MOUNT Isa youth health advocate Alvin Hava has urged the newly appointed chairman for the Queensland Mental Health and Drug Advisory Council to visit regions such as North West Queensland to get a better understanding of the problems facing rural areas.
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International mental health expert Professor Harvey Whiteford was appointed the inaugural chairman and Mr Hava said he needed to understand firsthand the challenges of health service delivery in rural communities.
``I would encourage him to visit rural and remote communities who have historically had barriers to service delivery, whether it be retention of staff, or resources,'' Mr Hava said.
``I think it is pivotal that he listens to not only the public servants, but open up opportunities for the establishment of a grassroots community working group which can give him the real issues on the ground.
``At the end of the day, information needs to be collected and it needs to be done by the consumer groups themselves, not by bureaucrats or public servants.''
Professor Whiteford said he was pleased to be appointed to a role that would assist the Queensland Mental Health Commission in its work to improve the lives of the many Queenslanders affected by mental illness or substance misuse, including those in regional, rural and remote areas.
``The council will provide independent advice to the Queensland Mental Health Commission on issues affecting people living with mental illness or substance misuse, including service access and quality, human rights, social justice and legal matters,'' he said.
