Dear Carers,

In the past weeks, we have seen significant steps taken to further improve the delivery of services to some of the most vulnerable members of our community. We welcome these initiatives, as they will also provide much needed support to their families and carers.

The recent signing of a landmark bilateral agreement between the Commonwealth and ACT government will give way to more than $38 million being invested into mental health and suicide prevention support and services for the ACT community. This will benefit not only people with mental ill health, but their families and carers who are often their primary source of emotional and practical support. More importantly, greater focus on early intervention will ease the strain on our mental health system and allow mental health carers, and the people they care for, to access support early on before their needs becomes more challenging and complex.

The development of the ACT Disability Health Strategy is also currently underway which will pave the way for the implementation of more inclusive programs and services, and ensure better health outcomes for people with disabilities, their families, and carers across the ACT community. Our advocacy team, together with other carer representatives, are contributing to shaping this plan to ensure that the broader issues impacting carers of people with disability are considered in all relevant areas.

We would like to express our gratitude to Shaw Building Group for organising another successful bowls day fundraising event in March for our carer community. The donations from this event will ensure that we can continue delivering essential support programs that make such an enormous impact especially for young carers, enabling them to continue their education, achieve their life goals and maintain their wellbeing while fulfilling their caring roles.

As always, we are here to provide support and assistance anytime you need it. Please do not hesitate to call on us at (02) 6296 9900 or email us at carers@carersact.org.au if you need support.

I wish you all a meaningful and restful Easter break!

Warm regards,

Lisa Kelly

CEO