Living with mentally ill health impacts the lives of individuals and their families.
BEING – Mental Health Consumers, an independent, NSW peak organisation working with and for people with lived/living experience of mental health issues and emotional distress has been tackling this issue for 30 years.
BEING has been forging systemic change for people living with mentally ill health and has pioneered achievements to ensure the voices of people with mental health issues are heard by policy makers and the community.
BEING celebrated these achievements at their 30th anniversary at the NSW parliament house on 9 November 2022, with a number of high-profile attendees.
Showing up in support of the organisation’s achievements were advocates, the NSW Mental Health Commissioner Catherine Lourey, and the Hon. Bronnie Taylor, the Minister for Mental Health.
The celebration included a daytime event for consumers and carers to share ideas and feedback on how BEING has been conducting their advocacy work for the past 30 years.
They concluded the celebration with an evening of celebration in recognition for the class of 92 who founded and shaped the movement and direction of BEING.
In the last couple of years, BEING has collaborated with other key players in the mental health sector, including the NSW Ministry of Health, Mental Health Carers NSW and various Primary Health Networks to centre the voices of those living with mentally ill health.
BEING’s achievements and accomplishments can be seen through their work in developing a series of co-designed informational resources to help who living with mentally ill health better understand and navigate the NSW Mental Health Act 2007 No.8 and the Mental Health and Cognitive Impairment Forensic Provisions Act 2020 No.12.
BEING has also been involved in the development and implementation of the Regional Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Plan (2019-2022).
The work of BEING has allowed for the engagement of people with a lived experience of mental health issues to engage as valued voices within the discourse around structural reform.
In 2020, BEING launched the BEING Leadership Academy which offer a range of courses and workshops developed to enhance knowledge and build skills for people living with mental health issues to be better skilled, equipped and involved within the mental health sector.
“With a long-standing history, BEING is now developing a capacity building portfolio, to support people dealing with the day-to-day impacts of mental health issues, as well as supporting the expansion and growth of the lived experience workforce,” Ms Priscilla Brice, CEO of BEING, said.
“We are a values-based organisation whose work is bolstered by recovery-oriented and trauma-informed principles,” Ms Brice added.
“We are very proud of how far we’ve come as an organisation and everything we’ve accomplished over the past 30 years,” Mr Fayez Nour, Chair of BEING said.
“BEING remains committed to ensuring its sustainability and advocacy role,” Mr Nour continued.
“We will continue to ensure the voices of people with lived/living experience of mental health issues are heard by policy makers, service providers and the community and advise the State Government to drive further systemic change.”
To see more about the values and work of BEING, visit https://being.org.au/
Elle Angelucci
Elle Angelucci is a dedicated writer who is focused on pushing the boundaries of creativity to achieve productive change within the community. Currently completing her Juris Doctor at Monash University, Elle is working to tell the story of organisations and individuals using innovative approaches to effect change in the family violence and mental health spaces. She is devoted to exploring complex ideas and utilising writing as a way to express these to cultivate community, connection and courage.
