23 May 1999 .. a web newsletter for psych. consumers in Australia

Whose Dreams? Whose Realities? is the theme of the 1999 THEMHS Conference at the Melbourne Convention Centre , 22 - 24 September. Pre-conference workshops & forums (incl. the usual cønsumer day) on 21 September.

If you want to contact the THEMHS office, ph: (02) 9926 6057 or check THEMHS' Web page .. www.themhs.org or Email enquiries@themhs.org

THEMHS is an annual conference for cønsumers, mental health providers, carers and more, conducted in Australia or NZ. More information coming in the next issue.

MUSICIANS and PERFORMERS who are consumers of M.H. services are wanted to make a CD of MUSIC, POETRY or SPOKEN WORD of any style, with a MENTAL HEALTH THEME.

Members of the South Eastern Cønsumer Network in NSW have come up with the idea of producing a compact disc about their experiences, both positive and negative.
Send correspondence to Cønsumer CD Project, P.O. Box 115, Annandale 2038

The network is also producing a play for cønsumers ( possibly this is another group - Ed. ) About ten people are involved in scripting the play and being on the stage. One scene deals with someone experiencing a "psychotic episode".

The Network plans to present the play for local psych. clients and may expand the production for the public later. The Network does advocacy and provides cønsumer input to the Bondi Junction community health service and other services in Sydney.

SO YOU WANT TO START A "CONSUMER RUN PROGRAM"
by David M. Meyer {Citizen} in Melbourne

Firstly - what is meant by a "Cønsumer run program"?! Is it a program where all the paid staff are professionals, who have never had a personal experience of psychiatric illness,or the cønsumer experience ? I have been told "yes , if that is what the Cønsumers want ".

However, is it really what Cønsumers want? Or is it because we Cønsumers have been so conditioned, that we believe that those people we need to listen to us, will only listen when we have the appropriate qualifications, and can use the "bureau-speak" jargon. I would argue that the greatest qualification for someone representing the cønsumer case is their own experience of psych. illness.

In the past this has been the case; we have seen so many cønsumers on committees, and in reality, it is the professional front person who is listened to, who " represents the cønsumer needs ". Sure, a few cønsumers are taken along for good measure!

A cønsumer run program needs to be just that. It needs to be run by and for cønsumers .. it needs to have all the paid jobs filled by the cønsumers themselves. So they are speaking for themselves. In this way, the cønsumers may not be looked as "as those cute ill people trying to be real people" or "those people who have to be led by the hand by those who really know what they are doing".

It is only by running our own show that we will cease to have a big " Mummy/Daddy " doing it for us. That way we can become citizens again, and not dependants.

The NSW branch of the national Cønsumer Network [AMHCN] will be meeting on June 27th. at
CARE Employment, 196 Liverpool Rd., Enfield NSW . Yes, lunch will be available, please contact one of the current delegates for enquiries and especially if you will be wanting lunch ( i.e. Karen O'Hara and Justin Liebman - see the Network webpage )

Nominations for state delegates or office bearers will be called for; these must reach the Secretary of the Cønsumer Network by 30th June. You must be a full member of the Network in NSW to nominate yourself or another member.

The actual election of the NSW delegates & office-bearers will be conducted by a postal ballot ... the outcome of the ballot will be announced at AMHCN's Annual General Meeting during this year's THEMHS Conference in late September ( see above ).

The Victorian Government has just launched a Better Health site, with a MH section covering things like anxiety, case managers , problem gambling and more. A Dr. Graham Burrows is handling on-line discussion this month on anxiety .. take a look at the Web site www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au