Advance Statements within the Victorian Mental Health Setting: A Contextual and Legislative Global Comparison

Abstract

This article provides context to the establishment of advance statements within the Australian mental health setting, in the state of Victoria. A movement to legislate for a more humane and liberal approach to mental health consumer care resulted in changes to the Victorian Mental Health Act (2014a). This Act mirrored legislative changes across the western world and resulted in a socially progressive movement embracing recovery focussed care and consumer clinician partnerships. Thus, we purport that an identified need for a more liberal way to work with individuals who have a diagnosis of mental ill health was a major aim of this law reform. The advance statement model is seen as a tool in addressing a growing recognition of how mental health providers engage consumers of mental health services, and value their preferences to care received. This article arises from a larger study which has aimed to explore the role and scope of advance statements. This research has sought to demonstrate how advanced statements can be used within mental health services by providing recommendations for the mental health nursing workforce in relation to the implementation and deliverables for training.