The Role

The Tribunal are recruiting a Lived and Living Experience Family/Carer member for our Tribunal Advisory Group (TAG)

Background

The Mental Health Tribunal (Tribunal) safeguards individuals’ rights and dignity by providing independent oversight of people who are receiving compulsory treatment under the Mental Health and Wellbeing Act 2022.

The Tribunal’s primary function is to conduct hearings to decide whether a compulsory treatment order should be made or an existing treatment order revoked. The Tribunal also holds hearings to determine whether to make an electroconvulsive treatment (ECT) order for a young person, or an adult who lacks capacity to provide informed consent, and a range of other matters.

Consumer and carer engagement and participation is a key strategic priority for the Tribunal. The Tribunal conducted a consultation process with key stakeholders from peak bodies and the consumer and carer workforce during December 2014. This consultation reaffirmed that a consumer and carer advisory group would be an effective and productive mechanism to increase consumer and carer participation at the Tribunal, and that establishing this group should be a priority for the Tribunal. The TAG was established and has supported the Tribunal’s strategic and operational requirements since that time.

There was consensus that consumers and carers working together will form a stronger, more cohesive voice to influence and improve the function of the Tribunal. It was highly recommended that consumers, carers and the Tribunal members and staff work together to maximise the opportunities for the meaningful and innovative consumer and carer participation activities at the Tribunal.

Purpose

The Tribunal Advisory Group (TAG) provides opportunities for lived and living experience consumers and family, carers and supporters to:

• Shape and participate in the Tribunal’s work
• Advise and assist the Tribunal to maximise opportunities for consumer and carer engagement and participation in the activities of the Tribunal
• Advise and provide input into the Tribunal’s operations and strategic planning.

Areas of particular consideration may include, but are not limited to:

• Strategic and business planning
• Providing advice to the Governance Group on documents, projects or other matters
• Recommending and contributing to projects, communications materials, education products and activities, website and other matters at the Tribunal
• Identifying consumer and carer related issues, and providing expert advice on those issues
• Providing opportunities for “two way” communication between the Tribunal and the consumer and carer communities.
• Promoting, facilitating and monitoring consumer and carer participation activities at the Tribunal

The Tribunal Governance Group may refer documents, projects or other matters to the TAG for advice and input.

Membership

The members of the TAG will be selected on the basis of individual ability to contribute to the purpose of the TAG as outlined in the Terms of Reference. TAG members will be selected by the Chief Executive Officer in consultation with the Senior Adviser Lived Experience and a senior member of the Tribunal.

The TAg

The TAG consists of 11 members or more, made up of:

• 2 lived and living experience consumers who work at public mental services in designated lived experience roles
• 2 family and/or carers who work at public mental services in designated carer lived experience roles
• 2 consumers with recent or current lived and living experience
• 2 family and/or carers with recent or current lived experience
• A senior member of the Tribunal
• Senior Adviser Lived Experience
• Chief Executive Officer (CEO)

The first four categories of member are known collectively as TAG community members. TAG community members will have recent lived experience of mental ill health as consumers and/or family, carers and supporters. Prior or current experience with consumer or carer Advisory groups, participation in other working or reference groups, and experience of tribunal hearings will be highly regarded.

While some members may come from organisations in the mental health sector, TAG community members will be expected to provide individual expertise and guidance to the group rather than represent the views of their organisations.

In addition to lived experience, the Tribunal will endeavour to ensure that the TAG membership reflects the composition of the Victorian community. The TAG Expression of Interest form has provision for identifying diversity in membership. In selecting the TAG membership the Chief Executive Officer will have regard to principles of diversity, including:

• Lived and Living Experience
• Gender balance
• LGBTQIA+ people
• People from CALD backgrounds
• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island people
• People from different locations, including rural and regional areas
• People with disability
• Age

Term of Tenure

The TAG membership tenure will be two years. At the end of their two year tenure, members can apply to be reappointed for up to an additional two years.

The maximum tenure of TAG membership is four years, however, to ensure continuity of the TAG and its work, and to provide mentoring for new members, the Tribunal may seek nominations for and authorise a one year extension of term for up to 50% of TAG members.

Remuneration

In recognition of their time and expertise a fee of $231 per meeting is paid to all community TAG members except for when a workforce member is supported by their workplace to attend meetings during their normal working hours. The total fee is intended to allow time for members to engage in pre-reading and other ad-hoc communications. The meetings run for a period of up to three hours and are held up to six times a year on a Wednesday.

Who should apply?

The Tribunal is seeking applications from those who have;

• a Lived/Living Experience being family, carer or supporter of someone who has had experience of compulsory treatment
• and have experience of being on working groups, panels, committees or other advisory groups.

To submit your application, click Apply Now.

For more information, please contact Tracey Taylor, Senior Adviser Lived Experience at [email protected] using the subject line: Family / Carer Member - Tribunal Advisory Group enquiry via EthicalJobs.