Health and Community Services Union

Earlier in the year, the Minister for Mental Health, Lisa Neville, announced a review of the Mental Health Act 1986. HACSU's submission can now be downloaded.

The associated consultation paper can be downloaded from here: www.health.vic.gov.au/mentalhealth/mhactreview.

HACSU's submission can be downloaded here: http://www.bettermentalhealth.org.au/review/HACSU_response_MHBill.pdf

The legislation is expected to enter Parliament in early 2010.

This paper will examines 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 focuses 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.