Our Focus for Advocacy
BRIDGING THE GAP...
MAKING SURE CONSUMERS' VOICES ARE HEARD
Our focus for advocacy 2010
The NSW Consumer Advisory Group - Mental Health Inc. (NSW CAG) is the independent state-wide organisation representing mental health consumers.
Our purpose is to ensure that mental health consumers' views are heard at the state level by policy makers.
NSW CAG works to bridge the gap between the grassroots, personal knowledge of consumers, and the knowledge of policy makers and the state government.
To bridge this gap, NSW CAG conducts systemic advocacy to promote quality mental health services which reflect consumer needs in NSW. We undertake to:
- Seek consumers' views
- Inform, advise and influence decision makers and policy makers
- Communicate and disseminate information to our network
- Research and gather evidence about consumers' service needs
- Build the capacity of consumers to participate in health service improvement and represent their views
- Build the capacity of the mental health system to support consumer participation.
Our vision is for all mental health consumers to experience fair access to quality services which reflect their needs.
As part of our strategies to achieve this vision, we are committed to consulting with consumers across NSW, and using the evidence of people's life experiences to initiate and lead debate, and influence senior decision makers in NSW.
MOVING FORWARD IN MENTAL HEALTH
We have identified four focus areas for our advocacy in 2010:
- Strengthening community mental health services
- Reducing stigma and discrimination faced by consumers withing the community
- Furthering recovery oriented service provision in NSW
- Developing individual advocacy services for people living with mental illness
These four priorities have come from the extensive input of people who have the experience of mental illness in NSW.
In the next 12 months, NSW CAG is committed to lobbying our policy and decision makers to improve the mental health system by:
Strengthening community mental health services:
NSW CAG continues to hear regularly from people living with mental illness about the significant gaps in community mental health services across the state. Community mental health services are the cornerstone to supporting people's recovery journey.
NSW CAG will be working to ensure the views of consumers' are heard by decision makers about what services are needed for people in the community. We will be advocating for flexible non-hospital supports, increased case management services and increased funding to build a system of community participation and social inclusion options.
Reducing stigma and discrimination faced by consumers within the community:
It is an unfortunate reality that stigma and discrimination remain major problems faced by people living with a mental illness. This is manifested through:
- The lack of mental health literacy in the community. The taboo nature of mental illness and a lack of knowledge about it prevents people from talking about their problems and accessing appropriate support. This also contributes to continuing misconceptions about mental illness.
- The attitudes and behaviours of service staff who regularly interact with consumers contributes to stigma and discrimination. Some staff hold negative attitudes towards people who experience mental illness and have a lack of hopefulness for their future.
NSW CAG is committed to reducing the stigma and discrimination faced by people living with a mental illness.
Furthering recovery oriented service provision in NSW:
In consultations with consumers throughout the state, NSW CAG has heard and observed that although "recovery oriented service provision" is a clear government policy direction for mental health care in Australia, this has not been realised in practice. NSW CAG is aware that recovery means different things to different people. This is because every person has unique experiences and responds to mental illness in their own way.
NSW CAG will work to further the development of truly recovery oriented services in NSW.
Developing individual advocacy services for people living with mental illness
Currently no independent mental health advocacy service exists within NSW to support people to ensure their rights are heard and met in the variety of settings and situations with which they engage. NSW CAG considers this to be a considerable gap within the current system.
NSW CAG is committed to working with consumers and the sector to advocate for the establishment of such a service within NSW.