1.   Purpose Of This Document	10.  How To Join
2.   Introduction to IIMHL	11.  The IIMHL Leadership Exchange & Conference
3.   Background	12.  Examples of Current IIMHL Activities
4.   Participating IIMHL Countries	13.  Joining IIMHL
5.   International Change Management	14.  Appendix 1 - Past Exchanges       Introduction       2003 - Birmingham, England       2004 - Washington, DC       2005 - Wellington, New Zealand       2006 - Edinburgh, Scotland
6.   Vision, Mission & Goals
7.   Structure
8.   Benefits of Membership
9.   Who May Join

This document is designed to give a brief overview of IIMHL people, agencies and activities to August 2007.

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The field of mental health and substance abuse has been focusing on identifying evidence of best practices and services that will enable and support consumers in their recovery. Consumers include adults with mental illness and children with emotional disturbances (and their families). Historically across many countries there has been little investment in understanding how provider organisations can develop effective leaders. Such leadership includes the ability to locate, understand and adapt benchmarked excellent organisational practices and develop robust organisational and managerial skills. IIMHL is a “virtual” agency that works to improve mental health services by supporting innovative leadership processes.

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National policies and directions have often been focused on clinical practices rather than mental health leadership as a key function to assure that services and supports are delivered in a way that consumers need and want. National perspectives such as those in Australia, Canada, England, Ireland, NZ (New Zealand), Northern Ireland, Scotland and the US (United States) realise that mental health leadership is just as vital to the success of community-based services as are effective clinical practices. To succeed in moving science based practices into the service provider environment will require leaders who have the ability to promote and support the rapid changes occurring in the delivery of mental health services.

The absence of resources and supports for key leaders in mental health hampers them, their organisations and communities from obtaining and adapting the skills and processes identified as most likely to support consumers to achieve recovery. With greater support for developing and demonstrating leadership, mental health leaders could develop services based on best practices and innovation and could mentor future leaders.

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As of June 2007, organizations recognizing the issues outlined above and wanting to promote mental health leadership are:

	The National Institute for Mental Health in England (NIMHE)
	The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service Administration (SAMHSA) of the US
	The Mental Health Directorate of the Ministry of Health New Zealand (MOHNZ)
	The Scottish Executive (SE)
	The Department of Health and Children , Ireland (DoHC)
	The Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety, Northern Ireland (DHSSPS)
	The Department of Health and Ageing, Australia (DH&A Au)
	The Ministry of Health and Canadian Mental Health Commission

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5. International Change Management

The journey towards recovery focused, best practice mental health practices is an international movement.  National polices and directions can be enhanced by changes occurring in other countries. The role of a leader in maintaining awareness of all changes is a daunting task. It often leaves leaders without a network for personal support or organisational assistance to advance changes needed within the environment.

IIMHL offers support and technical assistance to countries and their provider leaders by assisting leaders in adapting to rapid changes in the field and providing a support network through partnership with other leaders from around the world. IIMHL identifies and shares the best in managerial and operational practices together with access to information about developments that are occurring in other countries. IIMHL provides member countries with a linkage to international leadership development that supplements their national policies and service developments with an emphasis on evidence-based practices.

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The following vision, mission and goals have been agreed by leaders of participating countries:

VISION

IIMHL seeks a future where everyone with a mental illness / mental health problem and those who care for them have access to effective treatment and support from communities and providers who have the knowledge and competence to offer services that promote recovery.

MISSION

To achieve its vision IIMHL provides an international infrastructure to identify and exchange information about effective leadership, management and operational practices in the delivery of mental health services. It encourages the development of organisational and management best practice within mental health services through collaborative and innovative arrangements among mental health leaders.

GOALS

IIMHL aims to:

• Provide a single international point of reference for key mental health leaders.

• Strengthen workforce development and mentoring of mental health leaders.

• Identify and disseminate best management and operational practices.

• Foster innovation and creativity.

• Expand the knowledge of:

  • Building community capacity.

  • Implementing best practices for consumer recovery.

  • Expanding methodologies for integration with other health and social systems.

• Promote international collaboration and research.

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IIMHL operates under the umbrella of MHCA (Mental Health Corporations of America, Inc.), as its fiduciary agent.  

The IIMHL structure has two basic levels:

1. First, a Sponsoring Country Leadership Group (SCLG) sets direction for and oversees the activities of IIMHL. It includes representatives from each country, as well as the Director of IIMHL and President/CEO and Board Chair of MHCA to review IIMHL goals and activities.
    

2. Second, each participating country (either on its own or with a collaborating region) organizes forums to:

• Identify and communicate key issues for that country/area to SLCG (and vice versa).

• Host the Exchange and Conference.

• Collaborate in IIMHL projects and activities.

