Advocacy

This section discusses advocacy on behalf of persons with a mental incapacity. There are two main types of advocacy: individual and systemic.

Individual advocacy involves representing the interests of a person with a mental incapacity. This may include:

speaking for and promoting their rights and interests
speaking for and negotiating for resolutions to any problems they may have
giving support to and promoting the interest of carers.

Systemic Advocacy addresses issues causing problems for groups of people with a mental incapacity and their carers. The Public Advocate undertake systemic advocacy by:

reviewing programs designed to meet client's needs
identifies areas of unmet or inappropriately met needs
recommending to relevant Ministers and other decision makers the development of programs to meet those needs or to improve existing programs.