ADVOCATE for mental health

Action 4 Advocacy
Action for Advocacy (A4A) offers a wide range of services for the advocacy sector. This includes organisational development, a monthly magazine - Planet Advocacy, monthly email bulletin, training and events, influencing policy and staff to answer queries relating to advocacy.

Advocacy 2000
The key Scottish organisation on advocacy of all kinds and an excellent site. Includes very useful papers on advocacy principles and copies of talks on advocacy. Advocacy 2000 is being replaced with the Scottish Independent Advocacy Alliance but the web-site will stay in place.

Care Services Improvement Partnership and the National Institute for Mental Health in England

Download a copy of the delegate pack
Mental Health Act 2007. What does it mean for you? A meeting for Service Users and Carers held in London in April 2008.

Gay Advocacy
Scanned from Open Mind about the PACE Lesbian and Gay service, by Polly Mann.

Mental Health Act 2007
This site outlines the main amendments of the 1983 Act made by the 2007 Act. Subject to the outcome of the Parliamentary process, the bulk of these amendments will come into effect on Monday 3 November 2008.

The Kings Fund
Details on Health Advocacy for Black and Ethnic Minority Londoners
program, including Health Advocacy Network, qualifications and standards.

Best Practice In Mental Health Advocacy For African, Caribbean And South Asian Communities
Short description of Joseph Rowntree foundation report on BEM advocacy. On the Bristol University site.
"This report provides a unique insight into how mental health advocacy has failed to reflect and address the specific needs of Black and ethnic minority communities..."

UKCC
Mental health and learning disabilities – 1998. Professional guidelines for nurses, including on advocacy. Pdf file to download.

"You must distinguish between your professional responsibility to advocate on a client’s behalf and the role of a trained independent advocate. In most instances, an independent advocate can provide more objective support to clients."

Kensington & Chelsea Mental Health Carers Association
The Kensington & Chelsea Mental Health Carers Association offers a Peer Advocacy Service, run by carers for carers. Peer advocates are trained to provide formal support to individuals caring for people with mental health issues.

National electronic Library for Mental Health
This specialist library sits within the National electronic Library for Health and aims to provide access to the best available evidence to answer your mental health questions.

National Institute for Mental Health in England
NIMHE's main aim is to work with others to improve services and support for people who experience mental distress.

PACE Mental Health Advocacy for lesbian and gay people in London: cutting edge, innovatory project.

Go 4 Mental Health This is a website for anyone with mental health problems living in the London Borough of Westminster.

National Mind
Established in 1946, Mind now has a network of over 200 local Mind associations throughout England and Wales. Their LMAs offer supported housing, crisis helplines, drop-in centres, counselling, befriending, advocacy, employment and training schemes, and other services.

Advocacy, Incorporated
"The mission of Advocacy, Inc. is to advocate for, protect, and advance the legal, human, and service rights of people with disabilities in Texas." Includes info on their project for mental health advocacy with deaf people.