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When you join IIMHL, you will have access to:

• Semi-monthly email bulletins (called IIMHL Update) which includes information on the latest Mental Health issues:
       News
       Research
       Announcements
• The IIMHL General List - A Discussion List Server
• The Leadership Exchange and Working Conference
• Participation in research projects
• Email contact with a network of leaders from each participating country
• Assisting in establishing community mental health services in developing countries

Join IIMHL Now!

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FROM IIMHL SUPPORTING COUNTRIES

Membership in IIMHL is via the CEO (or leader) of a mental health (or disability) provider organisation. Membership enables participants to obtain all the benefits listed above.

FROM NON-SUPPORTING COUNTRIES

Leaders from countries that do not belong to IIMHL can also join IIMHL to receive the IIMHL Update and other public information released by IIMHL. To date we have leaders from fifteen other countries.

COST

There is no direct cost to joining. In 2007 we have around 1500 members.

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Each provider in the IIMHL-supporting countries can join IIMHL by completing the IIMHL survey.

The only requirements are that:

• You are the leader of an organization that provides services, funds, commissions services, or provides technical assistance in the field of Mental Health and Substance Abuse.
   

• You (as a key decision maker in your agency – the title may vary by country, e.g. CEO, Manager, etc) complete an annual survey located on our website, which can be submitted online or mailed to us.

This survey collects information about each organization in IIMHL. The information provided allows us to facilitate exchanges by matching up leaders with like interest and needs. It also assists to promote collaboration between international leaders.

The information we'd like to collect from you varies, depending on whether you are a:

• Provider of mental health services, like a community mental health center or mental health trust, service user organization.

• Funder or Non-Provider, like a government official, mental health commissioner, county administrator, or technical assistance organization.

• Disability Leader, providing, planning or supporting services for people with learning (intellectual), sensory or physical disabilities.

Complete the Survey!

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LEADERSHIP EXCHANGE

The philosophy behind the IIMHL Leadership Exchange is that once key leaders are linked together, they have the opportunity to begin collaborating and building an international partnership. The aim is to build relationships and networks that are mutually helpful for leaders, organisations and countries. The benefits of such a collaborative effort will cascade down to all staff and consumers. These benefits could include:

• Joint programme and service development
• Staff exchanges and sabbaticals
• Sharing of managerial and operational expertise (e.g. in service evaluation)Research
• Peer consultation

The exchange process involves IIMHL matching key leaders using information from their survey. Leaders may be Government officials, provider organizations, planning and/or funding, researchers, leaders from indigenous or specific ethnic groups, family leaders or consumer leaders. The exchange starts with a two-day visit and is followed with a two-day Working Conference. Each exchange occurs in a different region: Australia/New Zealand; North America, UK and Republic of Ireland, with one of the countries hosting the two day working conference.

Since its inception in 2003, IIMHL has undertaken five (5) Leadership Exchanges:

SCHEDULE OF THE IIMHL LEADERSHIP EXCHANGE

Days 1 and 2: Matching Leaders

Leaders who are visiting are matched with colleagues with similar interests in the hosting countries. These matches are often return visits where visiting leaders are traveling to see leaders that they hosted in prior exchanges. The host and visitors jointly prepare a programme through prior email contact for the two day visit that ensures that leaders’ (both host and visitor) expertise and interests are met.

The hosting leaders make their facilities and staff available for the visitors to observe and where possible participate in day to day activities. This programme has often included brief presentations by visiting leaders to the staff of the host organisation. Sometimes collaborative research projects have been initiated during a visit. Leaders who have been matched in prior exchanges have sometimes used these two day visits to conduct peer consultation/assessment of a service.

Day 3: Travel

The third day of the leadership exchange is for travel from all of the host sites to the venue for the IIMHL working conference. In 2003 this occurred in Birmingham, England; in 2004 Washington, in 2005 Wellington NZ in 2006 Edinburgh and Ottawa in 2007.

Day 4 and 5: IIMHL Working Conference

The two day hosting period is followed by a two day conference which both visitors and hosts attend. The first day is focused on key developments within the hosting country and the second day is centered on a broader view of IIMHL’s latest activities and projects and how to continue to build collaboration between leaders of IIMHL’s sponsoring countries.

Future Leadership Exchanges

The exchange occurs every 16-18 months, which means that in 2008 there is no exchange. The next exchanges are planned for:

• First week of March 2009, in Australia and New Zealand with the working conference in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.

• The week of May 17 2010 in the UK and Republic of Ireland with the working conference in Kerry, Ireland

(Appendix 1 below outlines a brief description and summary of past exchanges)

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In addition to the IIMHL Leadership Exchanges, IIMHL facilitates the sharing of innovative projects and processes between and within sponsoring countries. For example:

• Associated Consumer Experts (ACE)

New Zealand hosted a meeting of key national consumer leaders in May 2007. Five countries (Australia, England, New Zealand, Scotland and the US) were represented and the discussions focused on how an international consumer network might be established. The purpose as noted in the planning documents is “to provide international mental health service user expertise in the promotion and development of community, service and system capacity to support people to live the lives they choose by:

• Defining and describing recovery-based services.
• Assisting communities, providers and systems to develop and improve recovery-based services.
• Collecting and sharing examples of promising and good recovery-based practice, as well as evaluation and outcome tools.
• Promoting and undertaking service user led research and evaluation.
• Promoting service user leadership and expertise to IIMHL activities”.

