Consumers’ experience of seclusion
We are privileged to be able to share videos of two consumers’ experiences of seclusion. These are the first two in a series of at least six videos about mental health and addiction priority areas. Our sincere thanks to Jenny Fenwick and Haki Davis for sharing their stories.
Jenny, who works as a consumer advisor at Nelson Marlborough district health board (DHB), and Haki, who is a member of Te Kete Pounamu, both have experience of being secluded when in in-patient services. In the videos, they tell how their experiences have affected them and what alternative actions they believe staff could have taken.
The videos are a ‘must see’ for anyone working in MHA services, and for those in the wider health sector, as we focus on eliminating seclusion in New Zealand.
The development of videos of the stories of consumers, family and whānau was first proposed in September 2018. The project, to capture the experiences of the users of mental health services, was called ‘Pono’, which means ‘to be true, honest, valid, sincere’. It is linked to the projects within the mental health and addiction quality improvement programme: zero seclusion; connecting care; and learning from adverse events and consumer, family and whānau experience.
The experience of consumers, their family and whānau is central to the work the Health Quality & Safety Commission and DHBs are undertaking. The videos update and expand on Awareness Canterbury’s Opening Doors training resource, which has been a huge asset in understanding the consumer experience of seclusion.
The videos are available to view below.