Authors: Jenie Aikman, Kate Maddigan, Michael Page, Suzanne Dawson, Emma Wynne Bannister, Maggie Toko, Mohajer Hameed, Julie Beauchamp, Anna Tate & Sheryl Maung
Year: 2023
Event: 2023 The MHS conference - Adelaide
Subject: Language, Policy & Guidelines
Type of resource: Conference Presentations and Papers
Abstract:
Presentation 1: Flipping language: Building positive culture to improve care practices, experiences and outcomes.
Authors: Jenie Aikman, Kate Maddigan, Michael Page & Suzanne Dawson
Abstract
“Aggressive…intrusive…agitated…wanderer”- Deficit based language in health care settings negatively impacts on care provision, experiences and outcomes. In dementia care settings, these negative impacts extend to families who are essential to the care process. My Home Life is a UK initiative that seeks to address this issue and provide staff with tools to facilitate the development and implementation of strategies that support compassionate, relationship-centred care. The Repat Neuro-behavioural unit (RNBU) has embedded My Home Life principles at an organisational level informing day to day practice with the aim of building positive culture. The RNBU is a specialised, high dependency unit in Adelaide, for people with the most severe presentations of behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia. This presentation reports on an 18-month quality improvement initiative, “Flipping Language” that explores of frequently used language in clinical practice. Co- led by the Carer Consultant and Nurse Consultant, this exploration occurs conjointly with RNBU staff and families. This project has sparked reflection and conversation and created a safe space for families and staff to work together to improve language. Flipping language results in practice change with the approach transferrable to any care or clinical setting.
Learning Objective
Understand carer and staff experiences of flipping language at the RNBU
Explore how Flipping language can change outcomes for people receiving care and how staff connect with residents and their families in mental health settings
References
Dewar, B., Sharp,C., Barrie,K., MacBride, T.& Meyer, J. (2017). Caring ConversationFramework to promote person centredcare:synthesisingqualitative findings froma multi- phase programme of research. International Journal of Person Centered Medicine, 7(1), pp.31-45.doi: 10.5750/ijpcm.v7i1.619
Dewar, B., & Nolan,M.(2013). Caring aboutcaring: developing a modelto implementcompassionate relationship centred care in an older people care setting. International journal of nursing studies, 50(9),1247–1258.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijnurstu.2013.01.008
Presentation 2: Trauma-informed guidelines for mental health complaints resolution.
Authors: Emma Wynne Bannister, Maggie Toko, Mohajer Hameed & Julie Beauchamp
Abstract
The MHCC in collaboration with the Bouverie Centre, has developed pioneering trauma-informed guidelines, innovative in their focus on mental health complaints resolution.
The motivation for these guidelines is that research has shown that it is common for people who access mental health services to have experienced trauma [1]. As result, people making a complaint to the MHCC may have a lived experience of trauma and this may impact on how they experience the complaints process. With the aim of better supporting them, these guidelines adopt a trauma-informed approach to addressing complaints made about mental health services in Victoria.
The set of fifteen guidelines were co-produced through consulting with and incorporating the voices of members of the MHCC’s advisory council (including consumers, carers, and persons who have made complaints to the MHCC or services directly), lived and living experience advisors [2], MHCC complaints resolution and investigation officers, and public mental health service providers across Victoria.
Throughout the development of these guidelines, we learned that persons who make complaints about mental health services want to be heard, believed, understood, and supported. These guidelines assist those involved in complaints resolution to do just that.
Learning Objective
This presentation will provide an overview of the co-production process that took place to develop the trauma-informed guidelines for complaints resolution. Additionally, the themes that emerged and the guidelines themselves, which improve the MHCC's capability to manage complaints safely for people who have experienced trauma, will be discussed.
References
1. Isobel, S., et al. (2021) ‘What is needed for Trauma Informed Mental Health Services in Australia? Perspectives of clinicians and managers’. International Journal of Mental Health Nursing. 30(1): p. 72-82.
2. Mental Health Complaints Commissioner (2022) ‘Lived Experience Engagement Checklist’ [Online] Available on: Lived Experience Engagement Checklist | Single Digital Presence Content Management System (mhcc.vic.gov.au)
Presentation 3Partnering for better legal literacy amongst mental health consumers.
Authors: Anna Tate & Sheryl Maung
Abstract
In 2022, staff from the Urgent Mental Health Care Centre (UMHCC) and Women’s Legal Service SA (WLSSA), in collaboration with Health Justice Australia, undertook a series of workshops to develop the framework and expectations of how a partnership between a peer-first, peer-last mental health crisis service and a women-focussed community legal service would work. This partnership aims to integrate welcoming, consumer-focussed alternatives to Emergency departments with expert legal and financial supports to address the complex psychosocial needs (e.g. employment, housing, family and criminal law issues) that routinely co-occur with mental health crisis, reducing barriers to accessing appropriate professional supports. We have now been partnering in practice for several months and can share how the work we are doing is creating space for the people we work with to develop their legal literacy and have their voice heard and how the partnership has differed from our expectations.
Learning Objective
We will describe how we are working to develop greater legal literacy amongst our team at the Urgent Mental Health Care Centre and greater mental health literacy amongst the legal team at Women's Legal Service SA.
References
N/A
This resource is only available for subscribers. If you have a subscription, please log in. Otherwise, click here to purchase a subscription.