Positions Regarding the Future of the
Psychiatric Patient Advocate Office

The Patients Council board came up with a list of points on how the Psychiatric Patient Advocate Office should continue to provide services (the PPAO is a province wide professional advocacy service existing at arms length from the Ontario Ministry of Health). The following changes in its structure and practice are indicated:

• The PPAO should have a governing board (which, among other things, would make policy decisions related to funding). The board should consist of a majority of consumers and survivors elected by consumers and survivors (from a voluntary slate, with emphasis on varied representation).
• The executive director and at least half the staff of advocates should be psychiatric consumers and survivors.
• PPAO staff should be educated by consumers and survivors.
• A majority of the PPAO's hiring committee should be consumers and survivors.
• There should be teamwork between the PPAO and consumers and survivors at the local level.
• The PPAO should be completely independent of the Ministry of Health.
• Where the PPAO cannot reach proper advocacy resolutions on an issue, it should seek a legal solution as practiced by the Ombudsman's Office.
• The PPAO should offer services to both in-patients and people living in the community according to greatest needs. Setting the priorities related to these needs should be done by the governing board consisting of a majority of consumers and survivors (and should not be devised according to diagnosis).

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