Tandem Carers

12/03/2026

Reminder: this month’s Tandem Time is next Wednesday, March 18. Join us to learn about the upcoming Connect Centre Evaluation project, and how you can be involved. This is a good chance to share your thoughts and feedback on the Mental Health and Wellbeing Connect centres and learn about the evaluation process.

Wednesday, 18 March, 12pm to 1pm, online via Zoom

Register here: tandemcarers.org.au/events

08/03/2026

Tandem’s Support and Referral Line will be closed on Monday 9 March for the Labour Day public holiday.

If you or someone you support is in crisis tomorrow, please call:

Lifeline: 13 11 14
Su***deLine: 1300 651 251
13YARN (First Nations crisis support): 13 92 76
Thirrili postvention su***de support: 1800 805 801
LGBTIQA+ Rainbow Door: 1800 729 367
QLife: 1800 184 527
Beyond Blue: 1300 224 636
Kids Helpline: 1800 551 800
Su***de Call Back Service: 1300 659 467

07/03/2026

Women and gender diverse people make up the majority of mental health carers in Australia.

Every day, they balance providing support to someone with work, looking after other family members and their own wellbeing. This International Women’s Day, we make a call to ‘Balance the Scales’ and ensure that all mental health carers are seen, supported and given a voice.

We also acknowledge the knowledge, strength and leadership of the women and gender-diverse people who use and have used their lived experience to advocate for change in our mental health and wellbeing system.

Find out more about our advocacy work at https://tandemcarers.org.au/advocacy

Sign our letter calling on the State Government to protect lived experience leadership in Victoria at: https://tandemcarers.org.au/p/p/Contents/Advocacy-and-Policy/Protect-lived-experience-leadership.aspx?utm_campaign=entities-bill&utm_source=social&utm_medium=facebook

05/03/2026

Want to make the candidates pay attention to mental health carers before the state election?

Tandem Ambassadors are everyday family, carers and supporters of people experiencing mental health challenges, trauma or distress. The Ambassadors are a huge part of Tandem’s campaign in the leadup to November’s state election to make sure political decisionmakers understand what’s at stake for people like us.

We’re having our first meeting next Wednesday 11 March from 2pm.

There are heaps of ways to get involved, even if you only have a small amount of time to spare.

You will receive training and support to:
📢Working with our media team and talking to journalists about what it’s really like on the front lines of the mental health crisis
📢Guiding Tandem’s advocacy work during the campaign
📢Writing to or meeting directly with MPs and political candidates to share your own story
📢Meeting lots of like-minded family, carers and supporters of people with mental health challenges

Any Tandem member can become an Ambassador, and if you’re not yet a Tandem member, it’s free to join.

Learn more and register here: www.tandemcarers.org.au/ambassadors

02/03/2026

Tandem member Lindsay Snell helped to co-design Victoria’s mental health reforms. Like many with lived experience, she’s gutted that changes before Parliament could undo this hard-won progress.

“I was really excited and hopeful change was coming. Now, not so much. All the valuable work from these projects, and the countless submissions made on our behalf, seem to have been disregarded and returned to the too hard basket,” she says.

“I feel a huge amount of grief and frustration about this, especially for those who have been fighting hard for change for decades. It all feels a bit hopeless right now, a slap in the face if I’m honest. Just another tick box exercise to say consultation was done.”

Today, the Upper House is considering changes that would roll back lived experience leadership and independent oversight. We can’t afford to lose this. Act before midday today - email your MP now by personalising the letter at https://bit.ly/4r57WzG

02/03/2026

It has been 5 years since the Royal Commission into Victoria’s Mental Health System tabled its final report – and yet this week, the Victorian Upper House will be debating changes that would see lived experience leadership positions culled and independent oversight of the mental health and wellbeing system slashed.

Please act TODAY by emailing Victoria’s MPs to ask them to use their vote to protect lived experience leadership in mental health. Send an email via our website at https://bit.ly/4r57WzG

Tandem respectfully acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the unceded lands and waters on which we live and work across Victoria. Tandem is committed to working in partnership alongside Aboriginal communities to support the principles of self-determination and ensure the voices of the First Nations...

