We spoke to consumer advocates Hannah Meurer, Dominic Troughton and Bill Moon about their work at the Victorian Mental Illness Awareness Council (VMIAC).
About their work
The three advocates have roles listening to, educating and informing consumers about their rights and helping them find other supports they need. While Hannah is in an outreach role, Bill and Dominic take phone calls from consumers needing support at VMIAC’s Brunswick East headquarters.
They each have lived experience of a mental illness diagnosis. This drives their strong commitment to ensuring that consumers are listened to, and not left struggling alone without a voice. While their unique understanding of what it’s like to have a mental illness is the greatest qualifications for their roles, it’s also an asset to be able to wield the clinical terms that are short-cut language in medical settings, they say.
Empathetic listening that does not judge the person or deny their reality is the key to their role.
As Bill says, if a person with a mental illness is talking about events or fears that seem outlandish or far-fetched, it is vital to ‘walk with the person with their unusual beliefs’ rather than trying to get the person to ‘face reality’. Just because some things the person is saying seem bizarre is not a reason to dismiss them out of hand.
‘Being labelled a person with a mental illness seems to mean you are a person who can be ignored,’ says Dominic. ‘But people with a mental illness are just normal people with a crack somewhere. As the Leonard Cohen song ‘Anthem’ says: There’s a crack in everything, that’s how the light gets in.’
The new Mental Health Act 2014
‘The new Act is definitely a step in the right direction, with lots of great ideals,’ says Hannah, adding: ‘it’s going to be a long journey, and one that won’t ever stop.’
How far its ideals can be realised is to a large degree in the hands of all those that are involved in its implementation. ‘As a piece of paper on its own it doesn’t achieve things; it’s about the people that bring it to life,’ says Bill. ‘There are still a lot of subjectivity and beliefs and values attached to phrases like as far as possible and reasonable.’
‘We’ve had some concerns that the paperwork around things like making advanced statements or putting forward a nominated person are quite clinically driven and time-consuming,’ says Hannah.
‘People who are currently hospitalised have been having difficulty taking up those possibilities because they’re seen as too unwell or because they can’t get their statements independently witnessed. As it’s only a few months in, it’s a bit early to see the full picture.’
VMIAC and Victoria Legal Aid
‘Legal representation can change a person’s life. We have a very close relationship and high regard for Victoria Legal Aid.
Hannah Meurer
‘After speaking to one of the team, I breathe easier, knowing that we have been able to use them as a sounding board, consultant or mentor about what the law is,' says Hannah. That’s not just about compulsory treatment — it’s about fines, relationship troubles, and money issues, all the things that can come with having a mental illness.’
Bill and Dominic also see Victoria Legal Aid’s role as pivotal in ‘making the law real and bringing legal authority to what can be seen as subjective arguments about a person’s rights. Restricting a person’s freedom is huge and to do it lightly is unjust. We find that Victoria Legal Aid really go the extra mile to listen to consumers and show a lot of empathy and heart in their approach.’
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