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The Like Minds project has developed with reference to:
- The Mental Health Commission’s Map of the Journeys Towards Equality, Respect and Rights for People who Experience Mental Illness;
- The World Health Organization’s Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion; and
- An evidence-based model of change developed for the Project by Phoenix Research.
The model of change draws attention to the importance of a comprehensive approach, involving work to change both attitudes and behaviour, and identifies key participants in the change process.
There is evidence that simply raising awareness is not enough to change behaviour, but that awareness must be supported by practical ways to bring about change in the places where it matters most.
For this reason, the National Plan 2003-2005 identifies important settings where people’s behaviour has an impact on the wellbeing of people who have experience of mental illness, such as employment situations, or mental health services and government agencies that have frequent contact with people with experience of mental illness.
Evidence from other efforts to change attitudes towards mental illness and behaviour towards people with mental illness identifies the important roles of:
- People who have experience of mental illness (service users/tangata
whaiora);
- Mental health services;
- Media; and
- Community action.
The table sets out the relationships between the theoretical framework of the Ottawa Charter, the key components identified by the model of change and the Like Minds project objectives.
| OTTAWA CHARTER |
MODEL OF CHANGE |
STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES |
Building healthy public policy
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Changing policy
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Change attitudes and behaviour in government agencies having frequent contact with people with experience of mental illness, through education and policy development |
| Creating supportive environments |
Mass media advertising
Changing attitudes/behaviours of media/opinion leaders
Changing climate of public opinion
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Change public attitudes and behaviour through media, public relations and community education activities
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| Strengthening community action |
Changing attitudes/behaviours of public: individuals and groups
Empowering people with mental illness and family/whänau |
Change public attitudes and behaviour through media, public relations and community education activities
Address stigma and discrimination in Mäori and Pacific peoples’ communities through community education |
| Developing personal skills |
Empowering people with mental illness and family/whänau |
Empower people who have experience of mental illness and increase their involvement in the Project
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| Re-orienting health services |
Changing attitudes/behaviours in services/institutions that people with experience of mental illness interact with |
Work with the mental health sector to change attitudes and behaviour through education and policy development
Develop infrastructure and networks |
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>>TO TOP |
In the National Plan for 2003-2005, the project identified two complementary
approaches - the social model of disability and the human rights approach
- as important underlying philosophies that support the work.
The social model of disability defines disability as barriers to participation which restrict people’s ability to participate in the community. These barriers affect access to education, employment, housing, banking and insurance, and other goods and services.
Human rights assert the dignity and value of all people. Discrimination happens when people are denied their rights and freedoms, such as the right to be parents, to participate in our communities and the right to equality in employment.
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