Topic Tuesday: What would you say to public policy makers?

No, you're doing great @Viv

Your feedback is very insightful.

How would you reword it to reflect your input?

Hi Ellie, not easy is it?

I'm a carer. Still not easy.

Good question @kenny66

@DavidMIFA , are you able to answer that question?

I think we are talking about access to services for carers--this is often just as important as access for people with mental health issues, because family understanding and capacity to give support is so crucial

Statement:

People living with severe mental illness, including those experiencing a first episode of illness need timely local access to a range of services and supports

Perhaps:

People with mental illness need timely access to services and supports for diagnosis and ongoing treatments, including access to case management and ancilliary supports and services.

I note that you refer to severe mental illness... if I had cancer, would it be defined as minor or severe as to whether I get treatment or not?

Please - everyone take your time in responding and don't feel rush by me. I'm just going to post the next question and you can answer these at your own pace.

Lets look at

Loneliness

Statement:

People living with mental illness frequently report isolation from their community and find it difficult to develop friendship and other forms of mutual support

Request:

We want you to ensure that there is adequate funding to develop a variety of peer-developed , community-based options which relieve isolation for people affected by mental illness

I agree. "Severe" is too ambigous. It's like trying to define "Normal." Some times I can appear very "normal, but when I'm triggered, I'm the polar opposite.

While people are responding to that question -

@DavidMIFA , may I ask if there is the intention to quantify how this is to be achieved by the target audience. For example it would be a very different set of requests to a local MP and something quite different to a Minister?