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While the concept of clinical supervision is well-developed within clinical legal education, its application within broader legal practice is less explored. This paper aims to contribute to this emerging conversation by providing recommendations for the effective incorporation of clinical supervision within legal practice. The paper provides an initial overview of the current state of research on clinical supervision in legal practice, subsequently outlining the benefits and key considerations for its implementation. The paper argues that clinical supervision can yield a multitude of benefits, including the reduction of burnout, minimisation of vicarious trauma, and enhancement of the quality of legal practice by fostering emotional and interpersonal skills. The paper further discusses the importance of self-reflection, debriefing, and supervision that facilitates self-care in the context of clinical supervision. The potential benefits of this approach extend to all members of the profession, from new lawyers to seasoned practitioners, and could lead to improved professionalism, reduced attrition, and enhanced wellbeing within the legal profession. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Under the Victorian 2014 Mental Health Act (MHA14), Victorians have a right to advance statements. While there have been initiatives to support uptake, under 3% of consumers have done so. In March 2021, the Royal Commission into Victoria's Mental Health System (the Commission) released its report, including a call to repeal MHA14 and enact a new Act no later than mid-2022. In this paper, we discuss the role of advance planning documentation and instruments used in Australian legislation. Drawing on the Commission's recommendations, models of advance planning in Australia and the Victorian legislative context, this paper proposes a model of both binding and non-binding advance directives. This model would bring the rights of Victorian consumers into alignment with rights provided under the Medical Treatment, Planning and Decisions Act 2016 (Vic) and assist in bringing the new Act into compatibility with the Charter of Human Rights and Responsibilities Act 2006 (Vic). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper highlights some key actions social workers can take to help improve the physical health of people living with mental illness. Despite an 80% comorbidity rate, many people living with mental illness still do not receive a physical health check-up. For this and other reasons, people living with mental illness die, on average, 10–20 years prematurely. This early death is usually preceded by years or decades of poor health. Using a collective impact approach, this paper discusses actions to increase autonomy, advocate for better access to quality physical health care, and minimise iatrogenic harm for people living with mental illness. IMPLICATIONS This paper highlights the key opportunities for social workers to improve the physical health of people living with mental illness. Using a collective impact approach, it highlights the vital role social workers can play in enacting the essential elements of the Equally Well national consensus statement, such as advocating equity of access to physical health care services, supporting quality care, and reducing stigma and discrimination for people living with mental illness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Better Access to Psychiatrists, Psychologists and General Practitioners through the Medicare Benefits Scheme initiative (Better Access), is an Australian Federal Government scheme aiming to improve access to mental health services. Accredited mental health social workers have been involved in the delivery of services under Better Access for more than a decade. In this time, there have been significant changes in the field of mental health services, with consequent increases in size and costs for Better Access. Better Access now represents public spending of more than one billion dollars per annum, yet there is no ongoing account of its impact. In this paper we consider the policy chronology and evaluation of the program, using current available data to question the impact of Better Access on both the service system and the nature of mental health social work practice. This case highlights the importance of a clear articulation of the scope of mental health social work, and ongoing monitoring of the impact of policy in a policy environment increasingly characterised by individualised funding and service delivery structured according to the principles of New Public Management. IMPLICATIONS Social workers' increasing involvement with Better Access has reshaped the scope of mental health social work practice. The impact of Better Access on outcomes for service users and mental health social work is not currently a focus of research attention. Better Access is a case study illustrating the potential of the policy context to directly shape social work practice, therefore critical engagement with the impact of Better Access is an essential professional imperative. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An available and effective rural mental health workforce is critical to the provision of contemporary mental health care. During the last 5 years new mental health plans and strategies have been released every state and territory of Australia. This policy analysis examines the extent to which workforce, and particularly rural workforce issues are considered in these policies. The analysis revealed that rural workforce issues receive scant attention in state and territory mental health plans. Rural Australians comprise 28% of the total population, yet rural workforce issues are canvased, on average only 6% of the time general workforce issues are addressed. National mental health workforce plans do focus on the rural workforce, but these are not referenced in the state or territory strategies or workforce plans. Given the rural mental health workforce shortages, and consumer challenges in accessing rural mental health services, more planning and consideration to supporting and developing a rural workforce appears warranted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The balance between care and control in mental health social work is one of constant tension. In the State of Victoria, Australia, the Mental Health Act 2014 gives coercive powers to social workers employed by public mental health services. These include the power to decide if a person needs to be assessed by a psychiatrist, to "take" a person using bodily restraint, to enter premises, and to search and seize a person's belongings. This paper applies a doctrinal analysis to examine the law, then argues that the use of these powers by social workers, where safe, may be less restrictive than when they are used by police or paramedics. The exercise of these powers may be less traumatic and stigmatising to the people who are subject to them, and social workers may be both legally and ethically obligated to use coercion when appropriate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many countries embarked on reforms of mental health law in the wake of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. These reforms have had varying levels of success. This paper considers the experience of consumers in the Victorian mental health system, drawing on an evaluation that asked consumers and clinicians about their knowledge and experience of rights under the Victorian Mental Health Act, 2014. The data show that consumers were not informed of their rights, were not involved in decisions about treatment, were not able to access safeguards, and could not exercise their rights. The explanations for this include limited staff time, unclear delegations of responsibility, a lack of knowledge, training, and support for rights, and a preference for 'best interests' approaches. The paper identifies tangible reforms that would maintain rights for consumers, including competent refusal of treatment, legislative and regulatory reforms, and training and resourcing. Consumers in this study found that the rights-based framework in the Mental Health Act, 2014 had such an insignificant effect on clinical mental health practice in Victoria that their rights appeared to be illusory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

People diagnosed with mental illness have relatively poor physical health and die earlier than their counterparts in the general population. People living with mental illness in rural Australia have three times the risk of premature death than the total population. This article reviews recent international, Australian and New Zealand research, identifies the increased risk of early death of people living with mental health issues in rural settings and looks at the need for policy and practice responses. The 'Equally Well' national initiatives are described in Australia and New Zealand, which seek to systematically address this inequity as a matter of priority. Finally, it argues for co‐design and consumer participation in policy development, program implementation and research. Improved understanding of the perspectives and priorities of people with experience of mental illness is vital if change is to be fully realised. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Independent mental health advocacy (IMHA) has been proposed as a way of maintaining peoples' rights in involuntary settings, but little is known about the challenges and opportunities associated with the provision of independent mental health advocacy to those on compulsory treatment orders in the community. In Victoria, Australia, an IMHA service is available to people who are at risk of or subject to compulsory treatment, including those who are subject to Community Treatment Orders. The IMHA service is based on the independent advocacy model developed in the United Kingdom. This paper details the benefits and challenges of providing independent non-legal advocacy to those in the community, drawing on a 15-month independent co-produced evaluation of the IMHA service. With limited publicly available sector level data, the evaluation employed qualitative approaches. Issues raised include the need to better target limited resources in the most effective way and the problem of ensuring timely and adequate access. While advocacy was well received by consumers, tensions specific to the community setting were influenced by the attitudes of clinicians to need, risk and recovery as opposed to a coherent understanding of consumer preference and choice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]