Ask a Pro Live: Navigating the Mental Health System October 2019

@Jess1-RO I'm having a look through those directories and they look amazing!

So great to hear @ecla34! If you google Primary Health Network and your location, there are also some pockets of brilliance happening at a local level to connect people with services in their area  Some Primary Health Networks (the people who allocate government funding in your local area to community health services) have their own navigation tools or atlases of services too!

I might also throw this question to the community.

Have you had experience of developing a Mental Health Care Plan? And if so, what advice do you have for someone who may be thinking of seeking mental health support through this avenue?

Have you had experience of developing a Mental Health Care Plan? And if so, what advice do you have for someone who may be thinking of seeking mental health support through this avenue?
I have had a mental health care plan and one of my family members has had one too.
My advice would be to ensure that you know what is in it and that there is communication between you and your doctor about it. My doctor at the time unfortunately never really communicated to me about the contents of my plan or explained anything about it and I didn't realise this wasn't the norm until later on. I now have another doctor whom I know and trust better, which I think has been helpful.
Also ask your doctor to let you know when they are sharing your plan with others or communicating with your psychologist.

@WheresMySquishy Such important points raised here around communication, thank you for bringing that to the discussion. It can be hard when you're feeling down to communicate but finding someone your comfortable with makes such a huge difference. I'm glad you have a doctor that you trust better now 🙂 

@drpenguin happy to hear you've been able to learn more about how mental health care plans work tonight! 🙂 

Also welcome to @drpenguin who I can see is following this discussion too!

Thanks! @Jess1-RO  I'm just catching up on the thread! It's really enlightening to learn more about how mental health plans/treatment plans work here in Aus since I have no idea about how they work here!

@WheresMySquishy that's so so wrong what some of your friends and family said to you 😞 It's beyond unfair of them to act as if you're choosing to feel a certain way or are making things up for attention! 

@Jess1-RO  that's really awesome!
Recently I volunteered at a symposium that was aimed at informing people working in and with the mental health system about all of the services and pathways available in a certain area part of the city, after the introduction of the NDIS. It was honestly so amazing to see, and really encouraging! I think it was encouraging for everyone else there too, to be honest. It really aimed at helping to bridge the gap between different services, which I think is so so important! 😄 

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@WheresMySquishy wrote:

@Jess1-RO  I agree that headspace has helped a lot of young people since it started. In my area, I have seen a few other mental health clinics and spaces for young people pop up.

I also agree about the value of lived experience! I have been lucky enough to attend a few talks with people sharing their lived experience of a mental health issue and found them so informative.

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That is so great to hear you are also finding services popping up in your area to support young people! 

I think this is where our online community is so powerful in sharing lived experience, here we also have a collective voice to inform, educate and encourage change whether it is at an individual level, community level or systemic level 

I might throw this question back to the community @ecla34 @WheresMySquishy @Bre-RO. 

Have you navigated the mental health system? And if you have found gaps, how did you manage to navigate around the gaps and find support?

Have you navigated the mental health system? And if you have found gaps, how did you manage to navigate around the gaps and find support?
Yes, I have. I have also helped other people navigate it.

I encountered a gap where my psychologist didn't know how to treat me at one stage and wanted me to see a psychiatrist, but it was a hassle to get a referral and appointment. I saw my school psychologists and used helplines in the meantime. But the psychiatrist ended up being really helpful and recommended a different type of therapy that helped me better. We have also had to address our concerns with another practitioner and push for a second opinion for one of my family members, but it took months before they were seen by someone more experienced.

Such powerful experiences @WheresMySquishy! I really love that you thought outside the box and managed to address a gap between seeking services by using other resources such as helplines. There are so many different approaches to mental health support, and it sounds like seeing the psychiatrist helped you find what works for you! 

How did you find the experience of helping a family member navigate the health system? Did you find it easier or harder to navigate on behalf of someone else?

@Jess1-RO  It was somewhat easier because we did not have to do our research to find a psychologist with experience in their particular issues like we did with my psychiatrist, because the psychologist they ended up seeing was working with their psychiatrist and they seemed to be on the same page with regard to diagnosis and treatment. But it was also frustrating because the psychologist and psychiatrist could not see them as often as we would have liked compared to who was treating them before, and they need ongoing support.

@Jess1-RO that's really amazing that you've taken your experiences and struggles and used them to help others in a similar position, so they don't come across the same barriers! What kind of work did you first do if you don't mind my asking? 🙂

Thank you @WheresMySquishy and @ecla34  I see our moderators and builders team also use their lived experience to support others every day- it is incredible! I really believe it is lived experience that is going to shape the future of the mental health system!

Great question @ecla34! So I started by writing a letter to my local service about where I thought the gaps were. From there I was invited to share my story with staff so they could understand the huge benefits that accessing mental health support can have, but also where they could improve. I sat on committees to represent young people, and volunteered with Beyondblue to share my story in schools and universities  Not a pathway I had planned, but one that has give me a strong sense of purpose!

@Jess1-RO wow! That's really cool, and so nice that it's a path that brought you here!

Hello everyone! 

I am super excited to talk all things Navigating the Mental Health System with you!

@Jess1-RO it sounds like this will be a really awesome and informative chat! Looking forward to it!