Ensuring Children's Rights Through Mental Health Oversight: Findings From a Two-year Project Exploring the Intersect Between the Involuntary Mental Health and Out-of-home Care Systems
Tracks
Springbrook Room - In Person Only
| Wednesday, March 20, 2024 |
| 10:35 AM - 10:55 AM |
Overview
Jodie Griffiths-Cook & Courtney Bellemore, ACT Human Rights Commission
Details
Presentation Key Learnings:
1. Children and young people in out-of-home care are overrepresented in the involuntary mental health system.
2. A small number of children and young people are subject to extensive actions and limitations on their human rights in the mental health system. These children and young people tend to have disabilities, a history of trauma and/or be exposed to multiple government systems, including the out-of-home care and youth justice systems.
3. Oversight of government systems is fundamental to the promotion and protection of children’s rights.
Speaker
Ms Courtney Bellemore
Senior Advocate
ACT Human Rights Commission
Ensuring Children's Rights Through Mental Health Oversight: Findings From a Two-year Project Exploring the Intersect Between the Involuntary Mental Health and Out-of-home Care Systems
Biography
Courtney Bellemore is a Senior Advocate working for the ACT Public Advocate within the ACT Human Rights Commission. As Senior Advocate, Courtney provides oversight and systemic advocacy in respect of government systems that impact on or limit the human rights of those that reside in the ACT, including the mental health system. Prior to working at the ACT Human Rights Commission, Courtney worked in government and non-government organisations, with a particular focus on the rights of persons with disabilities. Courtney has tertiary qualifications in law and social work.
Ms Jodie Griffiths-Cooke
ACT Public Advocate and Children and Young People Commissioner
ACT Human Rights Commission
Ensuring children's rights through mental health oversight: Findings from a two-year project exploring the intersect between the involuntary mental health and out-of-home care systems.
Abstract
The ACT Public Advocate is an independent statutory position that sits within the ACT Human Rights Commission. As an oversight body, the Public Advocate receives certain documentation (in accordance with legislation) advising her when restrictions are placed on the human rights of children and young people. For example, when a child or young person is taken into care and protection, detained in a youth justice setting, or is subject to involuntary action in a mental health setting.
Arising from the oversight responsibility of the Public Advocate, we commenced a project and collected data over a two-year period (1 July 2021 to 30 June 2023) to understand the extent to which children and young people were involuntarily treated and detained under the Mental Health Act 2015 (ACT) (‘MH Act’). We sought to understand:
• which children and young people were subject to involuntary treatment and detention under the MH Act;
• what crossovers did these children and young people have with other government systems in the ACT (e.g., care and protection and youth justice); and
• whether the response from the involuntary mental health system resulted in reduced interactions with the mental health system.
Our presentation will cover our findings from the project which predominately demonstrate that:
(1) children and young people in out-of-home care are overrepresented in the involuntary mental health system, and
(2) a small number of children and young people make up for the bulk of all mental health documentation received by the Public Advocate (i.e., they continue to cycle in and out of the involuntary mental health system).
In view of the ACT being a human rights jurisdiction, we will also discuss the impact of such actions on children’s rights (notably participation rights) and reflect on the value of oversight in promoting and protecting these rights.
Arising from the oversight responsibility of the Public Advocate, we commenced a project and collected data over a two-year period (1 July 2021 to 30 June 2023) to understand the extent to which children and young people were involuntarily treated and detained under the Mental Health Act 2015 (ACT) (‘MH Act’). We sought to understand:
• which children and young people were subject to involuntary treatment and detention under the MH Act;
• what crossovers did these children and young people have with other government systems in the ACT (e.g., care and protection and youth justice); and
• whether the response from the involuntary mental health system resulted in reduced interactions with the mental health system.
Our presentation will cover our findings from the project which predominately demonstrate that:
(1) children and young people in out-of-home care are overrepresented in the involuntary mental health system, and
(2) a small number of children and young people make up for the bulk of all mental health documentation received by the Public Advocate (i.e., they continue to cycle in and out of the involuntary mental health system).
In view of the ACT being a human rights jurisdiction, we will also discuss the impact of such actions on children’s rights (notably participation rights) and reflect on the value of oversight in promoting and protecting these rights.
Biography
Jodie Griffiths-Cook is the ACT Public Advocate and Children and Young People Commissioner. Part of her job involves talking with children and young people (C&YP) to find out what is important to them and what they think about important issues. Jodie uses what she hears to let government, service providers, parents/carers and other people in the community know what they can do differently to better support C&YP, especially when making decisions that impact C&YP. With over 25 years' experience in human services, Jodie is committed to doing everything she can to promote a child-safe, child-friendly Canberra.
