The Mental Illness Fellowship Australia’s (MIFA) core strength is in amplifying the voice of people living with severe mental health conditions, their families, and friends. They advocate for positive changes in all areas of social and public policy that impact on the quality of life of people living with severe mental health conditions, and their families and friends. MIFA is a Federation of State and Territory based mental health service providers. They create collaborative projects and communities of practice to deliver effective, quality supports.
MIFA is leading a national advocacy alliance to deliver a national campaign to address the gap in psychosocial supports. They have brought together over 40 organisations from the sector – including lived experience organisations, National and State and Territory peak bodies, leading mental health service providers and MIFA Member organisations – to collaborate on this national campaign and deliver a united message to all governments in all jurisdictions about how to address the gap in psychosocial supports.
MIFA delivers national awareness-raising and anti-stigma media campaigns for Schizophrenia Awareness Week in May and Mental Health Week in October. These campaigns play a vital role in encouraging people to reach out when they need help, that they are not alone, and that recovery is possible. MIFA convenes Parliamentary Friends of Mental Health events at Parliament House in Canberra to raise awareness of mental health reform issues. Around 40 Federal politicians from all political parties attend. Speakers with lived experience, researchers and leaders in the mental health field share insights and solutions to some of the problems people face in the current mental health service landscape.
MIFA will continue to collaborate with peak bodies, other mental health stakeholders, and government and agency stakeholders in pursuit of our strategic priorities and vision. MIFA collaborates directly with Ministers and Shadow Ministers, Government departments, the NDIA, the National Mental Health Commission, mental health peak bodies at the national and State and Territory levels and lived experience organisations to amplify the voice of lived experience and represent the needs and interests of MIFA’s Member organisations.
Learn more: mifa.org.au
