About the VMIAC

The Victorian Mental Illness Awareness Council (VMIAC) provides a service and a voice for people who use mental health services in Victoria

To people who identify as experiencing, or having experienced, problems of mental or emotional well-being, the VMIAC offers:

• support
• advocacy
• referrals
• education
• information

Membership of the VMIAC is open to these people and associate membership is open to all people who support the aims of the organisation.

The VMIAC is dedicated to:

• improving the public mental health system in Victoria
• ensuring the the legal rights of all Victorians under the Mental Health Act 1986 are upheld
• improving the level of consumer participation in their own treatment
• improving the level of consumer participation in the planning, design, operation and evaluation of mental health services.

Our Vision

The VMIAC will always work towards ensuring that people with a mental illness or emotional problems are at all times treated with respect, dignity, fairness and honesty, ensuring their right to empowerment, personhood and equal citizenship.

To this end, the core purposes of the VMIAC will be to ensure that people with a mental illness or emotional problems receive natural justice (a fair go) in all areas of their life.

In working towards the VMIAC's core purpose, our endeavours will be measured by a future where all people who work in the area of mental health have an attitude that reflects a commitment to ensure natural justice for all people using mental health and other associated services.

VMIAC Funding

The VMIAC receives funding from both the State and Commonwealth governments on an annual basis. As a result, the VMIAC is required to sign an annual Service Agreement with the Department of Family and Community Services (Commonwealth) and the Department of Human Services (State).

The Commonwealth program is called the Group Advocacy Program and the State program is referred to as the Core Program. Both the State and Commonwealth departments require the VMIAC to achieve certain objectives.

Other work we do

TheMHS

The VMIAC as part of its funding and Service Agreement receives funding from the Department of Human Services to take a group of consumers to The Mental Health Service (TheMHS) conference each year.

Senate Inquiry

The VMIAC has been asked to participate in a Senate inquiry into Mental Health Services in Australia. The following is the letter of acceptance from the Director and an outline of the VMIAC's position on some key issues.Follow the following link to find out more about this subject:

• Senate Inquiry

Research

From time to time the VMIAC has received funding to undertake specific research projects.

Those published include:

• Rural Mental Health Consultation Project Consumer Consultation Executive Summary. (For access to the full report see Consumer Research on this site under Publications Understanding and Involvement)
• Lemon Tree Project
• Unfinished Business
• Consumer and Carer Service Satisfaction pilot survey 2006-07

ACHS Work

The Director is an Australia Council of Health Care Standards (ACHS) consumer surveyor and in this role is required to survey the ACHS standards in leadership. The work provides a very positive opportunity to view the work of mental health services Australia wide.

Government Committees

Recently, the Director had been involved in various government committees including the MAC and COAG subcommittees providing a voice for consumers at government level.