VMHPAA Marks World AIDS Day With a Call to Break Stigma and Strengthen Mental Health Support
- Shane Warren
- Nov 30
- 2 min read
MEDIA RELEASE
For Immediate Release
1st December 2025
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.
Acknowledging these challenges is essential to fostering genuine wellbeing.
VMHPAA Chair Shane Warren reflected on the importance of compassion and psychological safety:
“HIV does not define a person, stigma does. And stigma is entirely preventable. When we create communities where people feel safe, respected, and included, we protect mental health as much as physical health. Today is a reminder to meet every person with dignity and understanding.”
Vocationally trained counsellors, peer workers, lived-experience practitioners, youth workers, and community mental health professionals play a critical frontline role in supporting people affected by HIV/AIDS. Their work includes:
Providing trauma-informed, stigma-free counselling
Supporting individuals navigating diagnosis, disclosure, or treatment
Strengthening community connection and social support
Promoting mental wellbeing and self-care
Advocating for inclusive, non-judgmental services
VMHPAA calls for ongoing investment in community-based mental health services, and for HIV-aware mental health literacy across all sectors of the health workforce.
On World AIDS Day, we honour the resilience of those affected, commemorate the lives lost, and recommit to a future where no one is left behind - medically, socially, or emotionally.
Media Contact:
Shane Warren, Chair
Susan Sandy, Secretary
Philip Armstrong, CEO
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