1. Leigh Murray ISPS NZ Conference 17 th October 2014

2.  25+ yrs supporting close whanau in mental distress  Moved from trying to make ‘him/her recover’ to ‘providing support that allows him/her to work on their own recovery’  Understanding ‘mental illness’ is no longer my goal  My priority is maintaining a respectful supportive relationship with family, whānau members

3. If you want small changes in your life, work on your attitude. But if you want big and primary changes, work on your paradigm. Stephen Covey

4.  All families and whānau have access to family peer support and recovery education. Model 3.8 Comparing the old with the new Traditional Services Recovery-based services Views of Madness Pathology/no meaning Crisis of being/fully human experience Philosophy Treatment/paternalism Recovery/self determination Language Medical, objective, ‘They’ Personal, subjective, ‘We’ Service users P assive recipients Active agents and leaders Families Unsupported and grieving Supported and supportive

5.  Concerned  ‘Lets get some help’  How & where you access help often influenced by cultural norms

6. Bio medical influences on wh ā nau as observed by consumers  Consumers observed families adopting uncritical acceptance of what they’re told by clinicians or read about a bio-medical interpretation of mental illness  Family’s denial of childhood adversity & trauma was seen as derived from attachment to bio medical model (H. Barnett & A. Barnes, 2010)

8. Bio medical influences on Family, Wh ā nau  Most first person accounts of families in literature are deeply depressing stories about grief/loss/shame/stigma/stresses & burdens of caring.  The grief seemed to be deepened by hopelessness about recovery, often based on the assumption of an irreversible illness. “I looked up schizophrenia in our medical book. After reading their information I didn’t see much hope (Kagigebi,1995, As cited in In J.Geekie.,P. Randal, D.Lampshire & J.Read (Eds.), 2012, p 207)  The notion of an incurable disease led in turn to the belief that the burden of caring & all stresses involved would be endless. (J. Read & L. Magliano, Experiencing Psychosis, P 207, 2012)

9. Stigma Not wanting to be burdened Too busy If this is a serious illness what can I do? Leave it to experts & system

10. What you see depends on what you thought before you looked Eugene Taurman

11. Want to help & alleviate distress Burnt out Your whanau member wants you to solve their problems Guilt

12. Reinforced by mental health services & society  If your wh ā nau member is ‘sick’ with a ‘mental illness’ it makes sense to become their ‘carer’.  - ‘Medication Monitors’ - ‘Eyes & Ears of Service’ - ‘Mental Health Act’ IMPLICATIONS FOR RELATIONSHIP? ‘Carer’ not consistent with recovery

13.  If as adults we depend heavily on those close to us but can’t return this support, we are certain to find ourselves angry with our benefactors and with ourselves a great deal of the time.  When we over-depend on another person we see ourselves and are seen by others as inadequate & inferior compared to the one we depend upon. (GROW article)

14. Persecutor Reality-Act in own interests Persecutor Characteristics-Others suffer on account of their behavior Discounts- The victim doesn’t matter. PersecutorRescuer Reality- Concern for victim Characteristics-Take over thinking/problem solving Discount- Victim can’t solve his/her problem Victim Reality- Suffering/potentially suffering Victim Characteristics- Believe they don’t have resources to solve their problem Neediness is so acute it prevents them solving problems Discount- I can’t solve this

15. Media/ MoH scrutiny Reports/reviews recommendations Avoid risk Resources diverted from innovation Serious Incidents Mistakes Complaints HDC/DHB/ MPs Drivers of a risk focused culture (L.Murray)

16. Assertive Supportive Vulnerable Assertive Reality- Act in own interests Assertive characteristics- Ask for what they want & say no to what they don’t want Give feedback & initiate negotiation Skills- Assertiveness skills Caring Reality- still concerned for vulnerable person Caring Characteristics- Do not do the thinking or problems solving Skill-Listening & self- awareness skills Vulnerable Reality- Still vulnerable/potentially vulnerable Vulnerable Characteristics- own thinking & for problem solving Skill- Problem solving & self-awareness skills

17. Looked at websites “Supplying information about mental illness” “Support for families, friends & caregivers of people with a mental illness” “…provide recovery and a quality of life to their loved one who has a mental illness” Providing ‘recovery’ to someone is not possible. However listening & support can make a positive difference

19.  To support recovery, whānau need to understand what recovery is. - Cultivating hope, respect & acceptance - Focusing on strengths - Facing your own dark emotions - Tolerance of uncertainty - Dignity of risk - Being emotionally honest & valuing own wellbeing A leaflet on mental illness & self care is probably not going to help us as whānau get there.

20.  Advocacy at a systemic level – NDFWA (Family Advisors)  Real-time Feedback  Skilled support for whānau after suicide  More resource for acute recovery focused options  Evidenced based programmes like DBT Family Connections

21.  Services believing whānau can learn, grow & change  Whānau themselves believing they can learn, grow & change  Whānau taking a lead in recovery focused education for whānau  At a societal level - respect for each others vulnerability & differences

22.  A ‘Paradigm shift’ may be thought of as change from one way of being to another. It does not just happen, but rather it is usually driven by agents of change.

23. whanaupeers4recovery@gmail.com