NDS is one of several organisations working with the Victorian Department of Health to ensure the disability sector contributes to mental health and wellbeing reforms. The reforms are being developed to address the recommendation of the Royal Commission on Victoria’s Mental Health system.

Invitations are now open to a series of Department of Health Diverse Communities Mental Health and Wellbeing conversation sessions. The sessions will explore what good mental health means for people with disability and providers, and how the system can be more responsive, accessible, safe, and inclusive for people from diverse communities.

Disability service providers are asked to share the invitation with participants, families, or carers to support the inclusion of lived experience.

Service providers are also invited to nominate a representative to attend the conversation for providers.

Sessions for people with a disability, their family members, carers

• Registration is now open for the conversation sessions for people who have lived experiences of mental health concerns or illness, or experience as a family member, carer, or support someone with a disability
• All sessions will be facilitated in a manner that ensures mental health safety is prioritised for all those participating
• Groups will be limited to 25 people and lived experience participants will be remunerated for their involvement
• Attendees are invited to choose one online session only and select a focus group that best reflects their life experiences

Focus groups include a disability-specific focus or one of the other focus sessions. These include LGBTIQ+; culturally and linguistically diverse; rural and regional based communities; or a general community group session.

Download a Diverse Communities group session flyer [pdf] or an Easy Read version to share details of the conversations.

NDS also has several translated versions of the information flyer available on request from Deniz Akin.

Session for disability sector providers

This session will be held on Tuesday, 11 October 2022 at 1pm to 3pm. 

To register, refer to Disability sector and services at Mental Health Reforms Diverse Communities.

NDS Diverse Communities Mental Health and Wellbeing Project

As a member of the Diverse Communities Working Group, NDS can assist with any questions about the conversation sessions. NDS is identifying service providers particularly interested in mental health issues, to provide informal advice to our engagement with the reforms. NDS will also focus on other opportunities for input and discussion into the reforms process as part of our Diverse Communities Mental Health and Wellbeing project.