Flourish: A New Organisation to Represent Tasmania’s Mental Health Consumers

The Honorable Michelle O’Byrne MP, Minister for Health, today launched Flourish – Mental Health Action in Our Hands Inc. at Parliament House in Hobart. Flourish is an independent, non-profit organisation representing people with mental ill health across Tasmania.

Speaking at the launch, Dennis Betts, the Chairperson of Flourish said, “The growing community understanding of mental illness is to be commended.

“For too long people with mental illness have been marginalised, and their needs have been largely taken for granted.

“The community sector, in partnership with Government, has a responsibility to enable those who have a mental illness to be active participants in the decisions that affect them,” Mr Betts said.

“This will include determining how services are delivered, at a personal level, and also being able to influence the big-picture policy changes.

“Flourish, with its focus on supporting consumers, is a wonderful step forward in achieving these goals.”

Lucy Lester, a young woman who has a lived experience mental illness, spoke about the role of Flourish and the need to develop people’s capacity to participate meaningfully in society.

“The belief that mental illness cannot be overcome needs to be challenged. Mental illness should be understood as just another part of life, and not life itself,” Ms Lester said,

“As a person who has lived with a mental illness, it is very exciting that Flourish is now here to support consumers to achieve our goals. It will make a big difference.”

Flourish is in its early stages of establishment with its new Executive Officer, Miranda Ashby, recently commencing in her role.

“It’s fantastic to see the Tasmanian Government’s commitment to consumer participation in mental health services by providing funding to Flourish,” Ms Ashby said.

Flourish is already engaging the mental health sector, and has invited consumers to propose the design of a logo for the new organisation.

The winning design concept was created by Benjamin Hill from Scottsdale. Minister O’Byrne announced the winning entrant and unveiled the logo at today’s function.

Flourish Mental Health Action In Our Hands Inc. is a brand new independent organisation which will further the interests and needs of mental health consumers in Tasmania. Flourish seeks to provide a strong voice for the views of mental health consumers in Tasmania, develop people’s capacity to participate meaningfully in society, and experience fair access to quality services which reflect their needs.
Miranda Ashby, Dennis Betts