ARAFMI Tasmania

An Association of Friends and Relatives of the Mentally Ill (Tasmania) Incorporated

Early on before any crisis:

Encourage, perhaps by saying something like, If the (here name the thing they’re complaining about) are getting in the way of your love, work or play, you’ve got every right to get assistance. And then go about your business hoping that they will ask you where to get that help, and then they may be more open to hearing you.

Then you can offer them options stressing that it’s their choice and right. These options might include: General Practitioner (GP), Medicare funded Psychology, Mental Health Services Case manager, counsellor, Mental Health Help Line, hospital.

Or say something like: “Do you have a GP who could give you something for that … (eg sleep problems, confusion, and feeling down)?

 

Ask them if there is someone helpful they might like to talk to. “May I call them for you?” Dial and hand them the phone, but if they want you to talk, you go ahead.

You may call their case manager and ask for confidentiality. The relative will probably work out who called them so just say something like: “I’m terribly sorry but I was very worried about you, maybe I just worry too much.”

It may take a while for them to get over angering at you for calling on help, but at least there’s professional contact by then. Be empathic about any sense of betrayal.

 

Don’t leave it until the last minute when things may have become so out of control and you may feel so helpless or so nervous that you can’t think straight. Act on those feelings early, they are your early warning system letting you know the connection is breaking down, get connected and act.

 

If the worker doesn’t want to talk to you because of the Privacy Act, gently remind them that they are not breaking privacy by listening to you.

 

If you foresee a crisis looming in the near future and you haven’t had success with the above measures, call the Mental Health Help Line on 1800 332 388 (open 24 hours every day of week) to fill the team in on the general situation so that they have a file ready if you do need to give a crisis call later. Give a good description of the situation your relative is in before the situation gets really out of control. The advantage is that you have the chance to tell the team lots of detail privately, when you’re feeling calm.

Ask Mental Health Help Line “At what stage of illness or severity could a house call be warranted?”

 

Give very specific information to health professionals not just general feelings of worry about the person. For example, tell them:

What the relative’s diagnosis is, if known?

Report important signs you’ve observed this week in their behaviour. What has changed recently, say why you are phoning now?

Tell the team if your relative is talking about or showing signs of self-harm or suicide.

Say what risk the relative poses to you, to others or to themselves, this week and right now, including any observable threats.

What’s the relative’s most recent contact with Mental Health or doctors?

What medications are they taking? Or should be taking.

What street drugs might be affecting them?

Then if the Mental Health Help Line  is coming, and if appropriate & safe:

Maybe tell the relative that someone’s coming (eg “to give us a hand with our concerns as I’m not coping well enough.”).

This kind of talking may reduce their fear.

But they may not stay around if they know that Mental Health Help Line coming.  A difficult decision for you.

If you feel under physical threat, call the police as well (in private), informing them it’s a mental health situation. Can they come in an unmarked car with NO sirens please? If Mental Health Help Line can’t come or you’re living in the country, call the ambulance and / or police.

 

If calling the police…

If the person has threatened violence or has damaged property or has been physically aggressive, you may consider calling police, laying charges and then calling the Mental Health Court Liaison Team (6233 8672) for psychiatric assessment and report for the court. This can be a ‘back door’ way of getting help and medical treatment for a person for whom it is otherwise difficult to gain medical assistance. If the court decides that the person has offended due to their mental illness, this is not held as a criminal record.