For many people, family, kin, whānau and community are central to their life course and identity beyond mental ill-health. It is within these contexts that core relationships begin and within which most people live their lives, and from which they navigate all that life throws at them.
TheMHS Forum 2024 will explore the tensions, barriers, solutions and remaining challenges in developing a mental health system that is inclusive of the full context in which a person lives their life. The role of family, kin, whānau and community in our mental health systems has fluctuated throughout many decades. This exploration will extend to the importance of communities of choice and the impact of friendship on recovery. We are now seeing the development of policy, practice and models of care that have a wider understanding of, and appreciation of these domains and that acknowledge them as central to recovery and good mental health.
How do mental health services proactively embrace families, kin, whānau and community in a compassionate and connected system of support? There is strong evidence that providing support in this context improves outcomes for people living with a mental health issue and promotes wider wellbeing. How do we acknowledge and equip this network of relationships to be part of a wider mental health system?
TheMHS Forum 2024 will focus on models of compassionate and inclusive care, exploring how the mental health system can work as an adjunct to the full context of a person’s life and promote inclusion, recovery, resilience and better mental health.