Consumer Consultant Training - Session 2:

By consumer workers, for consumer workers.

This is a free event designed for Consumer Consultants working in public mental health in Victoria (eg. Area Mental Health Services, Forensicare or consumer mental health staff from RCH).

Consumer Consultants outside of public clinical services (MHCSSs, AOD, ACCHOs etc.) or other partner organisations may also attend.

Note: This training follows on from a Consumer Consultant forum held in 2020, during which collective professional development needs were explored and examined. Six learning topics were identified and further consultation was sought from the workforce and the Statewide Consumer Consultant Council (SCCC) on which areas of priority should be developed as part of the first two sessions.

All courses will be interactive, learner focussed and based on adult learning principles. We believe that Consumer workers approach learning with a wealth of knowledge and experience to contribute. This approach recognises the constant interweaving of theory and practice cultivating critical thinking and reflection, appreciating the contested nature of ideas and world views, and perspective taking through adopting ethical, human rights and social justice lenses.

Session 2: How to make an impact/be influential

Through this interactive training, you will have opportunities to share experiences, ideas, skills and strategies related to Consumer Consultant work. Topics covered in this training will include:

• What are some of the barriers to being influential in our work?
• Areas where having an impact/being influential matter most to you
• What would be a marker that you were having an impact?
• What strategies do you draw on to stay invigorated and connected
• What formal levers, mechanisms can influence our work?
• The organisation’s role in supporting you to have an impact/be influential?

Delivery Mode – 10am to 4pm online

A Zoom link with be sent to registrants prior to the event, along with some resources for pre-reading

Facilitators:

Cath Roper

Cath was one of the first four mental health consumer consultants in Victoria and went on to pioneer the multi-award winning consumer Academic program, at the Centre for Psychiatric Nursing, University of Melbourne. Cath is a consumer perspective educational specialist and is also highly regarded locally, nationally and internationally for her research scholarship. Cath was consumer advisor to the Royal Commission into Victoria’s mental health system CEO.

Wanda Bennetts

I have background in education and have a lived experience of mental health services. I have worked in a variety of consumer perspective roles since 2000, mostly at a systemic level.

The roles have included Consumer Consultant, consumer researcher, educator, senior advisor, freelance worker and Senior Policy Advisor - consumer portfolio holder at DHHS.

Passionate about:

• Wanting to positively influence mental health systems
• Consumer perspective education & training for clinicians, professionals and consumers
• Advance Directives
• Progressing and supporting the consumer workforce

My current roles are Senior Consumer Consultant for Independent Mental Health Advocacy (IMHA) casual consumer academic for the CPN.

But, my favourite role is that of grandmother.

David Barclay, Consumer Workforce Development Coordinator - Centre for Mental Health Learning (CMHL)

David is the Consumer Workforce Development Coordinator at CMHL, supporting the growing consumer workforce in embedding the lived experience voice across the public mental health sector. Previous to this they worked as a consumer consultant for four years at Inner West Area Mental Health Service, and was a consumer educator at VMIAC supporting consumers to navigate the NDIS. Passions include transparency, the recovery model, trauma informed care, supported decision making, dual diagnosis, de-stigmatising & normalising mental health matters, and will happily monologue at length on the power of diversity, storytelling and hope.