Consumer Involvement

ARAFEMI has a commitment to active consumer participation at all levels as one of its guiding service principles

What is Consumer Participation?

Consumer Participation involves the participation of consumers (clients) of mental health services in feeding back to, evaluating and improving the services, which they use. It can also have a wider meaning of being involved in activities and events in the mental health network (particularly those with a ‘consumer’ focus).

ARAFEMI is one of only a few PDRSS services (Psychiatric Disability Rehabilitation and Support Services) to have a Consumer Consultant and a Consumer Participation programme in Victoria.

Consumer Participation is based on the principle that every ‘consumer’ of the service has the right to participate in the planning, feedback and delivery of services. We aim to get consumer participation operating in as many ways as possible in the service of ARAFEMI. Some of the ways in which this happens are described below:

• Consumer Reference Groups (bi-monthly at ARAFEMI)
• Linwood Consumer Only Meetings
• Consumer Consultant participation in staff and management meetings
• Consumer talks and events
• Consumers on committees
• Consumer contribution to the ARAFEMI newsletter
• Consumers involved in staff selection, education and training
• Consumers involved in voluntary work
• Consumers contributing to Strategic Planning
• Consumers on the Board of Governance

We aim to empower consumers to not just be passive recipients of a service, but to be active and involved co-contributors to how they would like the delivery of the service to look like for themselves, and for all consumers of ARAFEMI. Through this we hope to hear the consumer ‘voice’ and act upon it!

For more information about Consumer Participation at ARAFEMI please contact us on 03 9810 9300