Advocacy is based upon the principle of empowering people to speak for themselves. Advocacy is very important for people with mental health problems who may feel that their views are not being listened to and may find it difficult to express their feelings at a time of crisis. An advocate can help a mental health service user to make informed choices and communicate their wishes. Advocacy is especially important for people whose first language is not English.

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Joseph Rowntree Foundation:

Mental Health Advocacy for Black and Ethnic Minority Users and Carers

2002

This research explores the needs for advocacy services of black and ethnic minority communities in Trent and Yorkshire. It found services were undeveloped and these communities often overlooked.

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Mind:

Advocacy factsheet

The mental health charity Mind have produced a factsheet on advocacy which is available in full online. It covers issues such as the types of advocacy available, how to find an advocate and self advocacy.

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Mind and the Mental Health Act 1:

Advocacy

Mind have produced a policy briefing outlining the legal rights to advocacy that they wish to see in the revised Mental Health Act. They are calling for an enforceable legal right to advocacy, a legal right for advocates to contact mental health service users and a commitment to national funding for advocacy.

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Rethink:

Advocacy explained

Rethink explains the meaning of advocacy, the problems that advocates can help with and how to find an advocate.

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Rethink:

Advocacy services

The organisation also provides information on the advocacy services offered around the country by Rethink staff and volunteers.

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Bosnia-Herzegovina Community UK

Provides relief for people from Bosnia and Herzegovina in London and their dependents in the United Kingdom and overseas, who are in conditions of need, hardship or in distress and are in necessitous circumstances. Includes mental health issues.

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MIND:

Ethnic minority mental health issues

Mind offer a small range of mental health fact sheets for ethnic minority communities, including South Asian, Vietnamese and Chinese.

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NHS Direct:

Mental health

NHS Direct provides a list of useful mental health organizations of special interest to ethnic minority groups (organized by regions).

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Social Action for Health

This group - based in east London - runs a number of health based community projects. Their community development work in Hackney focuses on the mental health needs of refugees and they have developed ways of including refugees in the decision making process. Innovative projects include the use of drama and storytelling to develop solutions to day to day issues.

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Al-Hasiyinya Moroccan Women's Centre

Provides mental health information for women in Arabic (no web site).

Contact: Bays 4 & 5, Trellack Tower,
Goldbourne Road,
London, W10 5PL.
Telephone 020 8969 2292.

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