DRC Working for Social Inclusion for People with Mental Health Problems

1
DRC Working for Social Inclusion for People
with Mental Health Problems

• Presentation by Michelle Valentine, Practice
  Development Officer, Disability Rights Commission
  UK

2
DRC Who we are, what we do

• Started operation in April 2000
• Enforcement body for the UKs Disability
  Discrimination Law (the Disability
  Discrimination Act)
• Provides advice and guidance to employers,
  service providers and disabled people
• Advises government and policy makers
• Seeks to influence change through public
  affairs work

3
Some facts about Mental Health in the UK
Only 24 per cent of those with mental health
problems are currently in work in England Each
year 91 million working days in the UK are lost
due to mental health problems 1 in 6 people in
the UK will have depression at some point in
their life. Depression is most common in people
aged 25-44 years 20 per cent of women and 14 per
cent of men in England report some form of mental
health problems People from an ethnic background
are up to 44 per cent more likely to be detained
under the Mental Health Act
4
DRC Mental Health Action Group

• Developed strategy on Mental Health called
  Coming Together
• 12 priorities for change
• Drawn up by people with Mental Health problems
  about people with Mental Health problems

5
Priorities for Change 1 - 3

• Employment increasing opportunities in
  recruitment, including removing benefit
  disincentives
• Better access to advocacy services
• Education ensuring access and non-discrimination
  for students with mental health problems

6
Priorities for Change 4 - 7
4. Improve access to justice 5. Rights to Health
and social care services that support
independent living 6. A principled position on
mental health law 7. Clear workable
anti-discrimination law
7
Priorities for Change 8 - 10
8. Tackling discrimination in the media,
advertising and public communications 9.
Challenging genetic engineering issues 10.
Ensuring equality for immigrants, refugees and
asylum seekers
8
Priorities for Change 11 - 12
11. Improve access to transport and the built
environment 12. Taking an approach that learns
from the experiences of people with mental health
problems and empowers them to be key agents of
change
9
DRC Action on Mental Health
Formal investigation into health
inequalities Work with Trade Unions to develop
good practice guidance and training materials
Work with employers on promoting good practice
10
The Next Steps
Launch of single equality Commission in the UK
Commission for Equality and Human Rights
October 1st 2007 losing expertise and keeping
MH issues on the agenda Public concerns over
crime and justice may lead to erosion in civil
liberties and attacks on human rights
legislation
11
More Advice
Our FREE Helpline Telephone 44 8457
622633 Textphone 44 8457 622644 Website -
www.drc-gb.org Monthly Email bulletin subscribe
via our website My Contact purple.valentine_at_gmail
.com