Title: Self-advocacy model
Producer: Independent Mental Health Advocacy
Name of speaker: Wanda Bennetts (all speech content)
Speech Content: Do you have concerns about your mental health treatment? You might not know it, but the Victorian Mental Health and Wellbeing Act says you have rights that mental health services must respect.
Independent Mental Health Advocacy, or IMHA, helps people to learn about and use their rights. We're here to let you know it's okay to speak up about your concerns. We call this self-advocacy, and this video is a guide to help you do it.
So, what is advocacy? Well, advocacy means speaking up and asking questions about the things that matter to you, even if you have to try a few times. You might ask someone to speak up on your behalf. We call this individual advocacy.
So, what is self-advocacy? Well, it's a same, but rather than someone speaking on your behalf, you speak up or act for yourself. But self-advocacy doesn't mean that you're on your own. For example, you can ask for the support of a family member or friend or IMHA. Our IMHA advocates can help you by talking with you about your rights and options. They can also speak to your treating team if that's what you want. See their details at the end of this video.
So how do you do self-advocacy? At IMHA we've come up with six steps for self-advocacy. Let's go through each of them now. You might want to watch this with someone else or you can take notes using our self-advocacy plan.
So firstly, you've got to identify the issue. To do this, have a think about what is concerning you. Is this something that you want to change about your treatment?
The next step is learning about your rights under the Mental Health and Wellbeing Act. You have the right to be involved and supported to make decisions for yourself. You have the right to the least restrictive treatment possible, and you have the right to a second psychiatric opinion if you disagree with your treatment or that you should be under the act.
Now it's time to think about your preferred solutions. You might want to ask, what is my ideal solution? Am I willing to compromise? And if so, when or how? It can be hard to think of solutions. Remember, you can talk to an IMHA advocate about your options.
Once you know your solution, you're ready to make a plan. You can keep this plan on you so that you can use it whenever you need it. You might want to think about the following questions. How will you express your views? Do you want a support person there? And what's your next steps if you don't achieve your goal? Remember, IMHA can help you to make a plan. So, look out for our details and resources at the end of this video.
Okay, so you're ready to put the plan into action. This can be hard. So, think about why this matters, and try to take the first steps in your plan.
The final step is to review what happened. How did you go? What went well? What didn't go well? If you didn't get what you wanted, take some time and move on to the next step in your plan. If you did get what you wanted, congratulations!
So, there you have it. Those are the six steps you can take for self-advocacy. You can watch this back as many times as you like.
If you want more help or to speak to an IMHA advocate, you can call our intake line on 1300 947 820, listen to an audio recording of your rights by calling 1800 959 353, visit our website at www.imha.vic.gov.au or read our know your rights fact sheets that should be available at your service.
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