Lacking Insight - Community Law

Part 3 > The Involuntary Patient ExperienceDue to the distressing nature of Board hearings,consumers speak about the need for all professionalsinvolved in the process to understand the consumer’sneed for ongoing support after the hearing hastaken place.What sort of effect did it have on you?Oh, I thought about it for weeks. It had adetrimental effect on me. I wasn’t able to talkto anybody about it because of the advocate, Inever saw the advocate from the time that sheappeared at the hearing to the next hearing.There was no contact with her apart from aphone call to say what had happened at thehearing. And the clinical therapist that I had, shewas not understanding and I couldn’t talk to herabout it so I really had nobody to discuss it with.TF - ConsumerMaintenance not improvement,of the consumer’s situationIdeally, the effect of a Board hearing will be a beneficialone, where a person gains self-knowledge and learnsabout the services that are available in the community.Unfortunately, this ideal occurs all too infrequently,and consumers tend to view the process as one thatperpetuates, rather than improves their situation.They might give you a book and say ‘Here’s yourrights,’ but you are not going to read it becauseyou are unwell and then basically they say this ishappening and this is how it goes and you get adischarge and there you are out in the communityagain and you don’t get any explanation aboutwhere you can go [to protect] your rights oranything, the conditions are pretty lax on that, itdoesn’t happen. You know there are very shortbrief explanations about why and how and if youhave not read the information, well, that is too bad.CM - ConsumerAs well as raising a number of criticisms of theBoard process, consumers were also keen to offersuggestions about ways in which their experiencecould be improved. Legal representation, increasedinvolvement of community members, secondopinions and Board member training were raised bya number of interviewees.Consumer suggestionsfor improvementProvision of legalrepresentation/advocacyConsumers experience Board hearings as stressfulevents, and because of this they find it extremelydifficult to present their viewpoints in the best light,or sometimes forget to raise important matters.Advocacy, be it in the form of legal representation orhaving someone such as a friend or family member atthe hearing who can speak on their behalf, is highlyvalued by most consumers. Consumers are adamantthat advocacy is a vital way of ensuring that rightsare upheld and the voice of the consumer is heard byBoard members. Advocacy is viewed as an importantway of empowering the consumer and ensuring thatthe Board is held to account.“When a person issilenced by their illnessand by the situation Ithink advocacy is reallyimportant.”TF - Consumer57