Youth Consumer Advisor
What is a Consumer Advisor and what do they do?
A Consumer Advisor is a person who has had experience of a mental illness, used a mental health or Alcohol or Other Drug (AOD) service, and is now participating in some way in developing and improving service delivery. They can also be called 'peer representative', 'consumer advocate' and 'consumer representative'. Other staff working within the service that have not used a mental health or AOD service don't know what it is like to use these services. They, therefore, need advice from service users to ensure the best approach is taken in helping people develop their resilience.
For more information on what a Consumer Advisor does check out the following website link:
What does a Child and Adolescent Mental Health and AOD Youth Consumer Advisor do?
A Youth Consumer Advisor is "someone who is there to help the children and adolescents using a mental health system voice their needs." Joyce Leevard, Youth Consumer Advisor, The Werry Centre
Some of the things Youth Consumer Advisors can do are:
- create, develop and provide consultation on pamphlets and information for children, young people and their families/whanau
- be on selection panels for new staff
- facilitate focus groups
- obtain feedback from other young people
- look at templates of service forms, surveys and questionnaires
- give feedback and suggest ideas about how to improve service delivery and/or make it more youth-friendly
- develop and work on other youth projects
- network with other Youth Consumer Advisors to check out what youth consumers are doing in other services and regions
- meet with new staff and students to help them understand the importance of youth consumer participation and how they can integrate this into their work
- give input in to the development of policies
- contribute to service quality improvement
- contribute a youth consumer perspective to any meetings they're invited to
What's great about this job?
"You get to do something you are passionate about, with each day being different and never the same. Helping other young people out there is such a nice feeling and to know you are making a difference. I hope to make sure the young people don't have to go through the same things I did, without having anyone to voice my needs." Joyce Leevard, The Werry Centre
"Being a Youth Consumer Advisor is great because I get to think outside the box and develop projects that are relevant to young people and fun to work on." Bridget Greaney, CAMHS, Capital and Coast DHB, Wellington
"This job is not only rewarding when you see changes made from your suggestions and work, but is also a fantastic opportunity to develop some skills and have experience working in a safe work environment." Shona Clarke, The Werry Centre
What personal qualities do you need?
A Youth Consumer Advisor needs to be:
- able to communicate well
- able to work by themselves and in a team
- respectful of cultural and other differences
- assertive when necessary
- understanding and empathetic
- open-minded and flexible
- able to work with people in various positions e.g. from managers to other young people
- be motivated and passionate about making mental health services better for other young people, and ensure a youth voice is heard
- BE YOUNG!
Who could you work with?
You of course get to work with young consumers as well as other Youth Consumer Advisors within your service, regionally and nationally; staff in the service you work for; and staff in other services and organisations working in youth health or mental health and AOD.
What kinds of places could you work in?
DHBs, NGOs, and/or Alcohol and Other Drug services - basically, any mental health or AOD service where children and young people are involved. Youth Consumer Advisors can also work as a consultant in a variety of settings.
How much could you expect to earn?
It can range quite a bit and it depends on how many hours a week you do. It's generally more than the minimum wage. Some Youth Consumer Advisors are volunteers and donate their time or receive payment for expenses.
