Participation Statement

Participant involvement is an integral part of Prahran Mission. Participants have input into all levels of the organisation and are involved in the development, implementation, and evaluation of the services provided. Two participants are members of the Board of Governance.

Prahran Mission has always valued, promoted and practiced participation in an attempt to design and implement services that are accessible and responsive to the needs of participants. The philosophy behind this practice is based upon a belief that participants’ knowledge and experience of the mental health system means that they have an enormous amount of expertise in knowing what is most beneficial to the recovery process.

Prahran Mission views participation as a fundamental right, and appreciates that it contributes not only to the recovery process, but to the integrity of the organisation, in order for participation to occur in a meaningful way. In 2005 Prahran Mission identified over 20 ways in which participants can participate in decision-making processes. These methods ranged from involvement with the Board of Governance, to recruitment of staff, input into Individual Service Plans and developing Rehabilitation Programs. All these measures have been developed in a genuine attempt to guide the development of services that are reflective of participants’ needs.

Within Prahran Mission there are opportunities for participants to:

Develop and evaluate a Prahran Mission participation policy
Work collaboratively on the development, planning and facilitation of program activities
Evaluate the effectiveness of current programs with a view to increasing responsiveness to participants’ needs
Contribute to service wide discussions on mental health priorities
Promote an awareness of participation within and outside of Prahran Mission
Provide consultation on appropriate issues, within and outside Prahran Mission
To work collaboratively with management to develop education and training for staff and participants which will support systemic participation

We would like to achieve the outcomes of:

Skills development and information sharing to facilitate participation
Promoting good practice regarding participation to other organisations.
Promote participation to all individuals who access Prahran Mission services
Staff and participant collaboration on program planning and delivery
Management, staff and participant collaboration on strategic and continuous improvement policy
Review and make recommendations to further develop Prahran Mission's Participation policy.

Group Membership

Prahran Mission is now calling for applications from participants interested in being part of the Prahran Mission Participation Group. The next 8 months will be spent gathering ideas and giving advice to the Board of Directors on a range of participant issues.

Are you interested?

If you are a participant of Prahran Mission services and are interested in participating within the service at any level please discuss your interest with Meg Kenyon the Prahran Mission participant consultant or your support worker who will assist you.