How the toolkit was developed
Development of this resource commenced in September 2018 with the establishment of an Expert Reference Group, bringing together people with lived experience of mental health issues, their families, carers and kinship groups, clinicians, peer workers and program managers.
Various professional organisations and committees were also represented.
Consultation and review
The process to develop the document included:
- More than 50 interviews conducted across the mental health sector, including representation from:
- Being
- Mental Health Carers NSW
- The Consumer Peer Workforce Committee
- NSW Mental Health Commission
- Clinical Excellence Commission
- Health Education Training Institute
- Official Victors Program
- clinicians, managers and peer workers from NSW public mental health services from most LHDs and SHNs.
- A NSW statewide forum (10 October 2018) with 110 attendees.
- A review of relevant evidence, policy, frameworks and health care standards.
- Review of the Lived Experience Framework for NSW arguing that mental health and social services ‘must embrace the participation, influence and leadership of people with lived experience of mental health issues and carers, families and kinship groups in service design, delivery, monitoring, reporting, research, evaluation and improvement activities’ to strengthen services and achieve better outcomes for all people in NSW.3
- Review of the Official Visitors Program recommendation report detailing practical solutions and principles which can be used to strengthen consumer and family engagement.
- Feedback across the mental health sector on the draft version of this document with over 180 comments received for incorporation.
- Targeted interviews with clinical leaders.
Acknowledgements
The expertise and guidance that we received has been invaluable in enabling this toolkit to be produced.
We would like to thank everyone who contributed their ideas and insights, particularly the Expert Reference Group.
Expert Reference Group members
Name | Role and organisation |
Luke Butcher | Area Manager, Mission Australia |
Tristan Chapman | Senior Lead for Clinical Innovation & Redesign, Mental Health, Nepean Blue Mountains LHD |
Glen Charlesworth | Senior Policy Officer, Mental Health Branch |
Irene Gallagher | Chief Executive Officer, Being |
Donna Gillies | A/Director Research and Data Analytics, NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission |
Sage Green | Senior Advisor, Mental Health Commission of NSW |
Hannah Hanfy | Project Officer, Patient Experience and Consumer Engagement, Agency for Clinical Innovation |
Jonathan Harms | Chief Executive Officer, Mental Health Carers NSW Inc (MHCN) |
Victoria Hirst | A/Manager, Strategic Policy and System Reform, Mental Health Commission of NSW |
Lam Huynh | Principal Policy Officer, Strategic Engagement, Mental Health Branch |
Heidi Keevers | Chairperson NSW Consumer Peer Workforce Committee |
Kerri Lawrence | Manager, Strategic Engagement & Innovation, Mental Health Commission of NSW |
Carol Martin | Service Manager, Specialist Mental Health Services, ISLHD |
Nick O’Connor | Co-chair, MH Network Executive |
Chris Ryan | Director of Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry at Sydney's Westmead Hospital |
Kathleen Schelling | Mental Health Network Manager, Agency for Clinical Innovation |
Peter Schmiedgen | Policy and Communications Manager, Being |
Charmaine Turton | Project Manager, Clinical Standards & Quality, InforMH |