newsletter for the movement against stigma and discrimination associated with mental illnessISSN 1174-8494

ISSUE FOURTEEN / JUNE 2002–

The need to build a ‘credible consumer voice’

was a hot topic at the NAG hui in March.

NAG policy analyst Chris Hansen said credible consumer voiceswere needed regionally and nationally. ‘There are issuesspecific to each geographical area – so there needs to be a

strong regional voice, but there are alsonational issues that should be addressedat that level.’

The Ministry of Health mental healthdirectorate, Mental Health Commissionand Human Rights Commission, who allattended the hui, agreed there were realbenefits to having an articulate and authoritative voice to talk to themedia and a range of organisations about mental illness and stigma anddiscrimination issues.

Chris reiterated the view that there’s no better voice to talk aboutstigma and discrimination than those who have experienced it.

A Credible Consumer

‘One reason is we know what the issues are and secondly, it’s driven bythe personal emotion of the injustice and I think that’s a positive drivingforce. When you have that depth of feeling you want to own it, and itcan fuel a powerful mode of communication. It is less likely to bediscounted because people can’t refute my personal experience, and itcan be a powerful driving force in my own journey of recovery.’

Though other people can support theissues, she said it’s the people who’veexperienced mental illness and stigma anddiscrimination who need to be given avoice, ‘because often it’s their voice that’sbeen robbed. It is important to role modelthe empowerment we give lip service to –

and it needs to take place at all levels of public health and clinical healthcare delivery.’

She said the NAG – which gives national advice from a service userperspective – was privileged because it was backed up by the resourcesof the Like Minds, Like Mine project.

“because often it’s theirvoice that’s been robbed.”

VOICEVOICE

At the NAG hui: Todd Kriebleand Arawhetu Peretini, mentalhealth directorate, Ministry ofHealth; Mark Jacobs, MentalHealth Commisison; and LenaSimeon-Myles and Piripi Rikiti,members of the NAG’s Mäoricaucus.

Mark Jacobs told the hui thatmany of the complex issuesdiscussed cut across the roles ofthe Ministry, the Mental HealthCommission, the Human RightsCommission and the Health andDisability Commissioner. ‘It’sgoing to be important for us tocoordinate our efforts and thatwe apply our collective strengthto achieve change.’

continued over page…

JUNE 2002 / 2

Straight to the PointTënä koutou,

Looking over the stories in this issue,I can’t help being reminded that the successof this campaign relies so much on heroes.Those people courageous enough to standup and tell their stories to the media, to theirworkmates; doctors speaking about their ownlearning experiences, and sharing their viewson their own practices. It takes courage to talkabout your intimate feelings and we shouldrespect them all for doing that.

Just as it took a level of gutsiness for gaypeople to speak out in the early days of thatmovement for citizen’s rights, it takes gutsfor people in our movement to speak outtoday – whether they be service users, clinicians,managers or funders. Because recovery isn’tjust important for us, the whole of the mentalhealth field is on a journey of recovery inmany ways.

Speaking of heroes, I would like to farewelland acknowledge Maria Glanville – who isresigning from her position on the NationalAdvisory Group due to other commitments.Maria has done some groundbreaking work inher role in the NAG – and also as being a facein the first series of the Like Minds televisionads. She has been a wonderfully bright star fornot only Pacific people, but all of us who areworking to fulfil the aims of this project.

Our voices are so important – and it is excitingthat the Like Minds project, the Mental HealthCommission and the Mental Health Founda-tion are joining forces to provide mediatraining and support for people with experi-ence of mental illness. This will help us to geta more balanced reporting of mental illnessand put a human face to the issues – this isespecially important in light of recent mediacoverage.

Best wishes,

Susie CrooksChair, National Advisory Group

‘It is a privilege to be given this trust, and I will work with the

people using services, the people working in services and others

in the sector to make this

country a better place for

people with mental

illness,’ says Jan

Dowland.

New Chair forCOMMISSION

Jan says that looking in from the outside, itappears that huge strides have been made inthe provision of services for people withmental illness, but she is conscious of thehuge amount of work to be done. She hasalways had a strong interest in mentalhealth, and, she says, is delighted to havethis opportunity to chair the Commission.

‘I have a real commitment to consumers andfamilies. In my previous job as head of IHC Imade sure that they took a lead in definingwhat they need and want, and I will certainlybring this way of working to my role as chairof the Commission.’

‘I don’t see us as the only voice, but I dosee the NAG being uniquely positioned sowe can speak to issues at a national level.We connect from different geographicalareas, we have the ear of some groupsand that’s an advantage and a resource.We focus specifically on issues related tostigma and discrimination and we are theonly national consumer group I know ofwho has that focus.’

NAG Pacific representative Vito Malo saidbuilding a credible voice would mean over-coming personality politics within the serviceuser movement and there was also a skillshortage to be addressed.

Using the analogy of a rugby game, he said,everybody has the same goal in mind, buteveryone’s got a different game plan.

‘I think we need a key group of people withidentifiable skills who can speak to a diverserange of groups about mental illness andstigma and discrimination. At the momentwe are like a team of individual players, youwin the occasional one, but most of themyou think, heck what’s going on? We havethe talent – we just need to pull it togetheras a team.’

Upskilling and empowering people withexperience of mental illness is a key objectiveof the Like Minds project. The project isworking with the Mental Health Com-mission to consider what media trainingand support it can jointly provide to a keygroup of service users. Project managerGerard Vaughan said that training wouldlikely occur later in the year.

…continued from page 1

Jan Dowland

Jan has been appointed chair ofthe Mental Health Commissionand will take up her position at

the end of July.

