Mental Health Advocacy

MENTAL HEALTH MENTAL HEALTH ADVOCACYADVOCACY

Andy CoxAndy CoxMental Health AdvocateMental Health Advocate

andy.cox@iwk.nshealth.ca902.470.7302902.470.7302

IWK’s Mental Health Advocate?IWK’s Mental Health Advocate?

-Brief history-Brief history -What I do-What I do -How-How

Why Mental Health Why Mental Health Advocacy?Advocacy?

““I was told to just listen. It is not your job to get I was told to just listen. It is not your job to get you better” -patientyou better” -patient

““They (the clinicians) told me that I donThey (the clinicians) told me that I don’’t have t have capacity to make treatment decisions…I capacity to make treatment decisions…I wondered what the hell that meant – Iwondered what the hell that meant – I’’m stupid?m stupid?”” -patient-patient

““We just assumed that we were not suppose to We just assumed that we were not suppose to give our opinion about our daughtergive our opinion about our daughter’’s illness and s illness and treatment.treatment.”” -parent -parent

““My school said that I have to repeat my My school said that I have to repeat my grade because I was in the hospital too grade because I was in the hospital too long.long.”” –youth –youth

““How come my class didn’t welcome me How come my class didn’t welcome me back with balloons like the kid with back with balloons like the kid with cancer?” -youthcancer?” -youth

““My group home wonMy group home won’’t take me back. I t take me back. I need a homeneed a home””

-youth d/c from mental health -youth d/c from mental health inpatient inpatient unitunit

““How do I get him help?How do I get him help?””

-family-family

““I had a six month wait to get mental I had a six month wait to get mental health services, the ER would not admit health services, the ER would not admit me even though I felt like killing myself, me even though I felt like killing myself, and now that I have services I spend 10 and now that I have services I spend 10 minutes a month with a clinician to go over minutes a month with a clinician to go over my medication.my medication.””

-youth-youth

Types of AdvocacyTypes of Advocacy

Legal AdvocacyLegal Advocacy

Social Advocacy Social Advocacy

Individual AdvocacyIndividual Advocacy

Crisis AdvocacyCrisis Advocacy

Informal/Natural AdvocacyInformal/Natural Advocacy

Formal AdvocacyFormal Advocacy

Collective AdvocacyCollective Advocacy

Systemic AdvocacySystemic Advocacy

Types of AdvocatesTypes of Advocates

Self-advocatesSelf-advocates

Consumer Group (or peer) advocatesConsumer Group (or peer) advocates

Family as advocatesFamily as advocates

Citizen advocatesCitizen advocates

Staff as advocatesStaff as advocates

Boards as advocatesBoards as advocates

Substitute decision-makers as Substitute decision-makers as advocatesadvocates

Lawyers as advocatesLawyers as advocates

IWK ProgramsIWK Programs Central Referral Central Referral 902.464.4110902.464.4110

Mobile CrisisMobile Crisis 429-8167 (1-888-8167) 429-8167 (1-888-8167)

Mental Health Crisis TeamMental Health Crisis Team

Inpatient Unit 4SouthInpatient Unit 4South

Community Mental HealthCommunity Mental Health

Maritime Psychiatry (sub-specialty mh services)Maritime Psychiatry (sub-specialty mh services)

Residential (ACT, Compass)Residential (ACT, Compass)

Day Treatments (Child and Family, Adolescent)Day Treatments (Child and Family, Adolescent)

ICBTTICBTT

Choices: Outpatient, Day Tx, Residential TxChoices: Outpatient, Day Tx, Residential Tx

Complex Case ManagementComplex Case Management

Child Welfare Mental Health TeamChild Welfare Mental Health Team

Reproductive Mental HealthReproductive Mental Health

Forensic ServicesForensic Services

Mental Health Commission of Mental Health Commission of Canada (MHCC)Canada (MHCC)

PARTNERS FOR MENTAL HEALTHPARTNERS FOR MENTAL HEALTH