Our Affiliates (CoMHWA)
Consumers of Mental Health WA Inc (CoMHWA)
Update: CoMHWA held its AGM on 30th of January and now has a new board of management (please contact us for more info about who is who).
About CoMHWA
Consumers of Mental Health WA (Inc) (CoMHWA), is a WA based mental health consumer organisation, run by consumers. We are a community based, not for profit organisation.
Our Vision
A world where mental health consumers are self-directed, self-empowered, respected as people and connected to community.
Our Core Purpose
To coordinate, promote and support the consumer voice within mental health services and the wider community.
All our work at CoMHWA is guided by the following Values:
- Kindness
- Respect
- Acceptance
- Collaboration
- Integrity
Strategic Plan Key Result Areas
The delivery of our strategic plan is based on the following:
- Consultation
- Systemic Advocacy
- Supporting Peer Support and Services
- Education, Training and Awareness
- Partnerships and Relationships
- Organisational Capacity Building
Full Information Booklet available on enquiry. Call us today to have one mailed out.
Please support us by becoming a member today. Consumers, Consumer Groups and others (Associate members) welcome.
We define the term consumer (as the individual membership category) as “People who identify as having a current or past lived experience of psychological or emotional issues, distress or problems, irrespective of whether they have a diagnosed mental illness and/or have received treatment.”.
C0MHWA Governance Statement
The committee of management places high importance in directing and controlling the association’s business based on the Essential Corporate Governance Principles of the ASX (2nd Edition), to ensure best practice. This is a fundamental part of our culture.
We are a community based, not for profit organisation, with deductible gift recipient status from the Australian Taxation Office and are subject to the Associations Incorporation Act (1987). Our organization was registered as an incorporated association on June 16, 2005, with our name change from WAMIAC to Consumers of Mental Health WA (Inc) - (CoMHWA) was registered November 4, 2008.
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CoMHWA Objectives
| To promote respect for, and uphold the dignity and human rights of consumers and all members of the broader community. | To ensure the association maintains full accountability, transparency and accessibility. | |
| To promote health, wellbeing, self empowerment, social inclusion and recovery as the foundation to enhancing the quality of life of consumers. |
To provide with, and for members, a wide information and consultation network. |
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| To promote excellence in the provision of a broad based range of services to consumers. | To maintain a participatory interest and links relating to research and emerging trends in mental health. | |
| To provide advocacy, individual and/or broad based systemic, with, and for, consumers. |
To actively engage in collaborative practices within working partnerships and consultancy with members, stakeholders and others. |
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| To provide an understanding of consumer perspectives and a comprehensive, broad based and informed consultation service to Government, non government organisations, other interested parties, and the broader community, to raise community awareness. |
To provide support through a broad based education and training service in mental health and wellbeing, mental illness, discrimination, stigma, and the recovery paradigm. |
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We have three categories of membership available:
- Individual membership: any person who:
(i) Identifies as having experienced mental or emotional distress or received a diagnosis of mental illness, or (ii) Identifies as a mental health consumer and has been, or is, a consumer of mental health services,
Fees: $ 0.00 (nil) however we will accept a $10.00 voluntary contribution from anyone who would like to do so - one time only for lifetime membership) -
Consumer group membership: any group who has a substantial proportion of their committee of management comprised of people who identify as having an experience of mental or emotional distress
Fees: $ 0.00 - Fees: $10 annually
- Associate membership: any individuals or organisations who have knowledge, experience or qualifications that may be beneficial to the association and who have an interest in the association’s purpose and objectives. (These members do not have voting rights).
Fees: Associate (annually) $10 unwaged individual $20 waged individual $50 organisation
The CoMHWA Membership Application Form can be downloaded from our webpage or call us to have one sent out to you. (Phone number) 93508824
Management Meetings
The committee is responsible for strategically directing the Association to ensure its objectives are met.
When: Monthly (enquire within for details)
Time: 5 - 7pm.
Who: Management Committee Members and interested members on request.
* * Management meetings are open to CoMHWA’s broader membership. Requests to attend meetings can be made by email or phone or letter at any time. We welcome ideas and feedback but ask that they be submitted as agenda items in advance to allow sufficient time to be heard. It is the CoMHWA executive and general management committee members who hold voting rights at management committee meetings. The management committee may complete some business prior to guest members arrival to avoid long waits.