She says that while she has experiencein working to counter the stigma anddiscrimination faced by people with intel-lectual disabilities, she is fully aware thatpeople with mental illness come up againstquite different barriers – and the ways ofbreaking down those barriers will requiretheir own strategies.

‘I am not about to do a wholesale transferof my learning from IHC to mental health. Iknow that I don’t yet understand all theissues but I think I am a good listenerand I am looking forward to meeting thepeople involved in Like Minds and otheranti-discrimination work, who will get me upto speed.’

JUNE 2002 / 3

‘Here in Nelson there are many peoplewho model respect and support forpeople with experience of mental ill-ness and the ceremony was to publiclyacknowledge how proud we are,’ saidGaye Berry, Like Minds promoter. ‘It alsotied into the launch of the second phaseof the mass media advertising. The newTV adverts created a lot of interest andthe awards ceremony was a great way totie the messages together.’

The awards attracted a huge response,with many nominations being received.The winners came from a wide cross-section of the community and includedworkers from mental health services,chemists, GPs, business operators, partnersand friends.

‘It takes a bunch of courageous andgenerous individuals to stand up and becounted on an issue like mental illness,which even today is still shrouded in fearand shame,’ Gaye told those gathered atthe ceremony.

‘The Awards for Respect model waysof supporting people with experience ofmental illness – and that’s a great advance,especially given the commonality of mentalillnesses among New Zealanders.’

An international

papermaking company

in the Bay of Plenty is

proving that supportive

work colleagues can

make a big difference to

a person’s recovery

from mental illness.

N orse Skog Tasmanemployee David Holmeshas experience of mental

illness and says the firm’s healthand wellbeing programmes arevery progressive, as they’re not justfor people who have a physicalillness, but for people with mentalillness too.

‘Norse Skog practices a safety policy of zerotolerance; no injury, sickness or accident is tootrivial to address,’ says David. ‘The companyvalues its employees and puts resources intoboth its core values and safety policy to ensurethat this culture becomes normal behaviour,both in the workplace and beyond.’

He says excellent support from management,from colleagues and from whänau has beenimportant in helping him cope with his illness.‘My colleagues know that if I sit and lookgloomy then it is nothing they have done tocause this. Two or three times a year I amtotally incapable of functioning and I have nofear of being disadvantaged for taking sickleave for mental health recovery, as I am awaremy management will support me.’

The company has its head office in Norway,with operations in New Zealand, Australia,Asia, Canada, South America and Europe.David is employed as a procurement specialist,purchasing and supplying goods and servicesto ensure the mill continues to operateprofitably. ‘I am expected to compete ina global market. The fact that I achieveand exceed my stretch target in my yearlyperformance contracts bears witness to thisfact. I don’t consider myself a victim, but apsychiatric survivor.’

He knows prejudice still exists in the communityand that people’s perceptions can be cruel and

THEY

Presenting the awards, from left to right:Jan Wilkinson, Gaye Berry, Bernie Habbershaw,Margaret Savage and Kathy Harris.

Multinational PaperCompany

a Leading LightEmployer

MADEaDifference‘You make the difference’

was the message given in an

awards ceremony held at the

Theatre Royal in Nelson

recently. Twelve people

received certificates

honouring their commitment

at an afternoon tea set in

the foyer of this historic

theatre.

hurtful. ‘But I have survived suicide and I havea future. That is the reason I am standing up tobe counted. Employees need to know thatthey will be supported and not disadvantagedwhen they are open about their needs.’

In Mental Health Awareness Week last yearDavid spoke to the company’s health and wel-fare forum. He says people were awe struckthat someone was prepared to say they hada mental illness. ‘At question time manyspoke about their mates – there is a real needfor information, a need for education in thecommunity to get mental illness out of thecloset. People need to know that it is possibleto live well in recovery.’

David believes other companies could learnfrom Norse Skog’s example. ‘They could createa forum where they and their employees canoperate in an atmosphere of openness, honestyand cooperation. Don’t see health and safetyas just another cost, but a doorway to in-creased productivity, a healthier workforce anda positive contribution to the community.’

He says he’s proud to be associated with RuthGerzon of the Serious Fun ’N Mind Trust andher determination to make sure that stigmaaround mental illness becomes confined to thehistory books. ‘The new Like Minds TV adsshow that mental illness is no respecter ofpersons. Their impact and value is two-fold –they inspire courage, and de-power the notionthat I am alone on those frequent occasions asI journey with mental illness.’

David Holmes – ‘People need to know that it is possible to live wellin recovery.’

JUNE 2002 / 4

“You got to have friends…”

WOMEN Talk abouttheir LIVES

The new Like Minds TV ads and the movie A Beautiful Mind have

inspired people with experience of mental illness to stand up and

talk about their recovery journeys.

Each of the stories we heard about underscored how vital it was

to have the support and understanding of friends and family.

Here are four women who shared their thoughts with their

communities.

4

‘We all need friends, but never more so thanwhen we are unwell.’ That was the messageof ‘friends’ who gathered in Christchurch topromote the new Like Minds TV ads (right).

Pictured (top) is local Like Minds projectsecretary Linda Smith with her husbandTerran. ‘He and other friends were a majorpart of my recovery from illness. Without myfriends I don’t really believe I would be heretoday. That’s how important they are.’

Linda says she was saddened that when shefell ill some friends disappeared.

‘It was a real shock to me getting sick. Somepeople didn’t feel I was worthwhile beingwith. That hurts, because I’m not a differentperson, I just happened to have an illness.’

