Being Competitors

Situated in the Latrobe Valley in the heart of Gippsland, Barrier Breakers Inc is a mental health advocacy organisation committed to providing both systemic and individual advocacy services to improve the quality of life of people who experience mental illness in the region. Established in 2006, the association’s membership is Gippsland-wide and consists of parents/carers with family members suffering a mental illness, patients/consumers, medical practitioners and other concerned citizens. The association is an incorporated entity and is a tax exempt charity. It is administered by a nine member Board of Directors, which includes health administrators and mental health professionals, GPs, Carers and business professionals. There is no other similar organisation in the Gippsland region.

We’re the peak Victorian non-government organisation for people with lived experience of mental health or emotional issues. The Victorian Mental Illness Awareness Council (VMIAC) was formed in 1981 during the International Year of Disabled Persons and was incorporated in 1986. We have made a commitment to the establishment of a National Consumer Peak Alliance with other existing state and territory based mental health consumer peak bodies. VMIAC’s CEO is Maggie Toko.

Since 1996, Marrin Weejali has been providing alcohol and other drug services to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and to non-Indigenous clients living in the Sydney metropolitan area, and to people visiting from the country. The vast majority of our clients, though, live in Western and South-Western Sydney. Our model of service is based upon a spiritual and cultural healing approach. Our services are free of charge. Clients can either refer themselves (either by telephone or walk-in), or be referred by an agency (e.g. a GP, the justice system, DoCS, community agencies).