National Mental Health Recovery Forum


The Mental Health Standing Committee hosted the inaugural National Mental Health Recovery Forum on the 21 and 22 June 2012.

View the live web cast of the Forum.

Three international key note speakers presented:

Professor Mike Slade, a psychologist from the United Kingdom,
Dr Ken Thompson, a psychiatrist from the United States of America and
Mr Gareth Edwards, a consumer advisor from New Zealand with a personal experience of mental illness.

All three speakers are recognised international experts who have focused on best practice and incorporating recovery at both strategic and operational levels in their respective countries.

The aims of the Forum included:
  • to support leaders, workers, consumers, and carers in developing strategies to embed a national recovery based framework;
  • to provide an opportunity for all attendees to exchange ideas about recovery based approaches and share examples of current practices;
  • to explore and promote interdisciplinary approaches to teaching and learning mental health;
  • to provide an opportunity to showcase approaches to recovery led teaching and learning, and
  • to identify any difficulties in moving toward a national recovery oriented framework for the provision of mental health services and possible solutions.
Day 1 Provided an opportunity for information sharing regarding best practice approaches to recovery and presentation and consultation on the national draft recovery framework document.

Day 2 Focused on service delivery environment and embedding recovery oriented practice.

Topics covered over the two days included:
  • work force education and training
  • staff skillset and knowledge
  • measurement of recovery
  • management of risk
  • clinical and non clinical approaches
  • consumer and carer experience and involvement in recovery
  • strategies that promote consumer driven care
  • supported decision making
  • social inclusion.