This
week is Mental Health Awareness week. The ABC TV station
is screening nightly shows on different aspects of Mental Health. Check out
ABC's iview for this
week’s TV programs on Mental Health. Note being on iview, these are only
available for a short time. story1, story 2, story, 3, etc.
This
link takes you to
various support and information, YouTube clips and other items on Mental
Health.
Mental
Health Australia has released a 10 year reform plan called the
Point 1 is
Agree on what we want to achieve
A high-performing mental
health system would maximise consumer and carer participation, prioritise
mental health promotion, prevention and early intervention, be recovery‑oriented,
and facilitate timely and equitable access to the right services matched to
individual needs. Achieving this vision means addressing the many factors which
enable people to live contributing lives: social and economic participation,
accommodation, physical health, safety, prejudice and discrimination, and
experiences of care, support and treatment
See
also some further commentary and discussion about this plan.
To
achieve some intent with this plan consideration does need to be given to the significant
numbers of People Living with Mental Health regarding their functional
literacy. As Mental Health can be episodic also, there may be even more People Living
with Mental Health who at times have greater needs with regard to accessing
written information. Think about
-
taking medication correctly;
- understanding
side effects of medication;
- appointment
no shows;
-
learning about triggers and other aspects of their health and well being;
-
accessing services, including accommodation, safety, and treatment options.
There
are many other aspects of day to day living that People Living with Mental Health
have to deal with. Have you considered what the literacy skills are of the
people you support.
Talk
to Cathy about how to improve the access to information via the use of Easy English
for all aspects of a person’s life
Cathy
Cathy
Basterfield
Access
Easy English
Consultant
Speech Pathologist
0466
570 855
