EXPERTS BY EXPERIENCE

Are you an expert by experience in mental health?

Participation
Participation is a core component of human rights. The phrase adopted by people with disabilities ‘nothing about us without us’ explains why people with mental health problems should be able to fully participate in the decision-making that affects them. This includes decisions about how organisations such as AI campaign on their behalf.

Experts by experience
In October 2008 AI established an ‘experts by experience’ group. The 10 members have been at the forefront of the mental health movement in Ireland, having founded support organisations, advocated for change and supported peers. Over the course of the following 10 months the group met to plan a campaign strategy. Together, the goals of the campaign were devised and strategic objectives listed.

Consultation
In addition to work with the experts by experience group, AI Ireland also consulted with over 130 people who have been affected by mental health difficulties, refining the campaign objectives. Six focus group meetings were also held to discuss the campaign objectives, with Shine (formerly Schizophrenia Ireland), residents of the Central Mental Hospital, the Full Shilling Group in Cork, EVE (Eastern Vocational Enterprises Ltd), the Women Together Network and the Rathmines Gateway Project.

Experts by Experience Advisory Group
Liz Brosnan, Stephen Garbhaoui, Eamon Kavanagh, Claire Keogh, Paddy McGowan, Caroline McGuigan, Colette Nolan, Maeve O’Sullivan, Diarmuid Ring, Tim Smyth, Jim Walsh and Mike Watts.

How can you use human rights?
Human rights can be a useful tool to drive change. You can demand that mental health services reflect these commitments by naming human rights, where appropriate, in any complaint or request you might wish to make in respect of mental health services in Ireland. To help you do this Amnesty International Ireland is producing a guide for service users to outline what your human rights are in relation to mental health.

To order a copy of this guide or to get involved please email: mentalhealth@amnesty.ie

PARTNER GROUPS

• Mental Health Reform - Mental Health Reform (MHR) campaigns for improved and prioritised mental health services in Ireland. It is a coalition of organisations (including Amnesty International Ireland) committed improving the lives of people with mental health problems by advocating for people’s rights to the highest attainable standard of mental health and mental healthcare. It aims to leverage the knowledge and networks of its members and partners to create a credible, audible and informed voice for change. Visit the MHR website

STOP PRESS

Mental Health Reform and People with Disabilities in Ireland cordially invite you to a series of public meetings on mental health services.

• Wednesday 14th September Kildare, Keadeen Hotel
• Wednesday 28th September Drogheda, D Hotel
• Wednesday 5th October Tralee, Meadowlands Hotel
• Wednesday 12th October Waterford, Edmund Rice Centre, Barrack's Street, Waterford
• Wednesday 19th October Clonmel, Clonmel Park Hotel
• Wednesday 26th October Sligo, Sligo Park Hotel

Each meeting will begin at 10am and finish at 1pm with a light lunch served.

This series of national meetings aims to develop a shared understanding among citizens about good quality, community-based mental health services, and the role these play in promoting good mental health. Community-based mental health services reduce the incidence of suicide as well as reducing admissions to hospital. In these economically strained times, it is vital that people have easy access to community mental health services. The meetings will be addressed by expert speakers and will provide a forum for honest debate on what a quality mental health service looks like. 

As numbers are limited, please confirm your attendance by calling Christine on 01 612 1422 or by emailing RSVP@mentalhealthreform.ie

• Children’s Mental Health Coalition - Amnesty International Ireland and the Children’s Rights Alliance joined forces in 2009 to establish a lobbying coalition that would analyse the problems and crucially, respond with effective solutions.
  The Children’s Mental Health Coalition (CMHC) was launched at a press conference on 15 December 2009. It has four key demands in relation to the: mental health services, the education system, the criminal justice system and the care system. More than 45 non-governmental groups, organisations and agencies have signed up to the coalition and will collectively lobby for improvement for children and young people with mental health problems. Visit the CMHC wesbite