VOX - AGM/11th March 08

We would like to invite all VOX members and representatives of mental health service user led organsiations to attend our AGM which is being held on the 11^th March 08, in the Scottish Youth Theatre, Glasgow, please note that a maximum of two people per group can attend (so we have enough spaces for our membership representatives).

 Please contact Wendy McAuslan, VOX – Voices Of Experience, c/o Mental Health Foundation, 5^th Floor, 30 George Square, Glasgow, G2 1EG, Tel 0141 572 1663 or e-mail wmcauslan@mhf.org.uk to book a place.

An International group of national consumer (service user) networks has been meeting by teleconference since the IIMHL (International Initiative on Mental Health Leadership) exchange in St Catharines, Canada in August 2007 and continues to meet and strengthen our connections with each other. 

Shaun has been fortunate in being involved in this and recently  he suggeted they adopt a short name, as the other one was getting longer and longer! They have chosen the name he proposed “Interrelate—International Coalition of Mental Health Consumer/Survivor/Service User National Networks”, and have adopted www.interrelate.info as their domain.This Collaboration was launched in Detroit, USA in late May 2008.

Feel free to check out the website although it is in the very early stages and to spread this information amongst Scottish colleagues!

International Involvement-_We can all learn from what is going on in Mental Health in other countries, and so VOX members will be attending conferences in Manchester and London in the next few months, and possibly further afield if we can get funding to support this useful exchange of views, experiences and ideas. We are also going to be represented on the Royal College of Psychiatrists "Patients" Forum, and the Executive Committee of the Royal College of Psychiatrists-Scottish Division, so we would welcome your views about how the role of the Psychiatrist could be improved from our point of view. 

Politics and Policy-We welcome the new Scottish Government's commitment to people with Dementia, by a new early-diagnosis target being set for NHS Scotland in this area. Also we look forward to working at the centre of the Mental Health Collaborative and welcome the publication of guidance on support for people with mental health problems and substance misuse problems.

A Mention from the Minister- We thank Minister for Public Health, Shona Robison, for recognising the contributions VOX has made to the Mental Health agenda in Scotland, in its first year, in her address to the "Delivering for Mental Health-One Year On" conference on 10th December 2007. We also thank VOX member Donna Banks for her excellent contribution to this conference. 

Integrated Care Pathways-We welcome the past involvement of VOX members, and recent publication of the NHS Quality Improvement Scotland's Integrated Care Pathways on Mental Health, on 19th December 2007, particularly if they improve outcomes, as hoped, for people with a lived experience of mental ill health. See www.nhshealthquality.org/mentalhealth

Shona Neil-On her departure from the Scottish Association for Mental Health, we would like to recognise and thank Shona Neil (former Chief Executive) for the support and encouragement she gave this Organisation in its formative years, and, of course, for the work and personal commitment that she has given to both people in Scotland with a lived experience of Mental Ill Health, and the population's Mental Health and Well Being . Thanks Shona!

A matter of concern-Finally this month, VOX is concerned about the Scottish Government's recently announced intention to remove National Government ring-fencing for significant monies including those previously allocated for the benefit of people with a lived experience of mental ill health. This includes Mental Health Specific Grant and Supporting People monies which support many individuals and mental health services in the community. Whilst understanding the intention of local councillors knowing the need of their local areas better than National Government, we are being asked to believe that Local Authorities will still afford Mental Health the same priority as in the past when they are free to spend their monies as they wish! Look out for the inevitable postcode lottery, where one local authority may provide the correct range of services and facilities that we require, whereas over the council border, another does not!  On being asked directly about this point recently, Finance Minister, John Swinney, assured VOX that checks will be put in place to ensure all required services are available and all outcomes (i.e.what good the services are doing for us!) are met! Let us know what you think of this proposal.  Thank You!     

NOVEMBER 2007-