JOIN US FOR THE 33rd ANNUAL MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES CONFERENCE, ADELAIDE:

Making Rights Real – bringing humanity and human rights into mental health

15 – 18 AUGUST

ADELAIDE CONVENTION CENTRE

Humanity, compassion and equity are key elements of a mental health system that incorporates human rights into its culture of care. Since the pandemic, we know that people who were previously marginalised have become even more marginalised, especially those who experience distress or mental illness.

Ensuring access to safe, inclusive services is a constant challenge for a pressured mental health services workforce, which is also implementing ongoing reforms.

We need to support people to define their own experience and seek help when they first need it. How well do our systems and services support the rights of everyone needing mental health care and support?

What changes are needed in the organisational culture of mental health services to enable person-centred, compassionate care that takes account of the whole person?

Are there different approaches to service development and service delivery that would better ensure the rights of people needing those services?

How could education and training of the workforce better support compassionate and rights-based services? Most importantly, how would the experience of people seeking support and wellness (tangata whaiora) be improved?

TheMHS Adelaide will explore the principles and practicalities of making rights real, including legal frameworks, organisational culture, stigma, discrimination and evidence -based alternatives to re-traumatising practices.

People from across multi-disciplinary perspectives, including lived experience, family and whānau, First Nations’ peoples and clinicians and researchers, will share practical examples of what is working to make rights real in Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand.

KEY DATES

Abstract Submissions • Closed 17 March

EARLY BIRD REGISTRATIONS • Close 2 June

TheMHS Conference • 15-18 August 2023

ABOUT TheMHS CONFERENCE

The annual TheMHS Conference is held in a different city around Australia and New Zealand each year and attracts approximately 1,000 delegates annually.

The Mental Health Services Conference is strongly interdisciplinary and multisectoral – making TheMHS Conference the place to be for networking in the mental health sector. Our delegates come from a diverse range of personal and professional backgrounds including clinicians, managers, consumers, carers, researchers, educators and policy makers.

We know that it is important to hear not just from researchers and clinicians, but also from consumers, carers and service managers. Our program reflects the diversity of the mental health sector and our keynotes are selected to bring the very best and latest insights into issues of mental health and wellbeing.