Mental Health and Disability Legal Assistance Forum
The Mental Health and Disability Legal Assistance Forum (MHDLAF) is a specialist sub-forum of the Queensland Legal Assistance Forum (QLAF).
The purpose of the MHDLAF is to promote cooperation and collaboration between legal and non-legal service providers, including social, community and health services working with people with mental health issues, intellectual disability, or cognitive impairment.
The MHDLAF considers service planning and best practice in service delivery to maximise the reach of legal assistance services available to people with mental health issues, intellectual disability or cognitive impairment across Queensland.
The MHDLAF can include QLAF members and representatives of other stakeholders who respond to the legal needs of people with mental health issues, intellectual disability or cognitive impairment, including non-legal services.
Peak representative bodies are often represented by individuals who are both a member of the peak body and a representative of a service provider organisation. These individuals may represent the strategic views of the peak body as well as the service provider.
Specialists or experts may be invited to attend meetings and members can nominate proxies to attend on their behalf.
Membership
Current membership is comprised of representatives from:
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Service
- Aged and Disability Advocacy Australia
- Bar Association of Queensland
- Cairns Community Legal Centre
- Department of Justice and Attorney-General
- LawRight
- Legal Aid Queensland
- Office of The Public Advocate
- Office of The Public Guardian
- Pine Rivers Community Legal Service
- Queensland Advocacy for Inclusion
- Queensland Health
- Queensland Law Society.
Terms of reference
The Terms of reference establishes the purpose, membership, roles and responsibilities of the MHDLAF.