Voices of Experience

The Voices of Experience Project - Brochure

An equal partnership of service users and providers: a time for recovery through change and new ideas.

Voices of Experience is a joint project of the Good Shepherd HOMES Program and Mental Health Rights Coalition. The purpose of the project is to increase the level of consumer participation in the Mental Health and Addictions agencies that serve them. At the same time the project is aimed at helping the agencies adjust to consumer involvement and realize its full potential.

Agencies invite consumers to sit on committees, advisory groups, and Boards of Directors to share their knowledge and experience on behalf of all consumers. Voices of Experience will provide support and encouragement, and assist in any way possible.

Process

The project is guided by a Steering Committee made up of consumers and representatives from mental health and addictions agencies. This committee is the training ground for new participants. Consumers with some experience act as mentors for those people who are new board/committee members.

Potential participants must attend a five week training course, honorariums are not offered for this course.

Agencies are asked to provide a $15 honorarium/expense fee per meeting to the consumer members.

When a new participant starts in the program, they will attend the Steering Committee meetings, be provided with an honorarium, and learn the basics of sitting on a formal Committee. Once the participant is comfortable, and has necessary skills to move on, they are placed on a Board or Committee that they can move on to.

Consumers may state their preferences with regard to the agency they are intereted in. They also decide how long their committment will be.

Benefits of Voices of Experience

The benefit to the consumer is undeniable. The act of becoming involved and working toward change leads to renewed self respect and a sense of empowerment. the knowledge that you really can make a difference, not online in your own life, but in the lives of others is invaluable.

In a recent servey by the District Health Council, agencies reported how much they gain from having consumers involved.

They gave examples of increased staff knowledge, better communication and a higher level of consumer comfort.

Many agencies stated that the personal experience of consumers helped them to become more effective and better able to meet the needs of their clients.

Some Boards and Committees Involved

* Harts/ACT Team
* Alternatives for Youth
* Community Mental Health Promotion Program
* Concurrent Disorder Advisory Group
* East Region Mental Health
* Hamilton Program for Schizophrenia
* HOMES Community Advisory Group
* Womankind Advisory Committee

Participant Expectations

The project uses its Steering Committee and the Coordinator to assist the participant in learning proper ettiquette for meetings.We do, however, expect some basic skills before a participant can join the program.

Participant must be a consumer/survivor

Punctuality and consistent attendance at meetings is mandatory.

Participant needs to be able to speak on behalf of all consumers

Participant should have good communication skills and get along well with others

Participant must be able to maintain confidentiality.