What is Advocacy?
Advocacy means getting support from an independent person who can help you to express your views, wishes and feelings. They will also help you to understand and stand up for your rights.
What Does an Independent Mental Health Advocate Do?
The role of an advocate depends on your situation and the support you need. Whatever the situatuion, an independent advocate is always there to support your choices.
An independent mental health advocate will :
- Explore your options and help you to understand your rights
- Listen to your views and concerns, and be on your side
- Explain why certain decisions have been made about your care or future
- Treat what you say in confidence, only sharing your views if you ask them to (unless you tell them about you or someone else being at risk of harm)
- Provide information to help you make informed decisions
- Raise concerns or make a complaint about your care or treatment
- Accompany you and support you in meetings relating to your care, treatment and planning for the future.
- Always be open and honest with you.
An advocate will not:
- Give you their personal opinion
- Solve problems and make decisions for you
- Make judgements about you.
How Can an Independent Mental Health Advocate Help Me?
As detailed in the section above an advocate can provide support in many ways.
Here are some questions that our advocates regularly get asked, and can provide support and guidance for:
- Why won’t anyone listen to me?
- How can I get off my section?
- How can I be discharged?
- Can I be given medication without my consent?
- Why am I so far from home?
- Can I have a say in my care/treatment/?
- Do I have any rights when I am Sectioned?
The answers will always be specific to you and, depend on your individual situation and circumstances.
Recipient of Mental Health Advocacy background image
I am detained in a Section 3 mental health rehabilitation unit. Before coming here, I was detained in another hospital. Before I was Sectioned I had a pet dog and no-one told me what had happened to him or took my worry seriously. I mentioned this to the advocate. The advocate recognised how important my dog was to me and spoke with the social work assistant at the hospital. The social worker tracked him down to where he was being looked after in a dog shelter and was even able to get some pictures of him, having fun and being well looked after. This really helped settle my mind, as I had been worried about him for so long.
Recipient of Mental Health Advocacy
Recipient of Mental Health Advocacy background image
My best ever advocate could sit and listen to me pour my feelings out, however ill I was. Then they would help me put it into words so that the people I need to listen would take me seriously.
Recipient of Mental Health Advocacy
Recipient of Mental Health Advocacy background image
I was only 15 when I was sent to a mental health hospital for adults. Because of my age I was kept separate from other patients and was put on a ward on my own. Not having anyone my own age around was hard, plus I was away from my family. A NYAS advocate helped me to share my views and how unhappy I was. She let everyone know it was not the right place for me; and although it took a while, at last I am being moved to a unit with other young people the same age as me.
Recipient of Mental Health Advocacy
Recipient of Mental Health Advocacy background image
I met the NYAS advocate who really supported me to turn things around. They listened, believed me, challenged professionals and were consistent. The NYAS advocate worked with me in the way I wanted and when things got tough. They put boundaries in place for me and how we worked, and although I found this hard, I appreciated the honesty and direct approach. After a year things changed; I am no longer detained but remain informal in a low secure hospital with discussions taking place about my discharge. My future is looking brighter thanks to the NYAS advocate support
Recipient of Mental Health Advocacy
Still Have Questions?
If you have further questions about NYAS' mental health advocacy, or our additional support services, just get in touch.