| ABA | acceptable behaviour agreement |
| ABS | Australian Bureau of Statistics |
| ACCC | Australian Competition and Consumer Commission |
| ADA | Anti-Discrimination Act 1977 (NSW) |
| ADB | Anti-Discrimination Board |
| ADR | alternative dispute resolution |
| AGD | NSW Attorney-General’s Department |
| AIHW | Australian Institute of Health and Welfare |
| AVO | apprehended violence order |
| Burdekin Report | HREOC report, Human Rights and Mental Illness (1993) |
| CCLC | Consumer Credit Legal Centre |
| CCLC NSW | Combined Community Legal Centres’ Group (NSW) Inc |
| CLC | community legal centre |
| CSHA | Commonwealth State Housing Agreement |
| CTTT | Consumer, Trader and Tenancy Tribunal |
| DADHC | Department of Ageing, Disability and Home Care |
| DDA | Disability Discrimination Act 1992 (Cth) |
| DDLC | Disability Discrimination Legal Centre |
| Disability Council | Disability Council of NSW |
| DoCS | Department of Community Services |
| DOH | Department of Housing |
| DSM-IV | Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders |
| DSP | disability support pension |
| EPA | enduring power of attorney |
| HREOC | Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission |
| ICD-10 | International Classification of Diseases |
| JGOS | Joint Guarantee of Service |
| KLC | Kingsford Legal Centre |
| Legal Aid | Legal Aid Commission of NSW |
| MHAS | Mental Health Advocacy Service |
| MHCA | Mental Health Council of Australia |
| MHCC | Mental Health Co-ordinating Council |
| MHLC | Mental Health Legal Centre, Victoria |
| MHRT | Mental Health Review Tribunal |
| MMHA | Multicultural Mental Health Australia |
| NCOSS | Council of Social Services of NSW |
| NCSMC | National Council of Single Mothers and their Children |
| NESB | Non-English speaking background |
| NHS | National Health Survey |
| NMHP | National Mental Health Plan |
| NSMHW | National Survey of Mental Health and Wellbeing |
| NSW Ombudsman (CSD) | NSW Ombudsman (Community Services Division) |
| NVivo | QSR NUD*IST Vivo |
| OPC | Office of the Protective Commissioner |
| OPG | Office of the Public Guardian |
| Palmer Report | Report of the Inquiry into the Circumstances of the Immigration Detention of Cornelia Rau (2005) |
| Project | Legal Needs of People with a Mental Illness Project |
| PWD | People with Disability Australia |
| SAAP | Supported Accommodation Assistance Program |
| SCCLS | Statewide Community and Court Liaison Service |
| Select Committee on Mental Health | NSW Parliament Legislative Council Select Committee |
| Shopfront | Shopfront Youth Legal Centre |
| SSAT | Social Security Appeals Tribunal |
| Tenants’ Union | Tenants’ Union of NSW |
| TPV | Temporary Protection Visa |
| WLS | Women’s Legal Services NSW |
| WRC | Welfare Rights Centre, Sydney |