The Forum is made up of people with lived experience of mental health issues and their friends and families. Our members come from a range of different backgrounds and reflect the diversity of the people of Wales.
We are passionate about our work, and the way that we work, and we have achieved much since the Forum’s inception in 2013 (formally known as The National Mental Health Forum). We have co-produced several papers on a broad range of topics, addressing issues such as Care and Treatment Planning, Suicide prevention, Stigma and discrimination and ending Coercive Practice and ECT, to name but a few.
Our Forum members work collaboratively with other key stakeholders to influence Welsh Government policy by using their skills, knowledge and experience gained within the field of mental health.
We continue to respond to policy and ongoing strategy while engaging with the development process of the delivery plan.
The Forum is one of Welsh Government’s stakeholder groups and we actively consult and engage regularly on various topics. At present, we are in the early stages of working with the Minister for Mental Health.
We provide a perspective on the personal experiences of our members, who are those using mental health services, their carers, friends, and family.
We are keen advocates for promoting a whole life, people-led approach, stepping away from the focus on medical interventions / a focus on medicine and pharmaceutical.