Lived Experience Forum

[Rick]

I have found that through reading and participating in various MH sector and lived experiences forums that there seems to be a split between services being offered and people accessing those services.

Now first of all I've seen a lot of changes in the MH sector over the last 30 years. Some have been positive some have been pointless and some just downright negative and stygmatising.

The latest major change i have noticed come from the NGO sector.

It's the approach taken to case management.

It's best described as a person centred recovery oriented approach. What is known as the RECOVERY MODEL.

The beauty of the recovery model is that it works independantly of a persons symptomology.

When I first learned of the concept whilst studying I was rocked to my knees.

It was introduced with the twin concept of hope.

These to ideas , recovery and hope have for me, been concepts that never once entered my mind.

It was certainly not possible to recover and hope was a shell game. Rigged to  lose.

Since that first gut wrenching reaction I've come to understand the recovery model.

Basically what it means in practical terms is that these new programs, funded primarily with federal money offer the idea and the practical steps to improving the quality of daily living that people with a MI suffer through every day. Now as I said it's not about making the illness more treatable or reducing the symptoms it's about us as real people with real ambitions and desires to achieve those things.

The engine that drives this is the idea that instead of being told what we are doing wrong inour lives, it is instead about asking us what is it we want to do.

Everything from further education, to working, to improving relaationships to just having people to talk to about the challenges we face daily. And barriers are no issue. The point of this approach is too accept those barriers and find ways to work around them. Not just us on our own but with real help and support and ideas form people who are paid to do this.

I should mention that I've never seen the MH service sector so passionate about working with MI people. They are finally looking at us as people not cases. 

It is a new paradigm. The motivation for all this? Well when reduced to it's core it's purely economic from the Govts point of view. we have less hospital space and govt services have been cut drastically but I believe this was all part of the plan to transfer the work to NGOs. 

If you want more info on the recovery model and what it can achieve for you let check out an NGO called PARTNERS IN RECOVERY.

The issue that is not yet understood by the sector is the lack of engage by people living with MI in these new support services.

They have'nt yet understood that for many of us we have had bad experiences with services in the past and many of us have decided that we cannot trust these people not to damage us again.

I am posting this as a subject for discussion on as many sector forums as I can. 

The stats for Australia from a 2012 repeort of the state of mental health services states that only 14% of people with an MI use support services. 

The mental health sector is growing. There is expected to be a 100% growth is services over the next 12 months. But if people don't access the services the funding may dry up.

I use a support service called Neami. My stated goal for them to support me with and to help facilitate is my employment within the sector either as a support worker of some kind or in advocasy. I have to say that Neami has been very supotive and encouraging in this. There has been noone telling me that maybe I should reality check my goals. It has been total acceptance and functional support.

So to conclude, I encourage anyone withMI to contact these new services. You can start by getting the info form PIR. Or MedicareLocal. 

I am happy to provide any information that might help as well. 

I would like to see all of us living better. 

[-karma-]

@Rick the stats of usuage, (14% using mental health support) surprises me!

There always seems to be a waiting list for service, with demand out weighing service!

Hmmm, why is it so...?

[Rick]

@-karma- 

Hi Karma,

An excellent question. This is a very broad overview. As you are probably aware Govt. mental health services are and have been scaled back over the last 30 years. This is predominantly economic rationalisation. 

In the last 10 years or so NGOs and other private sector stakeholders have identified a widening gap in service provision and need. The various state and federal Govts have commissioned reviews of mental health infrastructure and service delivery versus need. 

The original plan of "Care in the Community" failed to pick up the ball and run effectively. This was because there was little or no consensus and much competition for limited funding. 

Mental health has become a real issue not only economically (lost productivity, disability pensions, health costs both MH and general and taxable incomes)  which is of course a primary motivator for Govt, but also as a social health issue. So recently (2-3 YEARS AGO) we have seen the emergance of a new paradigm called the Recovery Model. This new model has made rehabilitation actually doable. 

But there still remains a gap in service provision and need. The need is only now becoming recognised.

In 2013 in the National Mnetal Health Report the 14% engagement rate was raised.

I, like you, found it hard to believe. So I starting talking to other people with MI about any experiences thay may have had and the consequences of those experiences.

First of all, hospital admissions were raised.  I discovered that like myself most experiences in MHUnits were negative. And many people have never returned to hospital because of those experiences. When trying to find support or employment services people  again experienced negative outcomes. 

The interesting thing for me was that many people having had a bad experience chose henceforth to go it alone or with minimal support from G.P.s.

The rationale?

"We might be nuts but we're not stupid"

Which makes sense. MI illness is intrinsically traumatising. It only makes sense to stay away from that which adds to the trauma.

So  while services have improved in quality and effectiveness many of us refuse to take the chance of being bitten again.

Just as a coda to this, I'd like to add

I have had many negative experiences with the mental health sector. I believe too, that most people with MI have given it a fair go and tried to engage of many occasions.

The challenge now for the sector is to reengage those who are rightfully leery of services and they will need to provide real, appropriate and meaningful outcomes for the people who have had trusts broken.