02/03/2026

Introduction by Croakey: As Croakey and other media outlets have reported extensively, the Victorian Labor Government's plans to abolish VicHealth

02/03/2026

Update: The deadline for applications has been extended to 5pm, 18th March, 2026, as some applicants have requested more time to complete their applications at this busy time for the workforce.

See details below to submit an application.

Reminder: applications close next Sunday for the Family Carer Lived and Living Experience Workforce Development Research Grants.

Tandem’s Family Carer Lived and Living Experience (FCLLE) Workforce Development Research Grants offer up to $15,000 to lead your own research project.

This is a chance to:

🔹 Build your research skills
🔹 Advance the FCLE workforce
🔹 Create meaningful change for family, carers and supporters
🔹 Be supported through mentoring, coaching and a dedicated research symposium

👉 Learn more and apply before Sunday 8 March: https://tandemcarers.org.au/research-grants

28/02/2026

Reminder: applications close next Sunday for the Family Carer Lived and Living Experience Workforce Development Research Grants.

Tandem’s Family Carer Lived and Living Experience (FCLLE) Workforce Development Research Grants offer up to $15,000 to lead your own research project.

This is a chance to:

🔹 Build your research skills
🔹 Advance the FCLE workforce
🔹 Create meaningful change for family, carers and supporters
🔹 Be supported through mentoring, coaching and a dedicated research symposium

👉 Learn more and apply before Sunday 8 March: https://tandemcarers.org.au/research-grants

27/02/2026

Join us for this Month’s Tandem Time to learn about the upcoming Connect Centre Evaluation project, and how you can be involved. This is a good chance to share your thoughts and feedback on the Mental Health and Wellbeing Connect centres and learn about the evaluation process.

Wednesday, 18 March, 12pm to 1pm, online via Zoom

Register here: tandemcarers.org.au/events

27/02/2026

There’s heaps on at Western Metro Mental Health and Wellbeing Connect centre.
They’re hosting a Family Fun Day with arts and crafts, facepainting, live music, a barbecue lunch, and more, on 14 March from 11am-3pm.

Register here: https://events.humanitix.com/family-fun-day-westernmhwc

They’re also holding a wedding-themed movie night featuring Muriel’s Wedding, My Big Fat Greek Wedding and My Best Friend’s Wedding, on 19 March from 5:30pm.

RSVP via phone on 0429 564 269 or at WesternMHWConnect@jss.org.au

Both events are at the Western Metro connect centre, 20 Hertford Road, Sunshine.

They also host support groups for family, carers and supporters of people with mental health challenges:

• Carers’ Social Support Group (fortnightly on Wednesdays)
• Carers’ Nature Walks (fortnightly on Wednesdays)
• Carers’ Nature Hikes (fortnightly on Thursdays)
• Mindfulness Sessions (Monday mornings and Tuesday evenings)
• In The Making (craft session) (fortnightly on Fridays)

To enquire or register, call 0429 564 269 or email WesternMHWConnect@jss.org.au

25/02/2026

The mental health sector has spoken in unison in today’s Age to stop lived experience leadership in the mental health and wellbeing system being gutted by State Government cost-cutting.

An open letter cosigned by Tandem, along with VMIAC - Victorian Mental Illness Awareness Council, SHARC, the Health and Community Services Union (HACSU) and more than a dozen other leading organisations in the sector has been published in the full by the newspaper in an article that says that upper house MPs are likely to block the changes.

The proposed changes are contained in the Entities Bill. They would abolish senior lived experience roles at the Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission (MHWC) and Victorian Collaborative Centre for Mental Health and Wellbeing – and include cutting the role of Carer Commissioner from the MHWC. They also reduce the powers of the Commission.

“These roles were not symbolic. They were structural safeguards designed to ensure reform did not drift back to decisions being made about people, rather than with them,” the joint letter says. “This should alarm anyone who cares about transparency, accountability and public trust.”

Age subscribers can read the article online at https://bit.ly/4seLe9k

You can read our letter at https://bit.ly/4qUcF6W