5:30pm – 8:30pm
25 Barkly St
Ballarat East

Please share this with anyone in the region who’ll enjoy an uplifting evening of social connection, delicious food and mental health advocacy.

Register: https://buff.ly/K5pyYx2

31/08/2026

Today is International Overdose Awareness Day. We’re sending our love and solidarity to those in our community who have been impacted by overdose.

We also acknowledge our friends and partners doing incredibly important work in this space, SHARC and Harm Reduction Victoria, amongst many others.

Overdose affects every community. Yet it can be prevented. We know how to reduce risk and keep people safe. By speaking openly, learning from one another, and treating each other with care and respect, we can build a world where fewer lives are lost.

20/08/2026

The Federal Government has passed its NDIS Reform Bill.

These reforms will see many people in our community with psychosocial disability excluded from the scheme without an adequate plan in place to support them.

Making the NDIS sustainable cannot come from weakening the rights of people accessing the scheme, or by shifting the burden onto people with disability and overstretched service systems. Savings that cause harm are not acceptable.

As a member of the National Mental Health Consumer Alliance, we’ve made a joint statement expressing our opposition. You can read it in full here: https://bit.ly/4qq8kKk

19/08/2026

VMIAC is proud to announce that our very own Isha Garg has been appointed to the Global Leadership Exchange’s Lived Experience Council.

Members of the council provide Global Leadership Exchange and its board with expert independent advice on mental health, disability, and substance use from a lived experience perspective.

One of VMIAC’s main objectives is to ensure lived experience voices are not only heard but acted on. We couldn’t be happier that Isha has this well-deserved opportunity to do just that.

Read more: https://buff.ly/dCHwKgy

14/08/2026

We’re launching a Lunch & Learn Series to give VMIAC members opportunities to come together online to connect with our community and learn more about the work we do.

To kick off the series, we’ll be sharing the presentations we gave at this year’s TheMHS Conference.

You’ll learn about:

- systemic stigma
- barriers to voting for people in psychiatric units during elections
- the politics of impairment in the NDIS
- and CLIG, our consumer leadership program.

The presentations will be followed by a Q&A then you can join breakout rooms to share your thoughts and connect with other members.

We’d love to see you there.

9 September
12pm – 1pm
On Zoom

Register https://buff.ly/ZiZsUs6

Not a member? Join for access to future member events https://buff.ly/hL9L8LX

29/07/2026

UPDATE: All spots are now filled!

We’re heading to Sale to run training on the Alternatives to Su***de (Alt2Su) approach to supporting people with suicidal thoughts.

Alt2Su is a lived experience-led approach that teaches you how to have meaningful conversations about su***de and distress. It offers an alternative framework for understanding and responding to suicidal experiences.

The training is free for the Victorian mental health workforce across all disciplines and is a great opportunity to build your skills and create supports for your community.

Please share this opportunity with your mental health workforce networks, teams and colleagues. And please note: places are limited so we encourage you to register asap.

If you have any questions, contact [email protected]

Date: 17 - 18 Sept 2026
Time: 9am to 5pm
Location: The Quest, Sale

Register now https://buff.ly/sURbSWb

Address

Tenancy 3&4, Level 3, 80 Dorcas Street
South Melbourne, VIC
3006

Opening Hours

Monday	10am - 4pm
Tuesday	10am - 4pm
Wednesday	10am - 4pm
Thursday	10am - 4pm
Friday	10am - 4pm

Telephone

(03) 9380 3900

Website

http://www.vmiac.org.au/

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