Lacking Insight - Community Law

Part 4 > The Views of the StakeholdersLegal representation / advocacy:how can it be beneficial?Other stakeholders tend to view the role of advocacyas being beneficial to the overall efficacy of the reviewprocess. Representation by an advocate can makethe difference between the consumer’s point of viewbeing merely voiced and actually being heard. Whilstthis can be more time-consuming, it can also meanthat all pertinent issues are raised and evaluated.“I think the Boardhearings work betterif there is an advocatepresent. I feel thatmany consumers areseen but not listenedto, they are not heardas an adult. Having anadvocate with them canhelp alleviate this.”Case ManagerI think [legal representation is] really beneficial interms of people feeling like they’ve got someoneon their side. Just being able to put forwardarguments in a more, I guess, technical wayor in a more succinct, articulate way is usefuland I think it’s useful to raise issues abouttreatment and how the treating team is treatingthe consumer. I think they’re all importantissues and I think sometimes when someone’sunrepresented those things get lost a little bit.Legal RepresentativeThe more formal legal advocacy can be valuablein actually ensuring that not only the Board itselfbut somebody else has analysed the evidenceagainst the criteria. I have seen bad advocacy- advocacy which seemed to me to not have aclear understanding of what their relationshipwas with the client in terms of whether they weretaking instructions from them or acting in their bestinterests. I have seen private practitioners whorarely appear in the field and they didn’t seem toknow what they were doing, but, generally speaking,having an advocate means that the questions whichought to be in issue are considered. . .Former Mental Health Review BoardPresident and Former Public AdvocateThe role of thecommunity memberAs is the case for consumers, a number ofstakeholders are concerned about the role of thecommunity member as it is currently performed.Stakeholders describe a situation where communitymembers appear to lack an understanding ofwhat is expected of them. Given this apparentuncertainty, community members tend to be silent or,at best, offer advice that provides little constructiveassistance to consumers.79