QMHW Grants open for 2018

A grant pool of $85,000 is up for grabs as the Queensland Mental Health Week (QMHW) grant program opens for 2018.

The grants were launched today by Queensland Mental Health Commissioner Ivan Frkovic and Queensland Alliance for Mental Health (QAMH) Chief Executive Kris Trott.

Mr Frkovic said a range of community organisations across the State were eligible to apply for grants up to a maximum of $2500 each to make their mental health week event a success.

“The grants focus on events that promote good mental health and wellbeing, create understanding of mental illness and engage and include people with lived experience of mental illness,” Mr Frkovic said.

“Grassroots community events that teach us how to sustain our mental health are an important driver of mental health week.

“Just like our physical health, we all need to value and actively work at maintaining our mental health, which acts like a buffer when life gets challenging,” he said.

“We can all enjoy good mental health and wellbeing most of the time, whether or not we live with mental illness.”

Queensland Alliance for Mental Health Chief Executive Kris Trott said creating a more understanding society was another important focus of mental health week events.

“Mental illness doesn’t discriminate. It can affect any one of us at any time, regardless of age, sex, class or race, so we should all know more about it.

“Mental health week events that focus on increasing knowledge of living well with mental illness and creating a supportive environment for people living with a mental illness will be viewed favourably under the grant program.

“It’s also important to create an environment where people with experience of a mental illness are recognised as valued and contributing members of the community.”

Queensland Alliance for Mental Health is administering the grant program on behalf of the Queensland Mental Health Commission.

The grant program opens on 2 July 2018, and close at 5.00pm on Monday 6 August 2018.

Guidelines and application forms are available on the  QMHW website.