As an authorised mental health service, West Moreton Health has systems in place to ensure that all consumers, consumer’s nominated support persons, family, carers and other support persons are advised of their rights under the Mental Health Act 2016.

The Mental Health Act ensures that there are safeguards and protections in place for your rights. You can expect that your treating team and others involved in your care will keep you informed of your rights.

West Moreton Health have appointed IPRAs available to provide advice to mental health consumers whether they are voluntary or involuntary, as well as to the consumer’s family, carers and support persons. This is a free and confidential service.

To maintain independence from the mental health service and the treating team, the IPRAs are not employees of the Mental Health Service.

The IPRA can assist patients to:

• understand their rights under the Mental Health Act 2016 (Qld) and how to access these rights
• express and communicate their views, wishes and preferences about their treatment and care to the treating team
• access legal advice and support for Mental Health Review Tribunal appearances
• appoint up to two nominated support persons
• understand the benefits of making an Advance Health Directive (Mental Health) and the steps involved to create one
• escalate concerns and make complaints.

The IPRA can also help family, carers, support persons, guardians and attorneys to:

• understand their rights under the Mental Health Act 2016 (Qld) and how to access these rights
• participate in the decisions about a consumer's treatment and care
• work together with the treating team in supporting the consumer’s treatment and care
• express and communicate the patient’s wishes to the treating team
• escalate concerns and make complaints.

Who can contact an Independent Patient Rights Adviser?

All consumers of mental health services can contact an Independent Patient Rights Adviser. This includes 'involuntary' consumers such as those who are on an order such as a:

• recommendation for assessment
• examination authority
• treatment authority (inpatient)
• treatment authority (community)
• treatment support order
• forensic order (inpatient)
• forensic order (community)
• classified (voluntary)
• classified (involuntary).

Consumers' support networks can also contact an IPRA for advice and assistance, including:

• family members
• nominated support persons
• carers
• consumer advocate services
• legal representatives
• guardians
• attorneys.

An IPRA regularly visits the Ipswich Mental Health Unit, the Older Persons Mental Health Unit and The Park – High Secure, Secure Mental Health Rehabilitation Unit (SMHRU) and the Extended Forensic Treatment and Rehabilitation Unit (EFTRU). If you would like advice on your rights or any other matter, ask a member of the treating team to contact the IPRA service or contact them directly by phone or email.

For consumers open to the Acute Care Team, Gailes CCU, Ipswich, Goodna or Rural community teams, an IPRA can provide advice over the phone or meet with you in person at the community clinic, CCU or at Ipswich Hospital.

Permission from the treating team is not required to access an IPRA and consumers cannot be prevented by the treating team from accessing an IPRA.

Voluntary consumers

Voluntary consumers are welcome to contact the IPRA service for advice and assistance. Voluntary patients are not required to attend Mental Health Review Tribunal hearings. If you wish to nominate a support person you can do so by completing this form. The person you choose to be your support person will receive those rights as an Nominated Support Person if you become an involuntary patient in the future.

If you are a voluntary consumer or you are no longer open to the mental health service, you may still benefit from having an Advance Health Directive for Mental Health. he benefit of an Advance Health Directive (Mental Health) is that it gives you a greater say in the healthcare that you would like to receive for a mental illness. It applies at a future time if you become unwell and are unable to make decisions about your healthcare. For assistance in completing an Advance Health Directive (Mental Health), contact an Independent Patient Rights Adviser, or speak to your GP, Psychiatrist or case manager.

Consumers in the Ipswich Mental Health Unit, the Ipswich Older Persons Mental Health Unit or at The Park can request to see to an Independent Patient Rights Adviser in person or speak to an IPRA for advice over the phone.

Availability
Monday to Friday
8.30 am - 4.30 pm

Ask a member of the treating team to contact an Independent Patient Rights Adviser or you can contact an IPRA directly by phone or email.

An IPRA can provide advice over the phone or meet with you in person at the community clinic, CCU or at the Ipswich Hospital for consumers open to:

• Gailes CCU
• Ipswich
• Goodna
• Rural community team
• Acute care team.

Permission from the treating team is not required to access an IPRA and you cannot be prevented by the treating team from accessing an IPRA.

If you do not reside in the West Moreton catchment area and are a patient or a support person of a patient in another Health Service in Queensland, you can locate the contact details of your nearest Independent Patient Rights Adviser here.

Request for the Independent Patient Rights Adviser to contact you

If you would prefer an Independent Patient Rights Adviser to contact you, click here.

• Statement of Rights (PDF)
• Patient rights factsheet (PDF)
• Role of nominated support persons factsheet (PDF)
• Nominated support persons: guide and form (PDF)
• Treatment authority factsheet (PDF)
• Advance Health Directive for mental health: guide and form (PDF)
• Advance Health Directive (AHD) checklist (PDF)
• Advance health directives and less restrictive way of treatment factsheet (PDF)
• Request for applicant review (Mental Health Review Tribunal) (PDF)
• Ideas for talking with your clinical team factsheet (PDF)
• Independent patient rights adviser service brochure (PDF)
• Regulated treatments factsheet (PDF)
• Role of independent patient rights adviser factsheet (PDF)
• Rights of family, carers and other support persons factsheet (PDF)
• Legal Representation at Tribunal Hearings frequently asked questions (PDF)
• Self-report to the Mental Health Review Tribunal (PDF)
• Searches in Authorised Mental Health Units factsheet (PDF)
• Ryan's Rule
  • Ryan's Rule brochure (PDF)
• Revocation of advance health directive form (PDF)
• Revocation or resignation of appointment of nominated support person form (PDF)
• West Moreton catchment map (PDF)
  IPRAs are available to provide advice to all mental health consumers of West Moreton mental health services and their family, carer and support persons. To find out if you are a consumer of West Moreton Mental Health and Specialised Services, use this map.
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