All Black John Kirwan, like

Winston Churchill, called it his

black dog. Designer Denise

L’Estrange-Corbet described it

as a black cloud descending. For

Susan Smith the experience of

depression was like being in a

black hole.

Mother of three and a nurse at WhakataneHospital, Susan is today living life to the full.Key to her recovery has been the combinedsupport of mental health services and herfriends.

‘Supporting a friend or relative with depressioncan be hard going and the negativity can bedifficult to cope with,’ says Susan. ‘However,time with friends and relatives is vital and

friends can make sure people get the helpthey need.’

‘A card or short letter received through themail was so good. I would look at it over andover. A couple of friends were consistent andtheir messages gave me a lot of comfort.

Looking back she says the best thing wouldhave been to meet someone who’d had asimilar experience. Someone who could say,‘I got better and so will you.’

Her local mental health services were alsocrucial. Medication was important, but so wascounselling. ‘My counsellor gave me strengthand insight. Courses helped me learn newways of thinking, like dealing effectively withanger and guilt – techniques that I now use indaily life.’

She said everyone should know that althoughthe ‘black hole’ is very black, there is light at

the end of the tunnel. ‘Although the road torecovery might seem long and difficult attimes, with help we all get there. I am nowliving life to the full. So thank you to all friendsand families who stick with it and supportpeople, and to mental health service staff –your work is essential to the mental health ofour community.’

Susan Smith

Out of the Black Hole

JUNE 2002 / 5

Like Minded About‘A Beautiful Mind’

Phot

o: T

he P

ress

Wendy Paris (left) and Pam Barnett.

Like Minded groups rallied

around the country in support

of the Russell Crowe movie A

Beautiful Mind.

The movie opened nationwide last month andstarred Crowe in the role of John Nash Jnr, aNobel prize-winning mathematician who haslived with schizophrenia for 30 years.

Letters to the editor, feature stories, newsarticles, information displays, special premierscreenings and after-movie gatherings helpedilluminate the importance of the movie to thework of Like Minds providers.

In Blenheim a theatre full of people wereintroduced to the movie by Sherryn Moynihan,consumer advisor to the Public Health Unit,Wairau.

‘I hope that this movie is the beginning ofa major shift where people who are havinga hard time with difficult, painful and oftendisabling symptoms are treated with thedignity, compassion and respect they deserve.’

The movie reinforced many of the things thatpeople who are committed to mental health

recovery believe. ‘People who experience thesesymptoms are some of the most brilliantpeople in our society – people who can findsolutions to serious problems and whosetalents enhance our lives.

‘We can do the things we want to do andbe the way we want to be. The world willmiss out on our great potential if we don’thave the opportunities to recover or if weare mistreated or badly treated as almosthappened in this case.’

She emphasised that there were many roadsto recovery. ‘Those of us who have thesesymptoms, even symptoms that persist, canlearn to live effectively with or without oursymptoms. We can control our minds andsort out the difference between delusions andreality. We can devise innovative ways toaddress our symptoms and or delusions sothey don’t overtake our lives.’

Being supported by loving family members,colleagues and the community, and beingtreated with dignity, compassion and respecthelps, she said. ‘It may even be essential torelieving symptoms. It helps us to recover andachieve our dreams and goals.’

When the movie screened inChristchurch, Like Mindsproject secretary Pam Barnett

and her good friend of 40 years, WendyParis, spoke to their local newspaper, ThePress, about their support for each other.Pam says the loyalty and trust displayed inA Beautiful Mind had parallels in herfriendship with Wendy.

‘Life without Wendy in these last 40years would have been different andalmost bereft in a certain way becauseshe’s been such a wonderful friend. She’sbeen there, she hasn’t intruded, but she’shelped me through various patches asnobody else attempted to do.’

Wendy said she had gained as muchas she had given. She respected Pam’scourage and her ability to come back atlife after she had a bad episode with herillness. She said she also valued Pam’sunique outlook and understanding of lifewhich has resulted from her experienceof extreme highs and lows. ‘Some ofus, who are more matter of fact, don’texperience that kind of heightenedawareness.’

Like John Nash, Pam reflected that shewas greater than her illness. ‘I am farmore than my illness, but my illness isstill part of me.’

’We can dothe things we

want to do and bethe way we wantto be. The worldwill miss out on

our great potentialif we don’t havethe opportunities

to recover‘

JUNE 2002 / 6

There’s a quote that Suzy Stevens uses to

underscore the importance of Community Voices.

“Some stories enhance life; others degrade it. So we must be carefulabout the stories we tell, about the ways we define ourselves and

other people.’

Suzy is the project manager of the Community Voices Training andInformation Resource – a national Like Minds tool being developed andproduced by the Mental Health Foundation.

The overall aim of the project, says Suzy, is to work towards SpeakersBureaus and Community Voices being developed and devolved tonetworks of people with experience of mental illness throughoutthe country.

Community Voices is the name used to describe the public speakingresource and training process for consumers and Speakers Bureau isthen the name used by an established group of trained speakers.

Community VoicesStrengthening ConsumerParticipation in the Project

‘It’s our hope that this resource will contribute to an increase inconsumer ownership and delivery of aspects of the Like Minds project,’she says. ‘Community Voices speaking engagements, educationalseminars and Speakers Bureaus are ways in which the voices of peoplewho have experience of mental illness can be heard and taken notice ofin our communities.’

The consumer steering group set up to advise the project met inWellington recently. Made up from people representing all four regionswho are involved in the project, the group has been reviewing work todate and surveying Like Minds providers in their areas to determinewhat is currently happening in the training and supporting of people tospeak about mental illness.

