Issue 26: Consumer Participation

Goal: Assure that consumers and family members participate at all levels of mental health policy development, planning, and evaluation of services.

Discussion

To assure that Alaska's mental health system is responsive to the needs of mental health consumers, consumers and family members must participate in all levels of decision making that affect them. On the individual level, this means that consumers must be partners in the development of their own treatment plans. On the system level, full participation means that consumers and family members must be partners in policy development, planning, budget development and program evaluation. The Alaska Mental Health Board and the Division of Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities are committed to continuing and expanding opportunities for consumer and family member participation.

Actions

310. The Alaska Mental Health Board will ensure that adequate resources exist to promote consumer and family member participation in all phases of policy development, planning, budget development and evaluation.

311. The Alaska Mental Health Board will examine the possibility of compensation for consumers officially serving on committees and/or of reimbursement of consumers' expenses, such as child care, while serving on such committees.
Responsible party (actions 1-2): Alaska Mental Health Board