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It does not provide specific advice, which should be sought from an appropriately qualified professional person.
This site is made available on the condition that SANE, its officers and others involved in its production and dissemination shall not be held responsible for the results of any actions taken as a result of information or opinions taken in it.
Please read these Terms & Conditions which govern the use of all SANE (ABN 92 006 533 606) (SANE) websites (including any of the webpages located at www.sane.org, saneforums.org and the SANE Helpline Chat service (the SANE Websites)). Additional Terms and Conditions apply specifically to the SANE Forums (Forums), as set out below.
By using the SANE Websites, you agree with these Terms & Conditions and the SANE Privacy Policy (available at: https://www.sane.org/privacy). You must not use the SANE Websites if you do not agree to these Terms & Conditions and the SANE Privacy Policy.
SANE may amend these Terms & Conditions by posting the amended terms and conditions on the SANE Websites. Please check regularly for amendments. By continuing to access and use any of the SANE Websites, you will be deemed to have agreed to the most recent terms & conditions.
The SANE website www.sane.org is intended to provide general information only to residents of Australia.
The Forums saneforums.org are intended to provide a place for only the residents of Australia to discuss mental health-related issues. Use of the Forums is subject to the Forum Terms & Conditions, included below, as well as these general Terms & Conditions.
For information on SANE’s collection, use and disclosure of information, refer to the SANE Privacy Policy (https://www.sane.org/privacy).
Subject to your rights at law which cannot be excluded, you agree that:
The information on the SANE Websites is updated from time to time and the content may change without notice. SANE has no obligation to update any of the outdated information on the SANE Websites.
All images uploaded by SANE onto the SANE Websites are either sourced from stock photo agencies (Getty Images, Shutterstock), downloaded from royalty-free services (including Pixabay, Pexels and Unsplash), shared with SANE under creative-commons license, or are privately commissioned with an image consent and release form.
The content on the SANE Websites is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical services or legal advice. If you require specific advice, you should seek the assistance of healthcare professionals or an appropriately qualified person. You should not disregard or delay seeking professional advice because of information you obtain from the SANE Websites.
The information and services are made available on the condition that SANE, its staff and others involved in the provision of the information or services shall not be held responsible for any actions taken as a result of information or opinions given.
You may place a link to the SANE Websites homepages on your own website, but only in a manner that is legal and does not damage SANE’s reputation. Any link must not be established in a manner that suggests any association, approval or endorsement on our part where there is none. Otherwise, you may not link to any part of the SANE Websites.
The SANE Websites may contain links to other websites. These links are provided for convenience only and may not be maintained or current. SANE does not endorse the content of any organisation behind any of these linked websites.
You must not knowingly introduce any viruses, trojans, worms, logic bombs or other material which is malicious or technologically harmful to the SANE Websites.
SANE will not be liable for any loss or damage caused by viruses or other technologically harmful material that may infect your computer equipment, computer programs, data or other proprietary material due to your use of the SANE Websites, to your downloading of any material posted on them, or on any website linked to them.
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If any provision of these Terms & Conditions is held to be invalid or unenforceable, such a provision will be severed and the remaining provisions will continue in force. Delay or failure by SANE to enforce a provision of these Terms and Conditions or any other right does not constitute a waiver of that provision or right.
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At SANE we strive for a safe, diverse and equitable service provision for all service users and community members.
An effective feedback handling process to be an essential part of this commitment.
For more information, see SANE's Feedback and Complaints Policy (available at: https://www.sane.org/about-sane/feedback-and-complaints-policy).
If you have any queries about the above terms and conditions, please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call +61 3 9682 5933.
The Lived Experience and Carers Forums are peer-to-peer support services provided by SANE in partnership with mental health organisations around the country. You must agree to these Terms & Conditions to use the SANE Forums which are accessible at saneforums.org. The SANE Forums are provided by SANE on a platform supplied by Lithium Technologies, Inc (Lithium).
If you agree to these Terms & Conditions, you may apply (sign up) to be a member of the Forums. If SANE accepts your application, you will become a member. Membership is non-transferable. SANE reserves the unrestricted right to refuse membership, and to suspend, terminate or restrict members’ use of the Forums.
You may have only one member account with the Forums at any given time. If your access to the Forums is revoked, you must not access the Forums via another member’s account or create further member accounts.
As a member you agree not to disclose your username or password to any other person.
Please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. if you wish to close your account. This will delete your profile data, except your postcode, which is de-identified (i.e. no longer associated with you or your username) and collected for reporting purposes. Additionally, all of your previous posts will remain but are de-identified and will not be connected to your username.
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SANE is not responsible for the content of the Forums, which may change or be removed from time to time.
