Home

Author Bios

Jonathan Harms
Manager Policy, Promotion and Member Services

Articles by this author:

  • Walks of Pride 2011

    Community walks against the stigma of mental illness have been staged for Mental Health Month. The 'Walk of Pride' idea has now been picked up throughout NSW by ARAFMI Branches as well as in other states in Australia.

    By:
  • New Mental Health Commission Legislation

    In honour of Mental Health Month the Minister for Mental Health, Hon Kevin Humphries has released a guide to the proposed NSW Mental Health Commission entitled, “DELIVERING REFORM to improve the mental health and wellbeing of the NSW community Legislation to establish the NSW Mental Health Commission”. Read our summary or download the guide to this legislation below.

    By: Jonathan Harms
    1 Comments
  • Report on NSW Ombudsman’s Consultation of Mental Health Carers with ARAFMI NSW Inc

    A consultation with carers to support the NSW Ombudsman’s Inquiry into the access of mental health inpatients to accommodation and support services was held on October 4th 2011 at ARAFMI’s offices in Woolloomooloo. Read a summary of some of the general issues raised in our report.

    By: Jonathan Harms
    2 Comments
  • Reviewing the Implementation of Primary Carers Rights under the Mental Health Act 2007

    The new Mental Health Act introduced in 2007 for the first time explicitly recognised the role of carers in mental health care. In 2009 ARAFMI conducted a survey of carers to understand how the primary carer changes had been implemented across NSW and how beneficial they had been. Now, two more years later ARAFMI would like to repeat this survey to better understand how the situation has changed since that time, and what further improvements could be made.

    By: Jonathan Harms
  • ‘Capacity’ and Consent in Mental Health Treatment

    ‘Capacity’ is the ability to understand the nature, purpose and consequence of any act or transaction which one enters into. Having sufficient ‘capacity’ is necessary for a person to be able to make almost any legally binding decision, such as entering a contract, giving informed consent to medical treatment or authorising access to confidential medical information. Yet capacity can be seriously affected by mental illness. Learn more about how this issue is handled in the context of mental health treatment.

    By:
    1 Comments
  • Survey on Impact of Smoking Ban in NSW Health Facilities

    NSW Health and Local Heath Districts have adopted the ‘NSW Health Smoke Free Workplace Policy’ aiming to create environments for all visitors, patients and staff free of smoking and Environmental Tobacco Smoke at all hospital campuses and sites controlled or funded by NSW Health. ARAFMI is conducting an on-line survey to gauge the impact of the smoking ban on mental health consumers and carers. Take it now and share you experiences.

    By:
  • Recruitment of Carers for Study on Carers of People with Depression

    Hunter Institute of Mental Health (HIMH) in partnership with beyondblue: the national depression initiative, are completing a series of papers exploring the experiences of those who care for someone with depression.

    By: Jonathan Harms
  • Primary Carers in the Mental Health Act 2007

    The new Mental Health Act introduced in 2007 for the first time explicitly recognised the role of carers in mental health care by the creation of a special carer role which it describes as that of ‘primary carer’. 

    By: Jonathan Harms