Help Us Change Mental Health Care in New Zealand!
- by: Sally Fisher and Sarah Henderson, Right To Hope
- recipient: Sue Bradford, MP, New Zealand Green Party.
Mental Health Services in New Zealand exist to provide support, care, and resolution to individual problems for clients and their families. They are charged with improving the quality of life of people with depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, suicidal thoughts and behaviour and many other issues of mental health. They are responsible for providing HOPE!
Tragically, this is not what is happening. While there are individuals working within the Mental Health Services who give their all to their jobs and do their best to provide outstanding care, they are struggling under a service top-heavy with adminstrative staff, a lack of decisive leadership, no clear codes of clinical practice, lack of communication between severely fractured services and in many cases, an entirely inappropriate model of care, called 'The Recovery Model". And this is only the beginning of the problems faced.
As a result, since 2006 at least 19 people, including Sally Fisher's son and the father of Sarah Henderson's children, have committed suicide while under Mental Health care. Many of our lost ones were inside Mental Health Inpatient wards at the time of their deaths, while others were sent home without any kind of treatment or supervision. Others have committed violent acts resulting in the deaths of entirely innocent parties.
We believe this is completely unacceptable. We all know or know of someone who has used or will use Mental Health Services at some point in their lives. It may even be you! We have set ourselves the goal of getting a government-led national inquiry into Mental Health Services nationwide. So sign, please, and help us change things for the better and create some hope in our beautiful country - for ALL our beautiful people.
This petition will be presented to Sue Bradford on Monday the 28th of April, at 11:30am. Send a link to this site to all your friends, please!
We the undersigned have created this petition in just three days. This is to demonstrate the strength of our opinions and convictions about the urgent need for a total overhaul of Mental Health Services in New Zealand.
The current system is struggling with a huge range of issues, such as fractured services who do not communicate with one another, a lack of decisive leadership due to the demands of beauracracy and a top-heavy administrative system, constant restructuring resulting in a lack of consistency, a poorly applied 'Recovery Model" of care, under-resourced staff, lack of appropriate clinical training and many other issues.
As a result, clients and their families are suffering. Clients are dying, family members are dying, and members of the public are dying. This is the worst possible outcome - and it is happening on a frighteningly regular basis. Nationwide, people are experiencing the loss of hope - and there are few who say they think our Mental Health Services are coping well.
We want to see a government level inquiry into our Mental Health system. We want to see a Mental Health Service that is second to none. We want a Mental Health Service that is a world first; that is to say, we want a service that actually offers hope and helps people to regain robust mental health. We want it to be accessible, accountable, appropriately managed, cohesive and communicative. We want a service in which beauracracy comes second to care, a service that is abundantly resourced and that is staffed by experienced people who are supported in every way possible to provide the most positive care imaginable. We want a Mental Health service that includes everyone, that sees all people as worthy of support and inclusion, no matter their issues. We want a Mental Health Service that works.
We hereby ask you for your support in making this happen. We urge you to actively and energetically work with and for us in your role as Mental Health spokesperson and Member of Parliament for the New Zealand Green Party. We ask that you act now, before more clients, families and members of the public suffer or die as a result of our struggling Mental Health Service.
Thank you for taking the time to read this letter,
Sincerely,
The Undersigned.
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