Questions, feedback and suggestions can be forwarded to our committee at any time.
In addition to management meetings, at times we gather monthly for ‘Busy Bees’ where we work on projects and organisational development activities on a Saturday.
We also meet in sub-committees that do project work – such as planning and designing workshops, brochures and various events.
Acknowledgements
GREAT APPRECIATION TO RICHMOND FELLOWSHIP WA (RFWA)
We would like to extend our thanks and appreciation to RFWA CEO, Joe Calleja, and the RFWA board and RFWA staff in general for their very generous support.
WE ALSO APPRECIATE THE SUPPORT OF:
- Lotterywest
- Hon Helen Morton
- The WA Mental Health Commission
- Dr Liz Pattison
- The Health Consumer’s Council
- The West Australian Association of Mental Health
- The Hearing Voices Network Australia (HVNA).
- Mental Illness Fellowship WA
- Children of Mentally Ill Consumers WA (COMIC).
- Connect Groups (Formerly WISH)
- Bunbury Pathways
“The work goes on, the cause endures, the hope still lives and the dreams shall never die.” — Edward Moore "Ted" Kennedy; United States Senator
Defnintions
“Consumer”
In Australia this term is the term most commonly understood and used (however it is acknowledged that it is not liked by all people for a variety of reasons). CoMHWA continues to use the term due to its widespread use and understanding. It also encourages other ways of describing ourselves such as ‘people with a lived experience’, ‘experts by experience’, and other proffered language.
For us what we mean is “any person who has been diagnosed with a mental illness, or a person who identifies as such, who may or may not be accessing mental health services”.
“Recovery”
Once again this term means different things to different people and it is right that we each define it on our own terms. There are many definitions around such as “living a meaningful life from the perspective of the individual”
At COMHWA we see it as a personal process, as opposed to clinical recovery (asymptomatic/cure) or social recovery (functionality/rehabilitation focus only) paradigm.
Other definitions are:
Recovery is not managing illness, its discovering wellness. Recovery is not fixing what’s broken. It’s finding wholeness, meaning, and purpose, A love for life, Recovery is a journey, A reconnection to self, others, nature, and Spirit, A willingness to forgive, an openness toward reconciliation. A search for peace. - Duane Sherry.
Duane Sherry is a nationally Certified Rehabilitation Counselor and ‘consumer’ http://www.recoveryhope4all.com/
“Mental illness is a process of isolation and recovery is a process of connection” New Zealand Consumer Leader Gary Platz, ABC Radio National’s All in the Mind program. Journeys to Recovery: Accepting the Reality of Unreality 16/12/06
“Recovery does not mean ‘cure’ it is not an end point – ‘recovered’ – but a continuing journey – an ongoing process. It is a way of life. It is an attitude and a way of approaching the day’s challenges.” Pat Deegan 1988, Voice Hearer, Diagnosed with Schizophrenia
"Recovery is a process not a model. It requires self-confidence, self-esteem, self-awareness, self-acceptance, it is a liberating process, a social process and one in which all people can go engage in; i.e. consumers, families and practitioners." Ron Coleman 2005, Author, Trainer, A Voice Hearer, Diagnosed with Schizophrenia
Downloads
COHMWA Current 2011 Constituion
Consumers of Mental Health WA Objectives and other Info
CoMHWA Membership Application Form (Complete and mail it to the address below).
CoMHWA 2010-2011 Annual Report (With Financial Statement)
CoMHWA 2009-2010 Annual Report A (Report) & B (Financials)
CoMHWA 2007/2008 Annual Report
CoMHWA 2008/2009 Annual Report
CoMHWA Brochure
CoMHWA Comment Newsletter 1
CoMHWA Comment Newsletter 2
CoMHWA Comment Newsletter 3
CoMHWA News Flash September 2011 - Minister for Mental Health announces - CoMHWA wins EOI process to become the state appointed mental health consumer association
CoMHWA Information Email
Contact Us
Consumers of Mental Health WA (Inc)
ABN: 95581286940
C/- PO Box 682, BENTLEY, WA 6982
Ph: 9350 8824 (message)
Email:
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Please Note: The consumer organisation CoMHWA is different from the WA Mental Health Commission’s ‘COMHWA’ - Consumer Outcomes in Mental Health Western Australia. Details of which are accessible at www.comhwa.health.wa.gov.au
