12 MARCH 1999 .. a web newsletter for psych. consumers in Australia

A consumer radio program on 2NVR FM aims to kick start mental health matters! Every Monday morning for the last 2 years consumers have been broadcasting live programs dedicated to the promotion of mental health, increasing understanding and debunking myths and fears about mental illness in a rural community with limited services. 2NVR is an community/indigeneous station located in Bowraville NSW. ... FM 105.9.

It has taken a vast amount of courage by the presenters to speak publicly and sensitively on these mental health issues. Sessions are recorded to be available to people later.

phone 2NVR on 02) 6564 7777, the WWW page is www.2nvr.midcoast.com.au

The National Centre For Human Rights In Mental Health (NCHRMH) is seeking people with an committment to human rights to volunteer ... for new volunteer positions open at the Centre in Footscray, Melbourne.

" The NCHRMH is an independent, non - profit human rights centre. The NCHRMH advocates without fear or favour to protect and promote the human rights of people in the MH system. We offer a .. range of free advocacy, counselling, support, advice,information, educational, employment and housing services, all from a human rights perspective. "

The Centre is also "seeking to establish within Melbourne, in the next 12 months an after hours crisis service called COMPASSION.

This service will provide free support, counselling, advocacy and legal and medical assistance to people in crisis. A safe place where people can go and be able to speak to someone who will treat them with dignity and care ...

The reason (NCRMH) are setting up this service is because there is a tremendous need for it, as there is really nowhere in Victoria that a person in crisis can go to at night . The crisis service will operate between the hours of 8 pm to 4 am, 7 nights a week. "

So if you are interested in volunteering or would like to just find out more about the centre give the Centre a call on (03) 9689 5075 or E - mail : nchrmh@hotmail.com for a volunteer job description ( state your area of interest).

A consultants' discussion paper for the State Dep't of Health, just released, says that the Victorian health system is biased against consumers. The report claims that insufficient information is available to them to make serious health care decisions. The Health Services Policy review by lawyers Phillips Fox and Casemix Consulting (!) recommends that patients have enforceable access to their medical records (in Victoria). Another proposal is to allow consumers to be able to look up details of individual doctors and how they rated against clinical performance indicators. from The Age

There are in total, 33 recommendations. It is not clear how this would affect the practices of MH specialists such as psychiatrists. This Review paper is available at hna.ffh.vic.gov.au/ahs/review

Date of the next issue will be 16 April, folks .. from the newsletter team