Murrumbidgee Mental Health Drug & Alcohol Alliance
MPHN is proud to be part of the Murrumbidgee Mental Health Drug and Alcohol Alliance, a long-standing regional partnership focused on improving outcomes for people experiencing mental health and drug and alcohol challenges, as well as their families and carers. The Alliance brings organisations together to share insights, strengthen connections across services, and support a more coordinated approach to care across the Murrumbidgee.
At its heart, the Alliance provides a forum for health, community and social sector organisations to work together on the issues that matter most to local communities. It builds on existing relationships, programs and partnerships to support collaborative priority setting, population-based planning and practical action across the region. This approach helps reduce fragmentation, encourages innovation and keeps the focus on improving health and wellbeing for local people.
MPHN’s role in the Alliance
MPHN plays an active and leading role within the Alliance, contributing to both strategic regional planning and practical initiatives that improve access to support. Over the past year, MPHN has continued to help drive collaboration across the region, including through the development of the updated Joint Regional Mental Health, Suicide Prevention, and Alcohol and Other Drugs Plan 2025–2030. This work builds on earlier regional planning and reflects local voices, community experiences and the value of genuine cross-sector collaboration.
MPHN team members have also contributed strongly to key Alliance working groups, including Priority Populations, Community Information Strategies, MapMyRecovery and the Alliance’s 10-year anniversary activities. These groups help turn shared ideas into practical action and create opportunities to improve social and emotional wellbeing across the Murrumbidgee.
What the Alliance is achieving together
The Alliance has developed a strong shared workplan focused on better information exchange, smoother transitions in care, joint initiatives, shared learning, stronger communication and ongoing review. A major example of this practical collaboration is the Alliance Common Referral and Consent Form, which makes it easier to refer people across Alliance services using one streamlined form. This helps reduce barriers, support continuity of care and make service navigation simpler for both providers and consumers.
The Alliance has also developed a new public website to make it easier for communities, providers and partners to learn about its priorities, principles, projects and annual reports. The website connects people to important regional resources, including MapMyRecovery and the online Lived Experience, Peer and Carer Network participation platform.
MPHN Senior Manager Priority Populations Anita McRae, Independent Chair of the MMHDAA Robyn Manzie, MPHN Mental Health, Alcohol and Other Drugs Manager Maja Asmus .
Supporting access to care across the region
One of MPHN’s most significant contributions to the Alliance is MapMyRecovery, a free online directory that connects people with local mental health and drug and alcohol services across the Murrumbidgee. MapMyRecovery helps community members, families, carers and service providers find the support available in their area and understand how to access it. It is an important tool for improving visibility of services and helping people connect with care earlier.
MPHN also supports the Alliance’s wider commitment to improving community awareness of available services. Through shared communication and engagement activities, Alliance members work together at events and in local communities to share information, raise awareness and strengthen connections with the people they serve.
A key strength of the Alliance is its commitment to lived and living experience. The Alliance recognises the value of people with direct experience of mental health challenges, substance use, suicidality and caring roles, and works to ensure these voices shape service improvement across the region. The launch of the Murrumbidgee Lived Experience, Peer and Carer Network in June 2025 marked an important milestone, creating new opportunities for people across the region to contribute their perspectives, guide service development and support the growth of the peer workforce.
This focus on lived experience is helping build a more inclusive, responsive and effective mental health and drug and alcohol system for Murrumbidgee communities. It also supports the Alliance’s future direction, with a strong emphasis on partnership, participation and workforce development.
Looking ahead
Through the Alliance, MPHN is helping strengthen a more connected regional system of care, one that brings organisations together, supports shared priorities and responds to the needs of local communities. By working alongside health, community and social sector partners, MPHN is contributing to a more coordinated and person-centred approach to mental health and drug and alcohol support across the Murrumbidgee.
Community members, service providers and people with lived and living experience are encouraged to explore the Alliance website, contribute to the participation platform, and share MapMyRecovery with others to support better access to care across the region.
Learn more about the Alliance on their website.