‘There were huge variances reported from the regions,’ says Suzy. ‘Insome areas there are Speakers Bureaus up and running and in others,if public speaking occurs at all it is often done in a haphazard or adhoc kind of way. An interesting and important piece of feedback atthe meeting was that there is some misunderstanding by people in the

project about what Community Voices andSpeakers Bureau are, and that often CommunityVoices is confused with Hearing Voices. So oneof our first recommendations will be abouthow to clear up that confusion, starting fromnow,’ she said.

Hearing Voices is the experiential workshopdeveloped by Pat Deagan in the USA andused by a small number of trained consumershere to try and give workshop participantsan understanding of what it is like to hearvoices associated with the experience ofmental illness.

The Community Voices Training and InformationResource will include information on how toplan and deliver training as well as organisingspeaking engagements and will be availableto existing Speakers Bureaus, consumer trainersand consumer groups in July. It is hoped thata process will be established for ensuringtraining and the development of Bureaus willbe developed consistently across the country.

Suzy says the information gathered by thesteering group will form the basis for re-commendations on how to contract forCommunity Voices training and the estab-lishment of Speakers Bureaus over the nextfew years.

‘Those of us already involved in public speak-ing from a personal perspective see it as apowerful and integral part of the campaign tocounter discrimination,’ says Suzy. ‘We sincerelyhope that people will support the CommunityVoices training and development of SpeakersBureaus because it sure is one way to improveand strengthen consumer participation in theLike Minds, Like Mine project.’

JUNE 2002 / 7

Local consumer advisors to the DHB’sRegional Public Health team, a LikeMinds provider, have created a DIY

manual for running education seminars onmental illness from a consumer perspective.

Called Opening Doors to Understanding, themanual builds on the work of the SpeakersBureau where people share their personalstories with an audience, says author SarahGordon.

‘People were asking our Speakers Bureau forlonger seminar-type sessions so they couldlearn more about mental illness and discussways of responding to stigma and discrim-ination in their workplace and in theircommunity.’

According to Sarah the demand for more indepth information has been the result ofgreater public awareness raising, supported bypolicy and legislation changes.

To ensure consistency and quality of training,she said it was obvious that there needed to bea resource to help people run presentationseminars, ‘but (as is common) money wasan issue’.

Enter Jillian Barclay McIntosh and her team atRegional Public Health.

‘We went to see Jillian and said we think thisresource will be really valuable, we are gettingmore and more requests for these presenta-tions, we need to work on it and can you help?She was great, very supportive,’ said Sarah.

Jillian said Hutt Valley DHB’s expectations hadalways been exceeded by the Speakers Bureaupresentations, which were consistently highquality and favourably received.

‘The resource also had a fit with our philosophyof supporting consumer-presented seminarswhich we know has the greatest impact withthe public.’

But, Jillian says, it’s the partnership thatdeveloped between the public health teamand the Speakers Bureau that’s been mostrewarding.

‘Having Opening Doors allows participation inthe whole Like Minds project by a largernumber of people with experience of mentalillness. Training is consistent and they can havegreater confidence knowing they are usinga well-researched resource. It also allows forskill development, which is an aim of theproject.’

A team of local consumer advisors peer re-viewed Opening Doors and so far 30 copieshave been distributed to Like Minds providers.

Hutt Valley DHB is opening

doors so people can learn

more about mental illness.

Experienced Minds For Govt Work

D

Opening DoorsEarly indications are promising.

‘Adds confidence to my delivery’ … ‘flexibilityin being able to be adjusted to reach a wideaudience’ … ‘gives structure and consistency’are some of the comments coming back.

Sarah has used the resource with under-gradand post-grad nursing students, who she sayshave been absolutely blown away by thecombination of personal stories and learningexercises.

Although the manual is for people withoutprior experience of seminar presentation,people have asked Sarah to provide training –so she and colleague Sara McCook Weir havewritten a companion training manual calledA Kick Start to Opening Doors.

Sarah is also involved in the Like Mindsgovernment agency policy work in Wellington(see story this page). She has an educationalbackground in law and ethics and is called

Sarah Gordon with the Opening Doors Resource.

Some experienced minds have joined the Mental Health Foundation

to continue the coordination of the Project’s work with

government agencies.

upon by numerous organisations for herexpertise.

For Sarah, Opening Doors represents theoptimum in mental health education. ‘Itprovides us with a tool to formally educatepeople about mental health from anexperiential perspective.’

training and attitudinal change. Sarah saysregional Like Minds providers have beenrecording in detail how they get access intoagencies, how they negotiate training andeducation with these agencies, and themethods they use to deliver the training.

‘We’ve had great feedback so far. Providersappear to be well down the track ofimplementing their training and educationsessions with government agencies.’

Independent evaluator Nona Milburn isanalysing this regional and national work.The result will be a detailed assessmentof the work that is being done with thethree key agencies – Police, Ministry of SocialDevelopment, and health services. That reportwill be completed by the end of July.

Working with government agencies throughpolicy development and education – especiallyagencies that have frequent contact withmental health service users – is a strategicobjective of the Like Minds project.

Anyone wanting more information

can contact Sarah at

s.gordon@paradise.net.nz

With the recent departure of Clive Hulletfrom the Foundation, Sarah Gordon of CaseConsulting has been helping keep up themomentum of this work.

And Gael Sturgeoner has more recently joinedthe team as project coordinator. Gael has anextensive background in rights movements,particularly issues of legislation, policy andpractice. She has just come back from a twoyear stint in London, where she worked withthe ‘Mental Health Media’ project.

