The National Standards for Mental Health Services (NSMHS) are clear:

• services must be person centred,
• uphold rights
• empower consumers to shape their own care.

But what does that really mean in the day to day work of mental health providers?

Standard 1 is often cited but rarely implemented in full. It goes beyond friendly staff and open door policies. It calls for systems, language, and service design that genuinely place the individual at the centre.

What Standard 1 Really Requires

Standard 1 states:

“The rights of people affected by mental health problems and/or mental illness are upheld by the service and that service users are provided with opportunities to participate in the decisions affecting their lives.”

This means services must:

• Uphold the principles of dignity, autonomy, and non-discrimination
• Support informed consent and shared decision making
• Provide consumers with real opportunities to shape their care

Signs Your Service Might Be Falling Short

• Policies reference “client-centred” care but staff lack practical tools
• Care plans are completed about clients, not with them
• Informed consent processes are vague or poorly documented
• Feedback from consumers is gathered but not actioned

Making Standard 1 Real: 5 Practical Steps

1. Redesign Intake Around Choice and Control
   • Ask service users what they want from your service, not just their diagnosis or symptoms
   • Offer options wherever possible: appointment times, clinicians, locations
2. Update Your Documentation Tools
   • Embed person centred language in intake, assessment, and care plans
   • Include fields for client strengths, goals, and preferred supports
3. Train Staff in Supported Decision Making
   • Role play how to discuss risk, options, and preferences
   • Reinforce that the service user is the expert in their own life
4. Elevate Consumer Voice in Governance
   • Involve people with lived experience in policy review, quality committees, and program design
5. Review Your Rights Information Materials
   • Are they easy to read? Available in multiple formats? Regularly discussed?

 Get Audit Ready

For your next NSMHS audit, be ready to show:

• Completed care plans co-signed by service users
• Training records on person centred practice
• Consumer advisory committee minutes
• Rights brochures and consent forms

Need help embedding person centred care into your service?

Download our NSMHS checklist