NMHCCF Submission on Developing the National Carer Strategy

Introduction

The NMHCCF welcomes the opportunity to provide a submission to DSS through their public consultation process in relation to the development of the National Carer Strategy. As the national voice for those with a lived and living experience of mental-ill health, as well as their family, supporters, kin, and carers, the NMHCCF sees it as vital to provide input and recommendations to the development of Australia’s National Carer Strategy to better support the family, supporters, kin, and carers of those with mental ill-health. Through a consultation process with members of the NMHCCF, this submission uncovers several key themes that relate to the appropriate inclusion of mental health carers in a National Carer Strategy, including:

• Recognition and legislative support.
• Mental health and carer wellbeing.
• Language and terminology.
• Support, respite, and services.
• Co-production and lived experience.
• Cultural considerations.

With the NMHCCF being the national voice for and by people with lived and living experience of mental-ill health and their family, supporters, kin, and carers, it is in a unique position to provide the following recommendations:

1. 1. 1.1: The National Carer Strategy to provide a list of principles, enforceable rights, and actionable outcomes for carers for the states and territories to implement under their respective Carers Recognition Acts.
   2. 1.2: The National Carer Strategy must include the three key principles: 1) equity for carers, 2) a human rights-based approach, and 3) a whole-of-family approach to care.
   3. 1.3: Included in its list of enforceable rights, the National Carer Strategy must articulate the rights to employment, education, access and equity to services, superannuation, respite, and safety (including physical, financial, emotional, spiritual, and cultural).
   4. 1.4: The National Carer Strategy to tie its recommendations to enforceable national standards to ensure meaningful and actionable outcomes.
2. The National Carer Strategy to incorporate the findings from recent studies to emphasise the mental health impact on carers and to strengthen the case for better support for mental health carers.
3. The National Carer Strategy to use more inclusive language to reduce stigma and cultural barriers, as well as strong, direct language to ensure the effective implementation of actions in the Strategy.
4. 1. 4.1: The National Carer Strategy to address funding and service gaps and availability of support services to carers, particularly in rural and regional areas and for older persons.
   2. 4.2: The National Carer Strategy to promote service-awareness and improve navigation channels to the services and supports that are available to carers.
5. The National Carer Strategy to highlight the importance of trauma-informed respite for a person with a psychosocial disability receiving care.
6. The National Carer Strategy to ensure that carers' voices, particularly those with lived experience in mental health, are central to any strategic planning or policymaking.
7. The National Carer Strategy to use culturally sensitive language that reflects the diversity of caregiving roles across different communities and provide a broader definition of “family” to emphasise the many different forms that caring relationships take. In addition, the National Carer Strategy to formally recognise the value of peer support workers.
8. The Australian Government to provide sufficient funding to accompany and fully implement all the above recommendations.

Submission

Developing the National Carer Strategy