Abstract

Author(s):

Wanda Bennetts

IMHA is the first Independent Mental Health Advocacy service in Australia. It is a statewide non-legal advocacy service that provides advocacy to people who are at risk of or are subject to compulsory treatment under Victoria’s Mental Health Act 2014. IMHA advocates work with people using a representational model of advocacy that is based on taking instructions from the person. Advocates work from a Supported Decision Making framework that allows a person to make their own decisions and express these to people in their lives.

Physical health and the response to these needs is a concern for many of the people that advocates work with, being an issue identified across the state over the past three years. This presentation will give you an overview of IMHA and some examples of how its advocacy model works in practice.