Consumer and Community Participation

The Consumer and Community's Participation Program acts as a bridge within our organisation's mental health services, consumers and carers. An essential part of the program is to encourage consumers and carers to participate in decision-making about mental health provision at all levels to develop the mechanisms which will allow for greater consumer/carer participation.

Consumer and Community participation is thought to improve mental health services as:

1. Participation is an ethical and democratic right
2. Participation improves service quality and safety and helps gain health service accreditation
3. Participation improves health outcomes
4. Participation makes services more responsive to the needs of consumers.

Consumer and carer participation can occur across many levels:

1. Treatment and care
2. Consultants and Advocates
3. Service delivery and evaluation
4. Policy and planning
5. Education and training

Whilst these levels represent the opportunities for consumer and carer participation, in practice participation does not occur in all areas all of the time. 

There is a Mental Health Consumer and Community Participation Co-ordinator in place to:

• Assist in the development of structures to ensure that the participation of consumers in the planning and delivery of services is effective and covers the range of consumer views
• Identify ongoing and changing needs for consumer participation and advocacy within South East Health Mental Health Services and implement strategies to meet these needs
• Liaise with the other hospital and mental health services in the area in regards to the co-ordination of consumer services
• Assist in the ongoing development of Community Consultative Committees
• Develop and implement policies and procedures for consumer participation in service planning, service delivery and service reviews.

To contact the Consumer and Community Coordinator call 02 9350 2685 during office hours or e-mail amh@sesahs.nsw.gov.au

Back to Top

Get involved!

If you get involved with the Mental Health Consumer and Community Participation Program you can:

• Meet people that share your interest and develop networks
• Get informed about, and keep up-to-date about new resources and initiatives and
• Help improve South East Health, Mental Health Services for the better.

Get involved so you can:

1. Tell us about examples of consumer participation in action
2. Tell us about new resources or better ways of doing things that are needed to improve outcomes for consumers
3. Help South East Health Mental Health Services provide quality information about consumer and community issues

Your participation will ensure that South East Health is well informed about consumer and community issues, has useful written resources and encourages networks of people who can inspire and support each other.

How can you help?

You can lend your expertise and experience to the Mental Health Service through:

1. Participating in age specific Mental Health Services such as the Child and Adolescent Program and Aged Care Psychiatry
2. Identify examples of consumer participation in action
3. Participate in Early Intervention in Psychosis for Young People program
4. Participate in Consumer and Carer Consultative Committee Groups
5. Participate in annual events and activities such as Mental Health Week on 5-11 October 2003
6. Comment on our web site content and useability.

To get involved please send your details to amh@sesahs.nsw.gov.au

Have Your Say

Can't find what you want on this web site? Got a recommendation for a new resource or example of mental health consumer participation in action? Tell us about it! Submit your comments to amh@sesahs.nsw.gov.au