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The Law and Mental Health- new resource launched |
Jun 20th 2008 10:56am
The Legal Services Agency has produced The Law and Mental Health, an education resource for community groups that provide mental health information and support, and for people experiencing mental illness, their support people, whānau, family and friends.
The Minister for Justice, the Hon Annette King, launched the kit on Thursday 19 June at the Wellington Community Law Centre. 'It is important that everyone in New Zealand has fair and equitable access to justice,' says Hon Annette King, Minister for Justice. 'We need to ensure that the most vulnerable in our society, including those with mental health issues, get information on all the legal services that are available.
'The Legal Services Agency is providing a vital service with this resource and the means to give real support to those people who use mental health services. The Law and Mental Health kit fills a gap and addresses issues that are of real concern to a significant number of New Zealanders.'
The kit contains material for education seminars, including resources for seminar participants. The focus is on the Mental Health Act and six other areas of law that can have an impact on a person experiencing mental illness. It is designed to be used in a number of situations and settings. For example, mental health advocates can use the kit to assist people needing information on their rights under a compulsory treatment order or community law centre staff can use it to present half-day workshops to community workers on the Mental Health Act and legal issues.
The kit has been produced as part of the Agency's education and development work, and the Agency worked collaboratively with a wide range of individuals and organisations that use and deliver mental health services in developing the resource.
Special acknowledgement goes to: Wellington Community Law Centre, Kites Trust and a Steering Group including representatives from Wellink Youth Governance Group, Mental Health Foundation, Atareira (Wellington branch of Schizophrenia Fellowship), Te Ratonga Ture Maori Law Centre, Platform Inc., and Inner City Project.
'This is a good example of different agencies working together to make sure that the needs of the community are met in the most appropriate ways possible,' says the Legal Services Agency's Chief Executive Tim Bannatyne.
The resource will be distributed to community law centres and some mental health service providers throughout New Zealand free of charge over the next week. Additional copies are available for purchase. The Agency will continue to work with mental health service providers and consumers on distributing and using this resource.
Credit:Media Release
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