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Earlier in the year, the Minister for Mental Health, Lisa Neville, announced a review of the Mental Health Act 1986. The Minister has now released the associated consultation paper. You can download the consultation paper here: www.health.vic.gov.au/mentalhealth/mhactreview. The Victorian government is seeking input from patients, carers, mental health practitioners, other stakeholder groups and the broader community. HACSU will be putting in a submission to the review in support of members.
Submissions are due Friday 27th February 2009. The legislation is expected to enter Parliament in early 2010.
Purpose
This paper will examine possible ways to strengthen or improve: - the Act’s role in promoting recovery
- patient participation in treatment and care decisions, including placing patients at the heart of the Act
- the existing rights-based approach to involuntary treatment and care
- the effectiveness and accessibility of mechanisms to oversee treatment and care
- the Act’s responsiveness to the needs of families and carers.
HACSU’s submission will focus on two key areas:- The impact of any proposed changes to the Act on members’ clinical practice and capacity to treat clients.
- The impact of any changes on workforce requirements, including workload, administration and training provisions.
What can you do?
The new Act will have a major impact on the day-to-day practices of HACSU members working in the Mental Health Sector. HACSU is encouraging as many members as possible to get involved in this. Below is a list of things you can do to ensure the views of the Mental Health workforce are heard:- Assist with HACSU’s submission (details below)
- Put in your own submission. All the details for this are on the review’s website. If you do put in a submission, please consider sending a copy to HACSU
- Attend a public forum. To attend the public forums it is necessary to register. Registrations close on 16th January 2009 however places are limited so be sure to book in early. For a list of the public forums go to: http://www.health.vic.gov.au/mentalhealth/mhactreview/hys.htm
HACSU’s consultation and submission
In the short time frame available, HACSU aims to consult with members as extensively as possible to ensure members’ views and concerns are represented in HACSU’s submission. To do this the following consultation is planned:- We are seeking your initial thoughts on this topic so that we can get an understanding of the issues that concern you. To do this go to: www.bettermentalhealth.org.au and submit your thoughts via the web page.
- HACSU will conduct a detailed online survey during the consultation period.
- HACSU will hold a forum for members on Wednesday 21 January at the ACTU Melbourne office from 10 am to 2 pm. Members are asked to contact Naomi Burley on 1300 651 931 or by email, naomib@hacsu.asn.au to register for the forum.
Inquires about the submission should be directed to Kristen Wischer, Industrial Officer, at kristenw@hacsu.asn.au or by phone on 1300 651 931. |
