Awareness Statement

MEDIA RLEASE / AWARENESS STATEMENT / PUBLIC RESPONSE For Immediate Release 20 March 2026 VMHPAA raises consultation integrity concerns with Minister Butler regarding National Standards consultation The Vocational Mental Health Practitioners Association of Australia (VMHPAA) has today written to the office of the Hon Mark Butler MP, Minister for Health, Ageing and Disability, to raise concerns about aspects of the current Commonwealth consultation on  regulatory options  to su

On International Day of Happiness, the Vocational Mental Health Practitioners Association of Australia (VMHPAA) is encouraging the community to pause and reflect on the importance of happiness, hope, and emotional wellbeing in everyday life. The United Nations marks the day each year on 20 March, recognising happiness and wellbeing as universal human goals. 

As Neurodiversity Celebration Week begins, the Vocational Mental Health Practitioners Association of Australia (VMHPAA) is encouraging communities across Australia to recognise, value, and celebrate the diverse ways people think, learn, feel, communicate, and engage with the world.

On World Sleep Day, the Vocational Mental Health Practitioners Association of Australia (VMHPAA) is encouraging the community to recognise sleep not as an indulgence, but as a vital foundation for physical health, emotional balance, and mental wellbeing.

VMHPAA will continue to advocate for implementation that is proportionate, realistic, and inclusive including explicit vocational pathways and fair transitional recognition for experienced practitioners. Because Australia cannot build a safer mental health system by removing the people who are currently holding it together.

Australia is in a moment of genuine opportunity and responsibility, as we explore the best way forward to implement the National Standards for Counsellors and Psychotherapists.

Join our webinar to help cut the confusion on this important issue

On World Obesity Day, the Vocational Mental Health Practitioners Association of Australia (VMHPAA) recognises that obesity is not solely a physical health issue, it is deeply connected to mental wellbeing, social determinants, and lived experience.

International Women’s Week is a time to celebrate the extraordinary achievements of women in leadership, education, health, business, family life, and community.

As the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Parade Parade prepares to walk the streets of the Rainbow Precinct, the Vocational Mental Health Practitioners Association of Australia (VMHPAA) reaffirms its strong support for the Mardi Gras organisation and the values it represents.

As the Parade draws closer this Saturday, we know the energy will lift even further. Mardi Gras is a powerful reminder of visibility, resilience and belonging for LGBTQIA+SB communities and allies.

On the International Day of Love, often marked as Valentine’s Day, VMHPAA recognises that love is broader than romance. It is found in friendship, family, community, self-compassion, and the quiet commitment we make to care for one another.

For some, it is a day of celebration and pride. For others, it carries grief, anger, or a reminder of loss and injustice.For many, it is a mixture of all of these things.

As Jewish communities across Australia and around the world gather to celebrate Hanukkah (Chanukah), the Vocational Mental Health Practitioners Association of Australia (VMHPAA) warmly acknowledges this important festival and extends our best wishes to all those marking the lighting of the first candle of the menorah.

The Vocational Mental Health Practitioners Association Australia (VMHPAA) acknowledges today’s historic step as Australia becomes the first country in the world to implement a nationwide ban on social media accounts for children under 16. This landmark policy recognises what mental health practitioners, educators, and families have seen for years: unregulated social media environments can expose young people to harm long before they have the developmental capacity to manage i

The Vocational Mental Health Practitioners Association of Australia (VMHPAA) recognises Bodhi Day, observed annually on 8 December, which commemorates the moment the historical Buddha, Siddhartha Gautama (Shakyamuni), attained enlightenment- bodhi in Sanskrit and Pali.

December 1 marks the 70th anniversary of Rosa Parks’ quiet yet profound act of courage in Montgomery, Alabama, when she refused to give up her seat on a city bus in defiance of racial segregation laws — an act that ignited the Montgomery Bus Boycott and became a defining moment in the Civil Rights Movement. Her stand was not just about a seat: it was a declaration of dignity, justice, and human equality that resonated across generations.

On World AIDS Day, the Vocational Mental Health Practitioners Association of Australia (VMHPAA) stands in solidarity with people living with HIV, their families, carers, and communities. While advances in treatment mean that HIV is now a manageable health condition for many, the mental health impacts remain significant - often due not to the virus itself, but to stigma, discrimination, and isolation.

On Transgender Day of Remembrance (TDOR), the Vocational Mental Health Practitioners Association of Australia (VMHPAA) honours the memory of transgender and gender-diverse people whose lives have been lost to violence, discrimination, or systemic neglect. TDOR is a solemn reminder of the ongoing risks faced by trans communities and of the collective responsibility to create a safer, more inclusive Australia.

Today, on World Diabetes Day, the Vocational Mental Health Practitioners Association of Australia (VMHPAA) draws attention to a critical yet often overlooked reality: effective diabetes management must include mental health support.