Distinguished Service Awards
At its AGM on 7th November 2024, BEING – Mental Health Consumers launched its Distinguished Service Awards to acknowledge exceptional contribution and achievement in advancement of the mental health consumer movement.
The rigorous eligibility criteria reflect how significant an honour this is:
- Been a member of BEING – Mental Health Consumers (or NSWCAG) for a minimum of ten years.
- Contributed in a formal advocacy role (for BEING or another organisation in a designated consumer role) for a period of at least three years
- Performed extraordinary and exceptional service in mental health consumer advocacy in NSW. For example, this could be, but is not limited to:
- Raising significant awareness of a previously under-represented issue
- Making a significant, personal contribution to major, positive change in NSW’s mental healthcare system for the benefit of consumers
- Bringing new methodology to the monitoring and reporting of mental health issues
- or by exception as determined by the BEING board.
In the awards’ inaugural year, the board decided to bestow the first awards to all founding members of the NSWCAG, the first recognised mental health consumers, on whose shoulders we stand. Their work, commitment and perseverance laid the foundation for everything that has since been achieved.
BEING Distinguished Service Awards recipients
2024
Dr Crisetta MacLeod, Janet Meagher AM, Jenny Learmont AM, John Olsen, Peter Schaecken, Maree Croker, Ray Brown, Keith Horsnell and Helen Blum.
7 November 2024. (From the left) Dr Crisetta Macleod, John Olsen, Janet Meagher AM and Peter Schaecken receiving their Distinguished Service Awards at the BEING AGM.