Your experiences of the Mental Health Act and/or forced treatment
The South Australian Law Reform Institute (SALRI) has been requested by the South Australia Government to review the Mental Health Act (MHA). This occurs every five years.
As part of the review the Lived Experience Leadership & Advocacy Network (LELAN) will publish an independent submission articulating the unique insights of people with lived experience of distress and mental health issues and the impact legislation such as the MHA has on people's lives and rights in South Australia.
LELAN is gathering insights independently through this survey, conversations and group discussions. We are also co-facilitating two focus groups with SALRI and another of our own for the lived experience community. Further information on these activities can be found here.
Who this survey is for: Anyone with an interest in ensuring that legislation considers and works most effectively for those who it is designed to support. This includes people with lived experience of distress and mental health issues, carers and other interested parties.
What the survey is about: The survey questions focus on people's experiences, what could be improved and what underpinning principles and accountability mechanisms could guide this. We would like to acknowledge that many of the survey questions were from Act on the Act.
Questions are optional so you only need to answer those that you feel comfortable and in a position to answer.
What we will do with the results:
This survey will form part of LELAN's submission to SALRI. The learnings from engagement activities and our collective knowledge will provide lived experience-led content about our experiences and solution ideas for improving community, service and system responses to distress and mental health issues. Results from the survey will be synthesised into a report that will be shared with the lived experience community, government agencies and other organisations. It will also directly inform the advocacy efforts and future work of LELAN. LELAN is the peak body for lived experience in South Australia, amplifying the voice, influence and leadership of people with lived experience to be heard and drive systemic change.
Looking after yourself and your information: The survey is anonymous, and your privacy and confidentiality will be respected. Questions about your lived experience and how your personally identify help us understand who is engaging in our projects and work more broadly. We will not disclose personal and/or identifying information about a person without their consent or in a way that they do not agree with.
We are mindful that the experiences we are asking about can cause distress. We encourage you to reach out to your supports if needed or contact LETSS.
