For the fifth year running, Open Minds is proud to be a partner of SANE Australia Forums, which provide 24/7 online access to a safe and supportive place for people living with complex mental illness, including their friends, family and carers.
SANE Australia is a leading national mental health organisation and established the forums in 2014 with funding from the Australian Government. Since then, the forums have attracted over 1.42 million visitors, 32,647 members and contributions of over 887,003 posts.
The Forums are moderated 24/7 by health professionals to ensure they are safe, supportive, and friendly places to connect with others sharing similar experiences.
They also offer anonymity to encourage open and honest exchanges between members.
For those already seeking professional help, the Forums can provide a supplementary place of ongoing peer support and reassurance.
Open Minds Chief Operating Officer, Kate Johnston said the partnership ensures a greater reach of Australians have access to community participation.
“Community participation is a crucial element of recovery, and we are delighted to offer a platform that enables people to participate at any time, from the comfort of their own homes,” Kate said.
Members are welcome to discuss a variety of topics ranging from diagnoses through to the impact of mental illness on families, and posts asking contributors to share what they are grateful for.
It is important to note the Forums are not intended to serve as a crisis or a counselling service, but rather work to normalise help-seeking behaviours and reduce feelings of isolation.
The Forums are available to Australians aged 18 years and over at no cost.
The Forums can be accessed from any device. You can set up your own free account or find more information at the Open Minds SANE Forum.