It is intended that this network be formally launched in Ottawa in August 2007. Te Pou (the National Centre for Mental Health Workforce) has agreed to “host” the network and provide initial establishment funding.

• International Trailblazer Programme

This project adapts from the Trailblazer Programme in England that jointly trains mental health and primary care practitioners in “pairs” to deliver more effective mental health services within the primary care setting. Each pair chooses a project to work on in their local community. The International Trailblazer Programme has completed its first cohort of pairs. The first training was a success with three pairs from NZ, two from the US and two from England. The second course began in February 2007. New Zealand plans to promote the use of this learning process widely in 2007/8.

• Mental Health International Collaborative (MHIC)

The MHIC project is to link IIMHL with developing countries who are interested in developing community mental health services but need ongoing assistance. The aim is to develop a partnership with one community in a country and over a three to five year period organize a set of volunteers to provide support to the development of a community model. The two countries involved in this work to date are US and England. We have been in discussions with the WHO since November 2004. We aim to provide hands-on, community-level technical assistance to mental health organizations in countries that are moving toward a community based and recovery approach. To date we have begun work in Ecuador

• IIMHL Collaborative for Leadership Development
  for Service Improvement

IIMHL held a meeting in 2004 at Dartmouth College in the US with a second meeting held at SAMHSA in Washington in April 2006. Participating leaders are from New Zealand, Canada, US, England and Scotland. The group is working on linking efforts to encourage research in leadership within the MH sector and share the development of training concepts. Some work currently being undertaken is:

• Rick Beinecke of Suffolk University, Boston has completed a research report: "Leadership training programs and competencies for mental health, substance use and public administration in eight countries." Rick and his colleague worked with leaders from participating IIMHL countries to collect and compare key leadership information and have documented some interesting trends and training programmes.

• A group is looking at developing a resource of mental health case studies for use in training in IIMHL countries.

• Indigenous, Ethnic and Cultural Diversity

Alaska has hosted a meeting of different cultural groups looking at how mental health services might better cater for people of differing cultures. The aim is to establish an international group that could provide technical assistance, strategic planning and systems evaluation for agencies who wish to enhance their services for indigenous, ethnically diverse and minority groups.

• Seclusion and Restraint

In February 2006, Bob Glover National Association for State Mental Health Program Directors (NASMHPD) and three staff (Kevin Huckshorn, Janice Lebel and Nan Stromberg) were invited to present the evidence and techniques to eliminate and reduce seclusion and restraint. They traveled to Australia and New Zealand. They met key leaders in both counties and held very successful workshops. This work is continuing in 2007 with a further series of workshops in both countries for mental health services (mainly inpatient units) who wish to eliminate seclusion and restraint.

• Service Improvement

A service improvement model was developed in England and based on work from the Institute for Health Innovation. This model links clinicians, support workers, consumers and families to improve service delivery using processing mapping techniques. It is currently being adapted in New Zealand as a way to enhance services.

• Council of Clinical Leaders

The council is comprised of individuals who are clinical leads to the national departments of IIMHL’s sponsoring countries and the goal is to directly benefit clinical service delivery within an organized system of mental health care. The function of the council of clinical leaders is to create opportunities for international exchange in best clinical practices that are consistent with the vision of IIMHL, provide additional support for leadership development for clinical leaders and to provide consultation to the governing body of IIMHL as requested.

• International Social Inclusion Network

There is a group of leaders from IIMHL countries who are interested in social inclusion at the community level. One objective is to link leaders in 12-15 sites across IIMHL countries. The aim is to collaborate and move communities forward so that environments are more socially inclusive and people have access to full citizenship and all that that entails.

• Peer Recovery Specialist

A Peer Recovery Specialist service is a consumer operated service where trained and credentialed consumers provide an alternative case management approach. IIMHL is continuing to promote consumer operated services that are credentialed using models developed in Georgia, Phoenix and Auckland. To date several countries (e.g. Scotland, England and New Zealand) have expanded services using this model.

• The International Journal of Leadership in Public Services

This Journal is published by Pavilion in the UK. A panel of IIMHL leaders have agreed to be an “international editorial panel” for this Journal. The expectation is that IIMHL will offer 8 articles per year on either IIMHL projects or key leadership activities occurring outside the UK.

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Please complete the online survey at the link below. Once completed and submitted you and/or your organisation will be added to the IIMHL distribution lists.

A half monthly IIMHL Update, together with any other information relevant to IIMHL activities, will be automatically sent to you at the email address detailed in your survey.

Please email Erin Geaney at erin@iimhl.com for more information.

• Complete the Survey

• List of Benefits

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