CDI Consumer Group

Name of Group Australian Mental Health Consumer Network

State Based QLD

Town or Suburb South Brisbane

Description of the group NB: Although our office is located in South Brisbane, AMHCN is the National peak body for mentla health consumers in Australia. We are linked with consumer organisations in Australian states and territories as well as with national mental health consumer organisations in seven other countries through Interrelate.

Year the group was formed 1996

Area covered by the group National

Approx number of consumer members 3000

Membership criteria Ordinary members are people with a lived experience of mental distress; associate members are individuals or organisations who support the vision and mission of the AMHCN.

Leadership structure of the group Ordinary members elect state and territory based delegates to a national advisory group, who then elect a five-member Board from amongst their own number. Thus all Board members are consumers, and have been authorised by their peers to speak on their behalf.

History of the group The Australian Mental Health Consumer Network was formed by consumers for consumers at TheMHS in Brisbane in 1996. The first money it collected came from the pockets of consumers, who tossed whatever they could spare into buckets circulated amongst them. Funds were so tight that even the buckets were returned for a refund once they had served their purpose. By these actions, consumers asserted their determination to shape their own destinies and to establish a national alliance in which we could support each other on our road to recovery. From these inspirational beginnings has grown the Network we know today—a consumer-run national organisation with members in every state and territory, based on democratic principles and recognised by government as having vital input to national deliberations about mental health policy and service delivery.

Contact details for Australian Mental Health Consumer Network

  Ms Helen Connor

Postal address

Email helenc@amhcn.org.au

Phone 07 3844 3009

Website www.amhcn.org.au