These consumer advisors participate in decisions about service configuration, geographical location, provider selection and so on. For example, recent decisions about funding and the location of early psychosis intervention services, or a new forensic centre, have been made with the participation of an HFA consumer advisor staff member. Consumers are also part of the HFA service quality monitoring review teams. By the end of 1999 the Southern HFA region will have appointed family advisors. Mental Health Service Providers - Statutory Services Hospitals and health services are required to ensure that the Mental Health Standards are observed within their services.
Separate standards define consumer participation, and family and carer participation.
It is less common for consumers and families to play a major part in decision making when it comes to actual service design and delivery. A common complaint, therefore, is that by the time consumer and family advisors have been asked, decisions have already been made. For the managers of mental health and wider health services, it is often a very foreign notion to actually involve the users of the service in the planning procedure. Less frequently, and depending on the service, there is a family advisor on the board. In general, users of mental health services do not give rave reviews about service quality.