Welcome to Our Consumer Place
FREE BOOKS
So, you've got a 'Mental Illness'? ... What now?
and
Speaking Our Minds: A guide to how we use our stories
Our Consumer Place is a resource centre run entirely by people diagnosed with "mental illness" (we choose to call ourselves "consumers"). We provide information, training, support and advice to consumer-run groups and projects (or more specifically, "Consumer Developed Initiatives" (CDIs)). We also support what we call "consumer perspective" recognising that the lived experience of "mental illness" provides a crucial source of insight that is of value and must be respected. We believe that we are part of an important cultural shift, towards valuing and respecting the lived experience of "mental illness."
Those of us diagnosed with "mental illness" have a unique perspective to offer. Our lived experiences are rich and varied: some of us experience madness, psyche-ache, emotional distress, hearing voices, mental breakdown or "mental illness" and we don't all make meaning from our experiences in the same way.
Many of us have experienced prejudice, exclusion and trauma. Many have used or survived mental health services, others haven't. Many of us have hidden our experiences, some of us share our experiences in various ways.
We all share the ability to reflect on our lives, our communities and the 'mental health system' from the perspective of having been through these experiences. Our Consumer Place is a resource for our voices to come together and become stronger.
We are based in West Melbourne (Victoria, Australia). We are funded by the Department of Health (Government of Victoria) and auspiced by Our Community. We are unique in Australia, but there are many similar services in Europe and the United States.
(Key terms: "consumer", "Consumer Developed Initiatives" (CDIs), "consumer perspective", "mental illness")
News in the consumer world
***Employment opportunities***
Project Worker, Centre of Excellence in Peer Support (Mental Health), Mutual Support and Self-Help Consortium
The Centre of Excellence in Peer Support (Mental Health) is seeking to fill the Project Worker position, due to our current worker leaving to go overseas. This role is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the Centre of Excellence. The worker will provide a first point of call for information, linkage and support on peer support models to the non-profit mental health sector. This position seeks to build service quality and sector capacity to deliver peer-based mental health support.
The worker will provide support via the statewide clearinghouse and resource centre utilising web-based technologies, dedicated help and information line and enhanced coaching, training and mentorship to support service mapping, quality and sustainability, project development and volunteer management.
The Centre of Excellence was established by the seven statewide specialist Mutual Support and Self-Help services: ARAFEMI (lead agency), Action on Disability in Ethnic Communities (ADEC), Anxiety Recovery Centre of Victoria (ARCVic), The Compassionate Friends, Eating Disorders Foundation of Victoria (EDFV), GROW and the Post and Antenatal Depression Association (PANDA).
For more information, please see the position description here.
Applications close 31 January 2012.
***Must-see consumer creations***
Paws For Purrfect Patient Therapy (PRPPT) a consumer run, not-for-profit organisation, providing community based pet foster care services for people with mental illness. The aim is to allow patients to voluntarily surrender their pets during crisis periods (such as hospital stays). It's just starting up and could use your support (including pet supplies, volunteers interested in becoming foster pet carers, board and committee members and more). Check it out here: www.pawsforpurrfectpatienttherapy.com. (Source: Naomi Snell, founder of PRPPT).
Outrage to determination: Julie Dempsey's pictorial history of women's lack of safety in psychiatric wards and the Victorian Women and Mental Health Network's campaign to increase women's safety. Click here for the full booklet (5.49MB), or read about it here (it was profiled in Our Consumer Place's newsletter in December 2011, pages 3-5).
What causes mental illness? A new website initiated by Bill Moon.
Bill says: "How many times have we said 'I wish people knew more about the way things really are?' ... Well, the time for a discussion of 'mental illness' may be here and, if we work together, that public
discussion could be informed by the best evidence and practice. Have a look at the site, and look at what is there, but also imagine what we could make of it together, If you find it worthy please recommend it and if you don't find it worthy - come and help improve it!" Check it out here: http://whatcausesmentalillness.com
***Petitions and campaigns***
Smoking Mad: "Australian hospitals are FORCING involuntary mental health patients to quit smoking against their will. Total smoking bans increase distress for people already in severe crisis, damage recovery & create dangerous risks. This campaign aims to repeal these bans, re-establish smoking areas in suitable outdoor hospital areas, and establish sensible, voluntary quit programs that actually work." Click here to read Smoking Mad's public statement, and here to find out how you can join the national campaign. For the Smoking Mad blog, click here or go to: www.smokingmad.blogspot.com (Source: Indigo Daya)
See also the petition against compulsory cessation of smoking for patients confined involuntarily in psychiatric wards and services in Victoria Have you seen the Victorian Mental Illness Awareness Council's (VMIAC) online 'smoking ban' petition? Read more about it here: www.petitiononline.com/advocacy/petition.html Source: Bill Moon, VMIAC
***Research and information***
Northern CCU Peer Support Research and Development Project: "Putting the community into Community Care Unit"
Prepared by Allan Pinches, Consumer consultant in mental health, was the Principal Researcher for this 16-month project, which
was funded by a Department of Health Victoria Mental Health and Drugs Research Fellowship Grant. The main purpose of the project was to research and develop ways to build a possible Peer Support program and culture into the Northern Community Care Unit (CCU), a 20-resident adult psychiatric rehab service in Preston. Click here for a copy of the report.
Experiences of Stopping Antipsychotic Medication
Carmela Saloman at the University of Melbourne is conducting a study into people's experiences of coming off antipsychotic medications. We urge anyone who has had experiences of coming off antipsychotic medications to participate - whatever the experience was like. Anyone associated with OCP can participate, but do be aware that only those who live near Melbourne can be interviewed in the 2nd stage. Click here for the survey, or to find out more. (Source: Carmela Salomon)