At a national level the focus is on departmentalpolicy – reviewing policy that discriminatesagainst people with experience of mentalillness, recommending changes and thensupporting government agencies to implementthe changes.

As part of the review process, the governmentagency project teams will look at trauma, OSHpolicies and core training competencies –‘anything that affects people with experienceof mental illness who have contact with theorganisation, whether they be staff or clients,’says Sarah.

At a regional level the emphasis is on education,

JUNE 2002 / 8

Wi Huata“Ko Täwhirirangi, Whakapunaki me Kahuranaki hoki ngämaunga,

Ko Ngaruroro, Mohaka, me Wairoa hoki öku awa,

Ko Ngäti Häwea, Ngäi Tama te Rangi, Ngäti Pähauweraäku hapü.

Ko Kahungunu te iwi.

Ko Täkitimu te waka.

Ko Wi Te Tau ahau.

I am currently employed fulltime at Te Whare Hauora o Ngongotaha(Mäori provider, Lakes DHB) as programmes co-ordinator, runningjourney to wellness programmes that use Mäori models of practice

in a Mäori kaupapa environment. I also freelance as a kaiako inwänanga working with youth at risk, prisons, rehabilitation centres andwith Mäori mental health staff.

I’ve been involved in the Like Minds project for three years and wasintroduced to it through Jennie Hawera, of the Serious Fun ’N MindTrust, at the national Mäori hui held in Kirikiriroa.

My participation in the NAG has allowed me to become more effectivein my mahi and more able to address stigma and discrimination withothers without fear of judgement or ridicule. It has also helped me toestablish networks throughout Aotearoa New Zealand and to meet withother movers and shakers of the Like Minds project.

Key areas of work I want to focus on and are most interested in as aNAG member include: establishing strong Mäori networks andconsolidating a strong Mäori caucus within the NAG; working with ElvaEdwards and the Mäori caucus to establish an orientation for Mäoriproviders within the project; developing user-friendly and culturally-sensitive arenas for the Community Voices project; and supportingother NAG members when needed.

My work with the NAG complements my mahi by assisting othertangata motuhake to overcome the whakamä (shame) attached tomental illness. We can turn that whakamä into a positive attitude forbetter self esteem and to help tangata motuhake kick-start their ownjourney to wellness by coming from a place of knowing. Through theNAG I am also able to access recovery tools that promote closure forpersonal issues around mental illness.

The authentic voice and face of tangata whaiora is the key to promotingmental wellness. ‘Yesterday is the past, tomorrow is the future andtoday is the gift, that is why we call it the PRESENT’. Reducing stigmaand discrimination must be a priority, otherwise it stifles the spirit anddenies growth. It promotes good will to all mankind.

He hönore, he koröria ki te Atua he maungärongo ki te whenua, hewhakaaro pai ki ngä tängata katoa. Tihei mauriora!

Piripi Rikiti

For Piripi Rikiti, being a member of the NAG complements hiswork as a consumer representative with Canterbury DHB’sforensic mental health services in Christchurch.

He believes reducing stigma and discrimination must be a priority – inkeeping with the medical and technological advances now happeningin the mental health sector.

‘Working with mental health professionals so they acquire a betterunderstanding of the dynamics of discrimination and stigma is a keyfocus of my work with the NAG. Our work must contribute to improvingthe quality of mental services currently available to people aroundthe country.

‘The authentic voice and face of tangata whaiora is the key tounderstanding the dynamics of Mäori mental health. The tangatawhaiora perspective gives everyone a valuable insight to the experienceof mental illness.’

Building strategic relationships, especially with government and non-government agencies, is another priority for Piripi. ‘We have tostrengthen our capacity as a group, and that means having input andgiving advice where it is needed. I will work with the other NAGmembers to achieve this.’

Piripi is the Southern Mäori representative on the NAG, though he wasborn and raised in Rotorua – where he returned earlier this year forthe NAG hui. ‘It was wonderful being there. The warmth and thewelcome we had from the tangata whenua was beautiful – it was likecoming home.’

Tu Tangata Motuhake!Introducing two more members of the Like Minds

National Advisory Group …

Brothers in arms … Piripi Rikiti (left) and Wi Huata.

JUNE 2002 / 9

Clinical staff at MidCentral and

GPs recently attended a Hearing

Voices workshop in Palmerston

North, facilitated by Susie

Crooks and Elva Edwards of The

Lighthouse in Hawkes Bay – a

consumer-run service and Like

Minds provider. Doctor Darryl

Prince was so impressed, she

forwarded these comments …

“My expectation of the workshop wasto de-stigmatise and demystify voice-hearing experiences. My belief was

that this would lead to a greater tolerance andunderstanding of the phenomenon. In fact thereality was more. I learned that voice-hearingexperiences and ways of coping are differentfor every individual. I learned that it is nolonger appropriate for me to take a detached

‘Hearing Voices’Workshop More Than Expected!

professional stance about my clients who hearvoices, and I could consider different ways ofsupporting them.

During the structured workshop, I wasencouraged by the dedication and franknessof the facilitators (who themselves hear voices),the problem-centred and here-and-nowemphasis they created to highlight mosteffectively the complexities of living withvoices. On the other hand, I was so tormentedand distracted by the plaguing presenceof disembodied speech encircling me. I feltalmost paralysed by an inescapable reactivityto the unrelenting torment and harshnessof some of the voices. I could not escape apervasive sense of alienation and confusionwhich made me challenge and disclose myself.This experience emphasised that I must reflecton my role as a mental health physician anddevelop my understanding of the experiencesof my individual clients.

