MHACA has a structured advocacy role and focuses on systems-based advocacy. A key focus is to advocate on behalf of participants as well as to support participants to speak out themselves. The Association is represented on several local, state and national organisations and regularly relays information both to and from these networks. These include:

• Mental Health Council of Australia (national peak body)
• NT Mental Health Coalition (state peak body)
• NT Community Advisory Group (to the minister)
• Alice Springs Primary Health Care Collaborative Meeting

Through ongoing involvement in the NT Mental Health Coalition and NTCAG MHACA assists participants to ‘speak out’ through supporting individuals’ attendance at meetings, training, events and paid participation on panels and forums. Locally, MHACA has focused on extending the range of options for client access to treatment, care and support, and has referred and supported people with personal complaints to the Disability Advocacy Service or the Community Visitor Program.

Partnership activities
Throughout the past few years partnership activities undertaken by management have included:

• CAMHS: Accreditation Meetings / Executive Meetings / CACAG
• NT Mental Health Coaltion: Ongoing development in the sector
  and Mental Health Week activities
• General Practice Network NT: Mental Health Interagency Group
• Headspace : Consortium Member
• Salvation Army: Agreements and activities in conjunction with
  Subacute and D2DL programs
• Reclink Activities: in conjunction with Pathways & D2DL Programs
• GROW NT: Auspicing service as part of the D2DL program
• SANE Media Consultation Project: Media Stigma Project
• Centrelink: Disability Support Pension Reforms Workshop

Advocacy forums

Advocacy forums MHACA has participated in include:

• CAMHS Executive Meetings
  
  
• Division of Primary Health Care Mental Health Interagency Group
  
  
• NT Mental Health Coalition
  
  
• Northern Territory Community Advisory Group
  
  
• Ausienet Consumer/Carer committee
  
  
• Mental Health Council of Central Australia
  
  
• Life Promotions Steering Committee
  
  
• Life Promotions Tennant Creek Reference Group

Participant Action & Involvement

MHACA invites and encourages participants to contribute to the development of the organisation through regular feedback. Structures such as the monthly Participant Forum get-togethers provide an informal gathering for participants to get-together over a meal and discuss options, policies, changes, issues and ideas to be fed back to MHACA. This get-together is important for participants to have a say about how staff can better improve services. A critical focus of the forum is to have participants drive the event themselves to encourage and create self-motivation and help with task-orientated skills.

Boards, committees and organisations

MHACA is represented on the following boards and committees:

• NT Council of Social Services (NTCOSS)
  
  
• Australian Council of Social Services (ACOSS)
  
  
• NT Primary Mental Health Interagency Reference Group
  
  
• NT ACROD

and is a member of the following organisations:

• Northern Territory Community Advisory Group
  
  
• NT Mental Health Coalition
  
  
• NT Health Consumers Voice
  
  
• NT Chamber of Commerce
  
  
• NT ACROD
  
  
• NT Council of Social Services
  
  
• NT ARAFMI