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CALD Consumer Advocates
CALD Consumer Advocates & the TMHC Partnership
A large part of the Centre's role is to assist mental health services to respect people's human rights, be more culturally aware and friendly, and make it easier for families and individuals who speak little or no English to use mental health services. The centre works in partnership with consumer advocates to build mental health strength and confidence (resilience) in the community through employing on a casual basis people who have recovered or are successfully managing living with an ongoing mental illness or condition (mental health consumers) to:
- Provide a positive role model and share their experience and practical wisdom with members of their own community and the general public
- Provide education on the consumer perspective to staff at the TMHC and other relevant health service providers such as GP's, Psychology interns etc
- Provide recovery information, advocacy and education about common mental health conditions, medications, rights, treatment options and links to activities and supports in the community to other CALD individuals with a mental illness
- Provide a consumer perspective to mental health policy and quality improvement initiatives, government enquiries or cultural research
In Australia families do not have to cope alone. Professional help such as counselling, drug treatment, therapy and community education/support from mental health services is available. Support and recovery groups also exist for particular conditions eg post natal depression groups (for women experiencing depression after the birth of a baby) serenity groups for people experiencing anxiety. Hospital and community based mental health services provide treatment and people such as CALD consumer advocates who can share their wisdom on how they have dealt with or assisted people to adjust and cope with similar problems..
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