The latest news from Arafmi
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Arafmi CEO, Irene Clelland acting as MC at the 2026 Leading Reform Summit.
Hello everyone,
I cannot believe it is already June – the year is rushing by. Probably because it’s so busy.
For instance, last week I had the privilege of being one of two MCs at the Queensland Mental Health Commission’s annual conference, Leading Reform. The room was packed with people working in the mental health, alcohol and other drugs, and suicide prevention sectors; people working in government departments and health services, not for profit community services, many with Lived/Living Experience of being consumers and carers. It was an intense couple of days of discussion.
I believe that having me (the CEO of the state’s peak body for mental health carers) as MC of this important event, helps to spotlight you – the carer. In addition, our Lived Experience Advocacy Lead Sue Goodwin was also part of a panel, sharing the importance of including carers’ views in designing systems and services.
Arafmi also had a stall at the event, with Sue and Sasha Ong from our Advocacy team answering many questions and spreading the word about the challenges and experiences facing mental health carers in Queensland.
It was the second Leading Reform Summit for Sue and she had some positive reflections on what's changed in those short years. “There is more discussion about the role of carers, more people mentioning carers and the impacts on them,” Sue says.
It’s heartening to hear. We know we have a lot of work ahead of us in improving systems and building support for carers, but at least we’re making inroads in building awareness of mental health carers.
The summit was also something of a farewell for Queensland Mental Health Commissioner Ivan Frkovic, who will be finishing his term at the end of June. He has been a stalwart supporter of Arafmi and mental health carers, and so I would like to thank him and wish him all the best for whatever comes next.
Hope you have a great month,
Irene.
What's On for Carers
Looking to connect, learn something new or take some time for yourself?
Arafmi is hosting free events for mental health carers across Queensland this June.
Click the images below to find out more.
The NDIS: What We Know
Looking for clear, accurate information about changes to the NDIS?
Join Arafmi for a free session for mental health carers supporting someone with an NDIS plan. We'll share what is currently on the public record about the changes.
In-person: Monday 8 June, 9.30am–11.00am, Mt Coot-tha Botanic Gardens Café. Register here
Online: Monday 15 June, 5.30pm–6.30pm, Microsoft Teams. Register here
June workshops: practical support for carers
Caring for someone can feel overwhelming at times. Whether you want to learn how to respond in a crisis, set healthy boundaries or support yourself through challenges, our free June workshops are here to help.
All workshops are free for mental health carers in Queensland.
Click on the image below to register for a workshop that interests you.
Is it time to recharge?
Living Well Sessions give mental health carers a chance to step away from the pressures of caring and focus on their own wellbeing.
Join us for a range of free activities across Brisbane, including nature walks, creative sessions, journalling, and opportunities to connect with others.
Free for mental health carers.
Dates:
- Friday 5 June, GOMA: Notice - Art, reflection & quiet connection
- Tuesday 9 June, Teneriffe: Held - Nature, creativity & restoration
- Thursday 11 June, Logan: Reconnect - Forest grounding & gentle movement,
- Wednesday 17 June, Windsor: Grow - Community connection & shared learning
- Friday 19 June, Roma Street Parklands: Lighten - Men’s connection & reset
- Tuesday 23 June, Mount Coot-tha Botanic Gardens: Grounded - Botanical reflection & nature connection
- Thursday 25 June, Teneriffe: Unfold - Journalling & reflective reset
Drop in with the Arafmi Carer Gateway team
Drop in for a chat with our friendly Carer Support Facilitators. Get information, support and resources to help in your caring role.
Nambour
Where: Wellways Carer Gateway, A1 24 Lowe Street, Nambour
When: Tuesdays, 8:30am-4:30 pm
Upper Mount Gravatt
Where: Wellways Carer Hub, 1993 Logan Road, Upper Mount Gravatt
When: Fridays, 8:30am-4:30pm
Strathpine
Where: Strathpine Medicare Mental Health Centre, 7/327 Gympie Road, Strathpine
When: Wednesday (fortnightly), 9:30am-4:30pm
Townsville
Where: Medicare Mental Health Centre, 32 Walker Street, Townsville City
When: Tuesdays & Thursdays, 10am-12pm
Cairns
Where: Wellways Carer Gateway, 141-143 Abbott Street, Cairns
When: Mondays, 12pm-2pm
Rockhampton
Where: Wellways Carer Gateway, 2/87 Archer Street, Rockhampton
When: Thursdays, 9am-2pm
Gladstone
Where: Wellways Carer Gateway, 1 Buller Street (corner of Derby and Buller Streets), South Gladstone
When: Fridays, 9am-2pm
Want to hear more about upcoming workshops, support groups and future events? Visit our website or follow us on socials.
Feature: Carer Story
Holding Hope
When he was very unwell… even leaving him, I would get in the car and I couldn’t breathe. It was that extreme stress. I just found it really hard to be away from him.
Three years ago, when her child was diagnosed with complex mental health challenges, Jane (not her real name) found herself in a world she never expected to navigate.
Hospitals. Care units. Long days on the road. Then years of trying to hold everything together at home.
At the beginning, it was very intensive. My child couldn’t be at home, so we spent a lot of time travelling to hospitals and care units. When they returned home, it became 24/7 care while I was still working.
Looking back, Jane remembers constantly trying to stay afloat.
You’re kind of like a duck on water… paddling underneath, but just trying to keep it together on the surface.
Much of that caring happened behind closed doors. While life carried on around her, Jane spent years making sure she was there when her child needed her.
People outside wouldn’t see that, and they’d wonder why I wouldn’t come out… but I didn’t go out for quite a few years. I needed to be there.
Then came a moment when she wasn't sure how much more she could take.
We nearly lost him and I didn’t know what to do.
