Individual advocacy

Individual advocacy includes services that seek to represent the rights and interests of people with a mental illness, on a one-to-one basis, by addressing instances of discrimination, abuse and neglect.

Individual advocates work with people with mental illness on either a short-term or issue-specific basis.

Individual advocates:

• work with people with mental illness requiring one-to-one advocacy support
• develop a plan of action (sometimes called an individual advocacy plan), in partnership with the person with a mental illness, that maps out clearly defined goals
• educate people with mental illness about their rights
• work through the individual advocacy plan in partnership with the person with a mental illness (FaHCSIA 2012).