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Our Policies

Please see the Commission’s policies below (listed in alphabetical order):

Audit and Risk Committee Charter

In accordance with the PGPA Act, the CEO has established an Audit and Risk Committee to provide independent advice and assurance on the Commission’s financial and performance reporting responsibilities, risk oversight and management, and system of internal control. View the Audit and Risk Committee Charter (363KB).

Compliments and enquiries

If you have a compliment, complaint, suggestion or enquiry about the Commission we welcome hearing from you. Please contact us by email [email protected], by phone: (02) 8229 7550 or by mail at National Mental Health Commission, PO Box R1463, Royal Exchange, NSW 1225.

Complaints

From time to time we may not meet your expectations. If you wish to raise a concern about the Commission, your experiences with the Commission or a Commission funded contractor, consultant, event or activity, you can do this through our Complaints Management Policy and Process (526KB).

Freedom of Information (FoI)

Under the FOI Act, members of the public can seek access to documents held by the Commission. Our FOI page provides information on how to make a request, how we process your request and charges that may be applicable. It also includes an outline of the information we publish under the Information Publication Scheme. Our disclosure log provides access to information which has been released in response to an FOI request.

Mentally Healthy Workplace Policy

The Commission is committed to ensuring employees are supported in the workplace to achieve the best possible mental health and wellbeing. View the full Mentally Healthy Workplace policy (4MB).

Paid Participation Policy

The Commission recognises the valuable specialised and expert contributions to its work made by people who have a first-hand experience of a mental health issue or are a family member or support person. Our Paid Participation Policy sets out the Commission’s commitment to supporting paid participation by people with a living experience of mental health difficulties, their families and support people and sets a benchmark for other organisations. Download the Paid Participation Policy (760KB).

Privacy Policy

This policy explains how the Commission handles personal information. This includes how we collect, store, secure, access, use and disclose it.

The Commission protects your privacy in line with the Commonwealth Privacy Act 1988 including the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs) and the Australian Government Agencies Privacy Code.

Public Interest Disclosure Guidelines

The Public Interest Disclosure Act 2013 promotes the integrity and accountability of the Australian Government public sector by:

  • encouraging public officials to disclose information on suspected wrongdoing in the public sector
  • offering protections to ‘whistleblowers’ from reprisal action
  • ensuring disclosures are properly investigated.

Download the Commission’s Public Interest Disclosure Guidelines (7.2MB).

Workplace Diversity

The Commission is an Executive Agency in the portfolio of the Minister for Health and Aged Care. Staff are employed under the Public Service Act 1999. The Australian Public Service (APS) is a career-based public service that provides workplaces that are free from discrimination, patronage and favouritism; and recognises the diversity of the Australian community and fosters diversity in the workplace. The workplace diversity section provides more information.

Survey Policy

As part of its functions the Commission actively seeks to engage with a broad cross section of the community, particularly people with a living experience of mental health difficulties, their families and carers. One mechanism we use to do that is surveys.

Surveys are usually conducted electronically via our Engagement HQ website, an online consultation hub operated by Bang the Table Ltd. The Commission's Survey Policy sets out how we will use, store and disclose the information you provide when you respond to a survey.

Code of Conduct Procedures

Under the Public Service Act 1999 agency heads must establish written procedures for determining whether an APS employee or a former APS employee has breached the APS Code of Conduct. The Commission's procedures can be viewed here (584KB). 

Aboriginal flag Torres Strait Islander flag

Acknowledgement of Country

The Commission acknowledges the traditional custodians of the lands throughout Australia.
We pay our respects to their clans, and to the elders, past present and emerging, and acknowledge their continuing connection to land, sea and community.

Diversity

The Commission is committed to embracing diversity and eliminating all forms of discrimination in the provision of health services. The Commission welcomes all people irrespective of ethnicity, lifestyle choice, faith, sexual orientation and gender identity.

Lived Experience

We acknowledge the individual and collective contributions of those with a lived and living experience of mental ill-health and suicide, and those who love, have loved and care for them. Each person’s journey is unique and a valued contribution to Australia’s commitment to mental health suicide prevention systems reform.