14 October 2008

Minister Pays Tribute to Mentoring Work by former Mental Health Patients

People who have experienced a mental illness are providing valuable and effective mentoring to mental health patients, Minister Assisting the Minister for Health (Mental Health) Barbara Perry said today.

Known as ‘consumer workers’, there are close to 60 mentors working in NSW hospitals who are successfully managing their own mental illnesses while providing a unique service to patients.

“Former mental health patients are providing important peer support and advocacy which is improving the quality of life experienced by current patients,” Ms Perry said.

“They are able to make such a significant contribution due to their own experience of being a recipient of mental health services.”

Mental health consumer workers are employed in a variety of roles in all Area Health Services in NSW and a review into the role of consumer workers is currently underway, Ms Perry said.

“NSW Health has funded a Consumer Workers’ Project to look at the issues of consistency in roles, conditions and support across the state for these workers.

“This project is consumer-led and is part of a broader strategy to enhance real world participation of consumers in mental health care and recovery”.

Ms Perry said there is already a network of support available to assist consumer workers to help others.

“The annual NSW Consumer Workers Forum provides an opportunity for all mental health consumer workers in NSW to get together, network and undertake development and training on specific issues.

“An important outcome of the forums is the access that less experienced consumer workers have to a concentrated wealth of knowledge from more experienced workers,” Ms Perry said.

For a range of health information, go online to www.health.nsw.gov.au