Advanced Care Directives Working Group

1. Advanced Care DirectivesWorking Group Karen Blake Consumer & Carer Participation Officer Mental Health Community Coalition ACT “Community partnerships for better mental health and recovery”

2. Overview • Brief history of the Advanced Care Directives Working Group • Implementation Issues • Implementation Strategy to date “Community partnerships for better mental health and recovery”

3. Brief History • Issue raised at MHCC ACT Consumer & Carer Caucus by Deb Merrit, Consumer Consultant, Mental Health ACT • Group of around 10 Mental Health Consumers meet about every 3 weeks • Invited Mental Health Carers to comment • Developed an holistic view of the implementation issues for discussion and action. “Community partnerships for better mental health and recovery”

4. Legislature Mental Health Act(under Review) Clinical ‘System’ Policies and Protocols MH Consumers MH Carers Advanced Directives (“Advanced Agreements”) • Practitioner engagement, recognition and promotion • Use as a treatment and recovery tool • ‘Alert’ on MHAGIC • Access to Advanced Agreement in a Crisis • Relevance of Advance Agreement on admission • Policy on Advanced Directives recognition • Training on Advanced Directive usage for public and private clinicians • Awareness raising of Emergency Services + Consumers and Carers • If applicable, the inclusion of a Carer element on the agreement as part of the care planning • Complexities in completion of Agreement for Consumer • Wallet sized “Alert” cards or bracelets • Encouragement to and currency of Advanced Directive • Awareness raising of Emergency Services + Consumers and Carers • Is an empowerment tool for Consumers • Privacy Legislation • Policy on Co-morbidity • (if necessary contact other health • professionals) • ‘Alert’ on MHAGIC • Practitioner accountability and promotion • ‘Power’ to over ride Agreement • Early intervention and treatment at earliest point in care planning Implementation Issues “Community partnerships for better mental health and recovery”

5. Implementation Strategy • Legislature (Mental Health Act Review) • Formulate a draft options paper • Inclusion in MHCC ACT and MHCN response • Included as part of the Act Review Quarterly Forum held in February 2008. “Community partnerships for better mental health and recovery”

6. Implementation Strategy • Clinical ‘systems’ policies and processes • Review current information provided in MHACT on Advanced Agreements • Review current brochure • Consult Team Leaders in MH ACT to discuss promotion with staff • Investigation of an ‘alert’ on MHAGIC • Develop policy on Advanced Agreement recognition • Training on Advanced Agreement usage developed “Community partnerships for better mental health and recovery”

7. Implementation Strategy • Consumers • Develop and implement Mental Health Crisis Card • Simplified process for completion • Provide an MHCN ‘drop-in’ for Consumers to discuss issues • Awareness raising for emergency services, clinicians and practitioners. “Community partnerships for better mental health and recovery”

8. Implementation Strategy • Carers • Invited to join working group • Included carer element on the Advanced Agreement as part of the care planning process (if applicable) • Awareness raising of Crisis Cards to ACT Mental Health Carers “Community partnerships for better mental health and recovery”

9. Clinical ‘System’ Policies and Protocols MH Consumers MH Carers Advanced Directives (“Advanced Agreements”) Implementation Legislature Mental Health Act(under Review) “Community partnerships for better mental health and recovery”

10. Thank you • Questions? “Community partnerships for better mental health and recovery”