I was at a very dark place… I didn’t know how we were going to keep going.
What helped wasn't someone offering her a solution. It was the people who stayed beside her through the hardest days.
Friends who listened. People who understood. Someone to talk her through the moments when everything felt unbearable. “It’s having people who understand exactly what it’s like… that are just really vital,” Jane explains
Over time, Jane says something began to shift. "Maybe there’s something wonderful on the other side of this very difficult place."
Today, the thing she remembers most isn't the crisis itself. It's the people who helped her through it.
It was great to have people hold hope for me when I was as hopeless as I felt then.
Policy and Advocacy
Urgent: Have your say on support for carers
The Queensland Carers (Recognition) Act 2008 is being reviewed, and this is a chance for carers to speak up about what needs to change.
We want to hear your thoughts on how carers can be better recognised, included and supported in decisions that affect them.
You can answer as much or as little of the survey as you like. Your feedback will help Arafmi speak up for Queensland mental health carers in our response to the review.
Survey closes on Sunday 14 June.
Carer Support Update
The peaceful surroundings of the Glass House Mountains at Arafmi's Sunshine Coast Carer Retreat.
Finding quiet in the Glass House Mountains
When was the last time you heard almost nothing? No traffic. No appointments, phones ringing or demands pulling you in different directions.
At Arafmi’s recent Sunshine Coast Carer Retreat in the Glass House Mountains, it was the quiet that many carers noticed first. “The carers remarked on just how clean the air felt,” said Arafmi worker Leslie Earle, who attended the retreat. “And how you just don't really notice how noisy the city gets and life in general gets until you step out of it.”
For a little while, the usual demands of daily life faded into the background. Some carers spent time talking with others who understood the reality of caring. Others wandered through the rainforest, sat quietly with a coffee or simply enjoyed having nowhere they needed to be.
For many, the nature walk was a highlight. Carers explored the Glass House Mountains at their own pace, taking in the surroundings and enjoying the chance to slow down. Afterwards, one carer summed up the experience in just a few words: “Spending time in nature and feeling grounded.”
“I think it was really good because the experience wasn't defined around being a carer,” Leslie said. “You had an opportunity to shape that day into the way that you wanted it to look like.”
One carer described the retreat as “an amazing gift.”
To have a free day away with a fabulous lunch and activities provided, with lovely staff to help is an amazing gift. It refreshes us carers a lot. It really helps to feel valued and cared about, thank you!
By the end of the retreat, Leslie noticed something shift. “It was really nice seeing carers just open up by the end of the day,” she said. Moments like that can mean everything.
Spotlight on Self Care
When was the last time you checked in on your own mental health?
When you’re supporting someone through mental health challenges, it’s easy for your own wellbeing to slip down the priority list. Over time, stress can build, sleep can suffer, and health check-ups can get pushed back.
Men’s Health Week (15–21 June) is a chance for male carers to pause and check-in on how they’re really going.
Greg Smith, founder of Men Care Too, says many men become so focused on caring responsibilities that they lose connection with their own needs and the people around them. His message to male carers is simple: “We’re not invincible.”
Often you are so focused on caring for your loved one that you put your own needs to the side. Many times you lose connections with your community - Greg Smith
Checking-in on your mental health can start with small steps:
- noticing when stress is building
- reconnecting with mates or community
- booking a GP appointment for a mental health check
- using an online mental health check-in tool
- reaching out for support before things feel overwhelming.
Because carers need care too.
Men’s mental health and support resources
👉 Beyond Blue Mental Health Check-in — free online mental health check-in tool
👉 MensLine Australia — free telephone and online support for men
👉 Medicare Mental Health — free mental health support and information
Take time to recharge this Men's Health Week
Male mental health carers are invited to join us for:
What: LIGHTEN – Men's Reset & Connection Day with Tai Chi
When: Friday 19 June
Where: Inner City Brisbane.
A gentle wellbeing day designed to help male carers slow down, reconnect and recharge through time outdoors, shared experiences and relaxed connection.
Carer Opportunities and Resources
More support is available. Explore free resources, events and opportunities from other organisations for mental health carers and the people they support.
Why the Disability Royal Commission Still Matters
More than two years after the Disability Royal Commission (DRC) Final Report was released, a new campaign from the Queensland Independent Disability Advocacy Network (QIDAN) warns that not enough action has followed.
The DRC made 222 recommendations to help create a safer and more inclusive Australia for people with disability. But according to QIDAN, only 3% have been fully acted on so far, while more than half have not been started.
QIDAN is now calling for an online tracker, so communities can see what governments have promised, what action has been taken, and what still needs to change. Because the DRC still matters.
Theatre scholarships now open!
Applications are now open for Queensland Shakespeare Ensemble’s 2026 Theatre of the Oppressed Scholarship.
The scholarship supports Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, and people with Lived Experience of incarceration or justice involvement, to attend a 5-day intensive exploring storytelling, theatre and social change.
📍 Avalon Theatre, St Lucia
📅 Mon 6 July – Fri 10 July
⏰ 9am – 5pm
Open to people aged 18+. Applications close Saturday 6 June.
Need someone to talk to?
Arafmi’s 24-hour Carer Support Line is here for mental health carers, 7 days a week including public holidays. Call for support, useful resources and simple coping tips.
You don't have to go through it alone.
Call us on 1300 554 660 (Brisbane) or 1800 351 881 (Regional QLD)
Got any feedback?
We’d love to hear from you. Whether it’s a compliment, suggestion or complaint,
your feedback helps us improve.
Arafmi acknowledges Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander peoples as the First Nations peoples of Australia and recognises their continuing connection to country, waters, kin, and communities. We pay our respect to Elders past, present and future and are committed to ensuring that Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander peoples voices are heard and respected across Queensland.