For me this workshop was liberating and I cansafely say the journey is not yet over.

Spotlight on Carter Center Fellowships

I would highly recommend the ‘HearingVoices’ workshop to all doctors because suchexperiential exercises could give one a deeperunderstanding of the experience of psychosis.Such understanding would truly benefitour clients.

Perhaps, paradoxically, it is in literally listeningto the cries of our clients with psychosis thatwe as physicians can begin to find a pathwaythrough the convoluted maze of our ownparticular distress in managing them.”

Darryl Prince (right) with Manawatu Like Minds convenorAngella Young.

THECARTER CENTER

to reduce stigma and discrimination associated with mental illness.’

Applications to the Fellowships closed on 5th May and the New Zealandjudging panel is now assessing the research project proposals submittedby journalists. The panel will make a shortlist that will be submitted tothe Carter Center which will make final selections and announce thetwo winners in early July.

The successful Fellows receive a $12,000 grant as well as two paidreturn trips to the US to visit the Carter Center in Atlanta.

This is the second time the Fellowships have been offered in NewZealand. Mike Gourley of Radio New Zealandand John Francis of Tearaway Magazinewere the 2001 Fellows. Their research pro-jects will be completed in September.

Mike is researching and analysing theeffect of current media practice on publicperceptions of people with experience of

mental illness. He will evaluate the impact of the LikeMinds project and compare and contrast it to similarpractices in Australia and the US. His research will be

featured in three 40-minute National Radio documentaries andlive discussions. John Francis is preparing a 12-part series for

youth about mental health issues. He will define mental health forthis age group, shed light on common mental illnesses, and profile

some youth affected by mental illness.

Gerard says the Carter Center was hoping the Fellowships wouldbecome self-sustaining in New Zealand in 2003 and discussionsabout the project’s continued involvement were underway with RayNairn, who is the New Zealand representative on the FellowshipAdvisory Board.

The Like Minds Media Award has taken a new

international direction this year.

Unlike previous years, where the emphasis has been on newsstories already published and broadcast, the 2002 Award willcelebrate and promote this year’s New Zealand recipients of the

Rosalynn Carter Mental Health Journalism Fellowships.

‘The Like Minds Media Award has been very helpful to our cause ofraising stigma and discrimination issues in the media, and acknowledgingjournalists who have done a great job of providing balanced andinformed coverage of mental illness issues,’says Like Minds Project Manager GerardVaughan.

‘But now we want to reach news editorswho have influence in a newsroom or seniorjournalists, especially those with the Police,Courts and Crime rounds. It is these reporters who deal withthe harder issues around mental illness and who file storiesthat can have a lasting impact on people with experience ofmental illness.’

He said senior journalists were more likely to be moreattracted to an international award like the CarterCenter Fellowships, particularly if it allowed themto extend their knowledge of mental health issuesoutside of New Zealand.

‘And that has to be of benefit for our work.’ Supporting the CarterCenter Fellowships had the added bonus of allowing the Project accessto the research completed by the New Zealand Fellows. ‘This researchwill give us some in depth information that’s valuable to the movement

JUNE 2002 / 10

ProviderVox Pops

Continuing our profiles of the faces behind the

Like Minds project in their communities, this

issue we put the questions to Marg Price in

Gisborne and Jillian Barclay McIntosh in the Hutt

Valley …

Margaret PriceTuranga Health, Tairawhiti

Kia ora koutou. My name is Margaret Price, amother to two neat kids, and Nani-Ma to fivemokopuna – Latrell, Manaia, Cruze and thelatest addition, twins Karepa and Riata. That’sthe best job in the world and my other job forthe past three and a half years has been ascoordinator of the Like Minds Project atTuranga Health for Tairäwhiti communities.Turanga Health services the three iwi of NgaiTamanuhiri, Rongowhakaata and Te AitangaA Mahaki, and provides many hauora servicesto all people of Turanganui-A-Kiwa, including

miri miri, rongoa, tamariki and whänauhauora, kaumätua and rangatahi

programmes, men’s wellness anddisability support services – toname a few.

The Start Up:The language that people spoke! It

blew me away. I understand most ofit now, but way back then it was

exhausting and Olive and I would look ateach other with blank looks and laugh!Another thing that stood out was ‘what was Igoing to do?’ I had a job description butbecause no one had done it before, I didn’t getorientation!

Most Indispensable:Joe Biddle, Olive Lewis, Georgi Leaf, GenesisPotini, who have been there with me since daydot, who have been instrumental in developingour workshops and continue delivering theminto our fourth year! Others like Matewa Kaa,Judith Rickard, Juliet Bowen, Charmaine Turei,Materoa Pokai, Rotu Pipi-Wiremu, who con-tinue to support me in ways that would blowyou away. I had better stop naming namesbecause I’ll miss someone out and you knowthey’ll come and chew my ear. Freddy Maynard,manager of Te Irirangi O Turanganui A Kiwa,our local Mäori radio station, and his ‘TUMEKE’staff who allow us air time to deliver ourimportant messages. He even put our postersup in the front foyer, and not in the loo.

Biggest Buzz:I have many.

The one that reduced me to tears was whenJoe Biddle took up the role of Like Mindskaumätua. This man has been instrumentalin providing our teams with spiritual, mental,physical and personal safety as we travel

around not only our community but nationallyas well. He has so much knowledge, not onlyaround tikanga Mäori but also around mentalhealth services. His institutional experience hasbeen such a valuable story to pass on to others– and when people hear it they understand usclearly when we say people with experience ofmental illness need to live and participate intheir communities and recover with the arohaand support of whänau and friends, not sentaway to institutions and alienated from thesevital support systems.

