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. Nominees must have:

• 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.

 

Nominations
BEING will publish an invitation to nominate between August and September each year through our newsletter and social media channels. You are invited to nominate either yourself, or someone else, for consideration.
Nominations must be made via email to info@being.org.au addressing the criteria detailed above.

 

BEING Distinguished Service Awards recipients

2024

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.

Dr Crisetta MacLeod, Janet Meagher AM, Jenny Learmont AM, John Olsen, Peter Schaecken, Maree Croker, Ray Brown, Keith Horsnell and Helen Blum.