top of page
Search
All Posts


International Day of Friendship: Celebrating the Lifelong Value of Connection and Companionship
As the world marks International Day of Friendship, the Vocational Mental Health Practitioners Association Australia (VMHPAA) calls on communities across the country to reflect on the deep importance of friendship, not just as a social luxury, but as a vital ingredient for mental wellbeing, resilience, and human flourishing.

Shane Warren
Jul 292 min read


VMHPAA Responds to Ramsay Clinic Closures: Urgent Need for Community-Centric Mental Health Strategy
The Vocational Mental Health Practitioners Association Australia (VMHPAA) expresses deep concern following the announcement that Ramsay Health Care will close 17 of its psychology clinics, leaving thousands of Australians at risk of losing access to crucial mental health services.

Shane Warren
Jul 242 min read


VMHPAA Submits Final Position to Productivity Commission on National Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Agreement
The Vocational Mental Health Practitioners Association of Australia (VMHPAA) has today submitted its final response to the Productivity Commission’s Interim Review of the National Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Agreement, calling for bold reform, structural inclusivity, and recognition of the full spectrum of mental health professionals already delivering care across the country.

Shane Warren
Jul 232 min read


VMHPAA Responds to Growing Bullying in Schools – Calls for National Standards and Collaborative Support
The Vocational Mental Health Practitioners Association Australia (VMHPAA) fully supports the recommendation for a National Bullying Standard for schools - a standardized framework to shift school cultures towards respect, early intervention, and prevention.

Shane Warren
Jul 222 min read


National Pain Week: Recognising the Frontline Role of Vocationally Trained Mental Health Practitioners in Supporting Australians Living with Chronic Pain
As National Pain Week begins, the Vocational Mental Health Practitioners Association Australia (VMHPAA) stands in solidarity with the one in five Australians living with chronic pain, an invisible but life-altering condition that impacts not only physical wellbeing but also emotional, social, and psychological health.

Shane Warren
Jul 202 min read


A Season of Momentum: VMHPAA’s Winter e-Newsletter Is Here
The VMHPAA Winter Edition 2025 Newsletter is packed with powerful updates, reflections, and resources for anyone passionate about a fairer, more inclusive mental health system in Australia.

Shane Warren
Jul 162 min read


VMHPAA Celebrates International Non-Binary People's Day: Affirming Identity, Dignity, and Mental Health for All
Today, on International Non-Binary People’s Day, the Vocational Mental Health Practitioners Association Australia (VMHPAA) proudly celebrates the identities, experiences, and contributions of non-binary people across Australia and around the world.

Shane Warren
Jul 142 min read


VMHPAA Supports National Diabetes Week: A Holistic Approach to Prevention and Wellbeing
National Diabetes Week (13–19 July) rightly spotlights prevention - an effort that "matters at every stage of the journey," from reducing Type 2 onset to preventing complications in Type 1, Type 2, and gestational diabetes .

Shane Warren
Jul 132 min read


Thousands of Counsellors Face Closure - As Australia's Mental Health Crisis Deepens
In the July 2025 edition of The Australian Women's Weekly, the article "Nowhere to Turn" lays bare a devastating truth: Australia's mental health system is on the brink. Emergency departments are overwhelmed. Suicide rates are rising. Too many Australians, especially women and young people, have nowhere to turn.

Shane Warren
Jul 122 min read


VMHPAA Joins National Recognition and Celebration of NAIDOC Week
The Vocational Mental Health Practitioners Association Australia (VMHPAA) proudly acknowledges NAIDOC Week 2025, a powerful moment in the national calendar to honour the history, cultures, and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

Shane Warren
Jul 52 min read


Celebrating Disability Pride Month: Honouring Strength, Dignity, and Diverse Abilities
This July, the Vocational Mental Health Practitioners Association Australia (VMHPAA) proudly celebrates Disability Pride Month, a time to recognise the strength, diversity, and dignity of individuals living with disability across Australia and beyond.

Shane Warren
Jul 11 min read


VMHPAA Meets with Federal Health Officials to Present Petition and Raise Concerns Over Draft National Standards
Today, Shane Warren (Chair) and Philip Armstrong (CEO) of the Vocational Mental Health Practitioners Association of Australia (VMHPAA) formally met with representatives from the Australian Government Department of Health, Disability and Ageing - specifically the Mental Health & Suicide Prevention Division of the Primary and Community Care Group.

Shane Warren
Jun 303 min read


VMHPAA RESPONSE TO “NOWHERE TO TURN” MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS STORY
The Vocational Mental Health Practitioners Association Australia (VMHPAA) fully endorses The Australian Women’s Weekly exposé Nowhere to Turn: Inside Australia’s Mental Health Crisis, which underscores a mental health system at breaking point - overwhelmed, under-resourced, and fragmented.

Shane Warren
Jun 292 min read


National Mental Health Standards Risk Undermining State-Based Reform Efforts: VMHPAA Chair Issues Warning
In recent weeks, VMHPAA has lodged formal concerns with federal decision-makers, while also petitioning State Premiers, Health Ministers, and Senators to draw urgent attention to the following risks...

Shane Warren
Jun 273 min read


Australia’s Mental Health System Needs Grounded Reform – Not Another Missed Opportunity
The Productivity Commission’s recent review of the National Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Agreement confirms what many of us working in the community already know all too well: the agreement, while well-intentioned, has failed to deliver real outcomes for the people it was meant to support.

Shane Warren
Jun 252 min read


Take Your Dog To Work Day: Celebrating Companionship, Connection, and Canine Joy
Take Your Dog To Work Day... Far more than just an excuse for cute selfies and furry office visitors, this day reminds us of the power of companionship, emotional support, and unconditional love, qualities our dogs offer freely and without judgment.

Shane Warren
Jun 202 min read


World Refugee Day: VMHPAA Highlights the Critical Role of Vocational Practitioners Supporting Refugees in Trauma Recovery
On this World Refugee Day, the Vocational Mental Health Practitioners Association Australia (VMHPAA) joins the global community in honouring the courage, resilience, and strength of refugees who have fled war, persecution, and torture in search of safety and dignity.

Shane Warren
Jun 202 min read


Vocational Counsellors Mobilise Nationwide to Protect Their Future Under Proposed National Standards
A growing wave of concern is building across Australia's mental health sector as thousands of vocationally trained counsellors face the risk of exclusion under the draft National Standards for Counsellors, recently released by the Department of Health and Aged Care (DoHA).

Shane Warren
Jun 122 min read


International Men’s Health Week: A Call for Men to Engage with Mind, Body, and Spirit
This Men’s Health Week, the message is clear: Health is not a luxury or a look... It’s a lifestyle of self-awareness, self-care, and showing up for yourself and those around you.

Shane Warren
Jun 92 min read


National Standards Must Include All of Us – Not Just Some of Us
The Vocational Mental Health Practitioners Association of Australia (VMHPAA) has submitted a formal response to the Department of Health and Aged Care regarding the Draft National Standards for Counsellors and Psychotherapists.

Shane Warren
Jun 81 min read
bottom of page