Others are Kay Robin winning a Like MindsMäori Media Award for one of our radioshows, and our hikoi celebrating World HealthDay. You never know who will come, and boythey came!

Scary Moments:We were delivering our ‘Debunking the Myths’workshop to a class and we had quite a hostilegroup. There had been a very sad recentmurder at an ACC office and a class memberwas quite closely related to the deceased.When we addressed the mythical issue aroundpeople with mental illness being violent, a coregroup became quite aggressive towards us.Basically they didn’t want to hear what wehad to say and that was OK. We took a teabreak to regroup and decided not to deliverthe rest of the workshop, but the threefacilitators told their own personal stories. Thiswent down well.

Learning Curve:That this project is too big for one person! I’vehad many sleepless nights thinking about allthe people I hadn’t reached and how I wasgoing to do it. I used to doubt my own abilityto get the job done and often felt I wasfailing. I was relating all this to Helyn Beveridge,who was the Like Minds coordinator forNPE Hamilton, and she had the same thinghappening in her life. She then said, ‘I used to

think this job was too big for Helyn Beveridge,but now I know this job is too big for oneperson’, and you know it was a Godsend,because I don’t worry about what I haven’tdone, but focus on my achievements. Thanksmatey!

Advice To Others:Networks. Take copious amount of time tointroduce yourself and the Like Minds kaupapato anyone and everyone. Do not rush thisprocess. Once people got to know me andwhat drives me, they became very supportive.I’m now at the stage that when I need supportfor the kaupapa, I contact all my networks andthey drag their networks along too and heapsof people start to turn up to things. Then theyspread the message too! Target the key peoplein your community, the mayor, MPs, andkaumätua. People who have a bit of mana!Get good supervision. Thanks Pam Bain. Lastly,always provide heaps of kai and transport.That’s why I love Turanga Health, because theydo that as part of their service delivery anywayso I don’t have any trouble getting the pütea.

What’s Next?I really want to get into ‘Partnerships in theCommunity’. Bevan Holtz spoke of this conceptyears ago, and to me it is very logical to getthe community to come up with, and deliverdestigmatisation and anti-discriminationprojects within their culture – whether it be asporting, education or recreational culture.People in these groups are paid to do all thehard mahi and we all win.

10 Years On:That all mental health services WANT to giveup the power, and work with and alongsidetangata whaiora – and their services reflect thisshift. That there is less reliance on medicationand the clinical perspective, that alternativesare accepted like the power of karakia, mirimiri and rongoa and, as Joe always says, ‘whatabout my willpower?’ That our communitiesare as accepting toward people with mentalillness as they are toward gay people. I say thisbecause I lived in that time when gay peoplewere outcast and it was a taboo take then, justlike mental illness. Then someone began a gaymovement, legislation was passed and nowgay people are proud of who they are and areopen about their sexuality too. And so theyshould be and so should tangata whaiora.Lastly, that we don’t use kupu like tangatawhaiora or consumers because there is noneed to.

A hikoi through Gisborne – a ‘big buzz’.

JUNE 2002 / 11

consultation process initially would havesaved those of us at the operational levela lot of angst when it came to imple-mentation later on.

• Realising that what worked well oneyear doesn’t necessarily work successfullythe next year, and learning from thoseexperiences. For instance, non-attendanceat workshops taught us that people aremore likely to attend a workshop theyhave paid to attend than if it is offeredfree.

Advice to Others:This is the most difficult and demanding healthpromotion project to work with and the mostrewarding. Spend time talking and consultingwith those who have the necessary knowledgeand expertise and draw in and work withpeople who are as passionate about theproject as you are. Leave behind the fightingfactions – they will still be fighting when thebattle is won. Stay focused on the objectivesof the project. Concentrate on a few thingsand do them well, rather than a lot of littleactivities. Celebrate your successes, and allowyourselves the odd seriously interesting ‘screwup’. Take care of yourself and each other.

What’s Next:Times are changing, we sense there isheightened public awareness of mental healthissues. What is less obvious is the behaviourchange that should follow this awareness. Weare becoming more focused on the agenciesthat have most contact with people with amental illness, rather than a broad sweepapproach, and our workshops are beingstructured to meet the needs of these individualagencies and highlight the behaviour changesrequired. The ‘National Agencies Project’ iswell timed to fit in with our new approach andwe are already working with Housing NZ,Police and health services.

10 Years On:We know that a health promotion approachto social change takes time. Let us hope thebenefits of the huge time and resources weare now using will be obvious. There will bean (almost) zero tolerance to stigma anddiscrimination and we will all be taking greatcare of our mental health. There will be newissues and new people with passion and greatideas to carry on our groundbreaking work.

the mental health services of the two DistrictHealth Boards in the Wellington region, andthe mental health promotion team at RegionalPublic Health. At least three consumers mustbe present for any decision to be made. Thisshows we are not just talking about theimportance of consumer involvement but areactually ‘walking the talk’. Over the years thegroup has grown in strength. Most importantlyit gives continuity and stability to our projectand embodies the meaning of true partnership.

Biggest Buzz:• Our very first project – designing and

facilitating a very comprehensive MentalHealth Awareness workshop. It gave usour first major impetus and put us ‘onthe map’ in the Wellington region andnationally. As with all our workshops, ourphilosophy is consumer facilitation anddelivery. Four years on, the positivefeedback and wonderful stories we receivecontinue to contribute to the project’songoing success story in the Wellingtonregion.

