Being Competitors

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.

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.

KARAPATAN is an alliance of human rights organizations and programs, human rights desks and committees of people's organizations, and individual advocates committed to the defense and promotion of people's rights and civil liberties. It monitors and documents cases of human rights violations, assists and defends victims and conducts education, training and campaign.