Subject to your rights at law which cannot be excluded, you agree that:
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If you believe your copyright has been infringed by content on a Forum, you may contact SANE at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
To create brighter futures for all people and families challenged by complex mental health issues, SANE believes in following the highest ethical and behavioural standards.
The policies SANE has developed across our organisation reflect our core values of respect, responsibility, celebration, innovation and collaboration. We are also guided by health sector best practice and current state and federal legislation.
Our privacy policy sets out how SANE collects, holds, protects, uses and discloses your personal information. It also sets out your rights and how you can access and control the information we get from you.
Have questions about SANE's Privacy Policy? Email us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
To read SANE's full media release, click here
On 24 February 2019, Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews and Minister for Mental Health Martin Foley released the terms of reference and announced the appointment of the Chair of the Royal Commission into Victoria’s Mental Health System.
The Commission says it “wants to provide the community with a clear and ambitious set of actions that will change Victoria’s mental health system and enable Victorians to experience their best mental health now and into the future”.
In her role as Deputy CEO of SANE and Founding Director of the Anne Deveson Research Centre, Dr Michelle Blanchard gave evidence before the Commission on Wednesday, 3 July, addressing the structural discrimination and stigma people living with complex mental health issues experience in the workplace.
Janet Meagher AM, Patron of the Anne Deveson Research Centre, also spoke powerfully, saying,
“It’s intolerable to permit or excuse verbal or social exclusion or vilification for those of us who experience mental health issues, but we do.”
SANE is calling for the Royal Commission to focus on providing accessible and appropriate care and support to all Victorians living with complex mental health issues, when they need it.
There are approximately 800,000 Australians living with severe and complex mental health issues and approximately 25% of those live in Victoria.
Many Victorians affected by complex mental health issues – including: schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, personality disorders, eating disorders, PTSD, and severe and enduring mood disorders – have difficulty accessing the support they need, when they need it, due to chronic underinvestment which often delays therapeutic intervention.
In 2017–18, data from the Victorian Department of Health and Human Services showed hospitalisations for adults living with mental health issues increased by 6.7%. During the same period, average hospital stays were reduced, resulting in many people experiencing acute psychiatric crisis being discharged prematurely.
Dr Michelle Blanchard says Victorians affected by complex mental health issues experience significant barriers while navigating the mental health system, which can significantly impact on their recovery journey.
“For mental health care to appropriately support people and do no harm, it must be readily accessible and delivered in a way that is appropriate for the people accessing it. For people affected by complex mental health issues, access blockages can mean that the acuity of their presentation increases before they receive adequate support."
“From acute tertiary-based services, to support following a suicide attempt and community-based psychosocial programs – all Victorians deserve access to quality mental health care and support,” says Dr Blanchard.
In SANE’s submission, we also addressed the need for services to be integrated to achieve the best outcomes for people affected by complex mental health issues, as well as creating inclusive communities to prevent and assist recovery from mental illness.
Dr Blanchard says people affected by complex mental health issues have needs that extend beyond mental health services.
“People living with complex mental health issues experience greater levels of disadvantage than the general population, including poor physical health, poverty, unemployment, loneliness and isolation. Our systems should be designed to meet people’s needs, wrapping around them during times of crisis, rather than requiring them to access support via multiple entry points and retelling their story numerous times,” added Dr Blanchard.
The COVID-19 global pandemic has presented an unprecedented disruption for communities, and, in particular, for people affected by complex mental health issues*, along with their families and friends.
Despite this, we know that people affected by complex mental health issues have developed resiliency and insights, and it is essential that policymakers and practitioners draw upon the lived experience and wisdom of this group in formulating a response to the pandemic.
Services must be redesigned, respectful of human rights and informed by real-time data to ensure they meet the holistic, bio-psycho-social, long-term needs of people affected by complex mental health issues during the COVID-19 pandemic.
As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, members of the general population are now experiencing the social isolation, anxiety and lack of access to services that most people living with complex mental health issues have experienced for decades. Many in the latter vulnerable group have had their pre-existing symptoms amplified or experienced a return to trauma. There are, however, people within this group who have developed resiliency and insights such that they are currently managing very well in the face of the pandemic.
At the same time, it is important to acknowledge that people with complex mental health issues are at increased risk of even poorer health and social outcomes due to the pandemic, and require appropriate support. Without significant government investment and service refinement, systems that were failing to meet demand prior to the pandemic, risk being inundated and further underservicing people.
*Complex Mental Health Issues
In referencing “people affected by complex mental health issues”, SANE is referring to people living with a complex mental health issue being those people who a) identify as having a diagnosis of a complex mental illness, and/or have experienced complex trauma, and/or have high levels of psychological distress; and b) the close family, friends and colleagues of those living with a complex mental health issue.