There have been lots of ‘big buzzes’ sincethen, like the development of the SpeakersBureau and public speaking training of itsmembers and the new consumer-developedresource, ‘Opening Doors to Understanding’(see story on page 7).

Scary Moments:Not so much scary as ‘anxious moments’ whenwe looked at the enormity of the task in hand.Attending the first ‘Like Minds’ conference inRotorua in 1999 and facing the strong andcontroversial opinions of the various groups.Trying to persuade angry factions that a HealthPromotion (population health) approach wasthe best way to make social change. Wonderingif we were doing the right activities. Were wemaking a difference? Would anyone come onour hikoi through the city centre?

Learning Curve:• Acknowledging we had expertise in health

promotion but didn’t have strengths inthe area of mental health or the experienceof having a mental illness, and askingfor advice and support. The advice ofconsumers continues to be a primaryguiding force with respect to all aspects ofour project work.

• Setting a payment policy that recognisedthe valuable contribution of consumers.

• Continually reviewing and increasingconsumer involvement. Looking back, weare continually amazed that, with a lot ofthoughtful discussion, we got so muchright first time.

• Working alongside Mäori and Pacificpeoples groups.

• Learning that a year spent on a good

Jillian (left) with Minister of Health Annette King andMP Liz Gordon.

Jillian Barclay McIntoshRegional Public Health, Hutt ValleyDistrict Health Board Wellington.

I have been the coordinator of the MentalHealth Promotion programme since its inceptionin mid 1997. This programme covers threemental health streams: the Like Minds Project,Mental Health Promotion and Youth SuicidePrevention. The Like Minds Project team

includes people with mental health promotionskills, plus people with experience of mentalillness. Together we work as partners. Theteam is wonderfully enthusiastic, innovativeand totally committed and it is a privilegeto work with them. The success of theWellington ‘Like Minds’ Project, is the result ofour combined hard work. We also have asubcontract with Choice Health Wairarapa,where we have one part-time mental healthpromoter working with a similar dedicatedgroup of people with experience of mentalillness.

The Start Up:Completing an assessment of the region,followed by consultation with the onlyincorporated consumer group in the area atthe time, the Wellington Mental HealthConsumers Union, which agreed to act asthe professional advisor to the project. Weboth acknowledged each others’ strengths –experience of mental illness and knowledge ofhealth promotion theories and practice. Thismade an ideal partnership team and has beenvery positive for us all. Help was requestedfrom the Mental Health Foundation to thrashout the meaning of mental health promotion,as it was a very new concept.

Most Indispensable:The establishment of a reference group, whichis a key aspect of our working style and aunique and highly successful approach. It hasan important ‘governance’ role, and all majordecisions about the direction, planning,implementation or funding are referred to thegroup for consideration and agreement.Members include seven consumer advisers,representation from the Wellington MentalHealth Consumers Union, SFNZ Wellington,

The Regional Public Health team, from left: Jillian, KarenVeldhoen and Mary Strang.

JUNE 2002 / 12

W ayne Fouhy owns AshworthHouse in Gisborne, a boardinghome that offers accommodation

to anybody who needs a room, includingpeople with experience of mental illness.But due to ill health, Wayne will soon sell hisestablishment and is worried that what heoffers now may not be available in the future.

Guest speaker at Turanga Health’s Awardsfor Respect ceremony, he highlighted thechronic shortage of proper accommodationfor people with experience of mental illness.

Wayne is a three-time nominee and two-timewinner of a Like Minds Award for Repsect – forshowing sustained respect to people withmental illness. He is one of the few generalaccommodation services in the area thatwelcomes service users.

‘Apart from the interim places of accom-modation run by mental health professionals,what else really exists out there in thecommunity without prejudice, without bias,without stigma … that actually says “welcome”and how long are you wanting to stay?” Thoseare the words that others hear when theywalk through the doors of a house ofaccommodation.’

The reality for tangata whaiora, he says, is

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Please send me a copy of the Like Minds newsletter.

The project to counter stigmaand discrimination associated withmental illness is an initiative ofthe Ministry of Health.

Address

Name

Huia Communications, PO Box 17-335, Wellington. Tel: 04-473 9262 Fax: 04-494 1838

A man with a big

heart and a big house

has made a desperate

plea for people to

open, not close, their

doors on people with

experience of mental

illness.HeartsHeartsof

THEHOUSE

far removed from that. ‘Usually, tangata whaiora very politely hear “sorry, no vacanciesat the moment”, and it’s at this point thatmy front door bell at Ashworth House startsto ring. If I have a room available it is offeredto whoever comes to the door, providedthat they meet the criteria I have in place thatmakes Ashworth House a safe, clean placefor anybody to live in.’

Wayne said he has a strong belief in the edictthat people should be treated ‘the way wewould ourselves like to be treated. And I thinkdeep down that same edict exists in everysingle one of us. So why are there only twoplaces in the whole of Gisborne preparedto actively take in people with a mental

health background?’

The answer, he says, isquite simple. ‘It is becausethe prejudice, ignoranceand social stigma that hasexisted all this time isstill alive and well in oursociety – even today. Butthe good news is that it’snot as bad as it used to bethanks to increased mentalhealth awareness and thework of Like Minds.’

The solutions, he said, laywith the 160 people inthe room. ‘Every singleperson here has a voice,just let it be heard. Be anadvocate whenever andwherever you can fortangata whaiora. Themore we are seen to betreating and acceptingmental health consumersas everyday people inour society, the easier it isgoing to become for ourpeople to lead normallives.’

Wayne Fouhy is not afraid to speak his mind – ‘Everyone has a voice, just let it be heard’.