National Mental Health Commission to visit Albury for Connections2022 forum

National Mental Health Commission (NMHC) chief Christine Morgan will lead the meeting that aims to "look through the lens" of local community needs by hearing from people where they "live, learn and work".

Albury-Wodonga is one of 37 communities nationally being invited to take part in NMHC outreach program Connections2022 over the next three months.

Ms Morgan said the commission wanted to "understand the reality" of people's everyday experiences of the mental health and suicide prevention systems and discuss what improvements would look and feel like for them.

That means listening to "everyone" - from consumers and care givers to service providers and local leaders.

And she said it was critical to understand the impact of changes and funding decisions made by all levels governments to ensure the mental health system was on the right track,

"For current and future commitments to have the greatest effect we need to assess the impact of those commitments on the ground," Ms Morgan said.

"Real change can only be measured by the reality of a person's experience and the improvements this makes to their mental health and well-being."

Commission co-chair Lucy Brogden said Connections2022 was a vital opportunity for people to share their personal experiences.

"The program reaches beyond the key national data points, such as those reported in the 2021 National Census, where mental illness was identified as Australia's highest experience of chronic illness ..." she said.

"People's experiences are vital when seeking to understand what is and isn't working.

"These experiences will help shape the outcomes we are all looking for in our unwavering pursuit of a mentally healthier Australia."

Ms Morgan said in addition to the public meetings, an interactive portal (making-connections.com.au) was available for people to share experiences and have direct contact with the Commission.