Victorian Mental Health Carer Support Fund

What is it?

The Mental Health Carer Support Fund aims to meet the needs of family members and friends supporting a person who is receiving services from a Victorian Area Mental Health Service.

It provides funding to assist people in their support role, to promote and sustain the relationship, and improve the wellbeing of families and members of the community performing this role.

Funds can be used for a range of purposes to benefit carers. Each application is for a maximum of $850. In total, a maximum of $1,000 will be approved per financial year.

Eligibility

Family members or friends* who are supporting a person who is receiving services from an Area Mental Health Service (AMHS) are eligible to receive money through the Carer Support Fund. Tandem encourage clinicians, managers and lived experience workforce personnel at Area Mental Health Services to ensure that families and carers are aware of this avenue of support for them in their caring role.

What can the CSF be used for?

• Transport and/or costs associated with visiting the person with a mental illness in hospital or accompanying them to medical appointments as appropriate in your supporting role.
• Carer education programs and conferences that promote knowledge and understanding of mental illness and the mental health system; and to support carer resilience, self-care and wellbeing.
• Respite. Opportunities for the carer to have a break from the caring role.
• Educational expenses. Opportunities for the carer to pursue vocational opportunities through short-term educational activities.
• Counselling. Short term counselling, provided by a practitioner outside the mental health service, to address the emotional and relationship impacts of caring for someone with a mental illness.
• Reimbursement of costs (that cannot be claimed through other Department of Health concessions or other funding sources for carers) incurred by the carer on behalf of the person for whom they care.
• Wellbeing activities for carers, individually or in groups, to access opportunities such as yoga, meditation, sporting activities, art, music or other recreational activities to support their personal wellbeing.
• The Fund may be used to support activity for a group of carers such as attendance at a conference or sporting event.

Funds will not be provided for services that are the responsibility of the Area Mental Health Service.

Further information

Visit Tandem Carers | Carer Support Fund.

Apply

All applications are made through Area Mental Health Services. Please contact your local AMHS to apply. If you are unsure of your local AMHS, please contact Tandem Carers.