Empowering your consumer and carer

An empowered consumer is one who is actively involved in choosing the care that suits them best.
If they are unable to make an informed decision (eg minors or consumers with an intellectual disability), a carer is actively involved in making the decision on their behalf. (See What does it mean to empower the carer?)
 

How to empower a consumer

As success can look different to the consumer, their carer, and the clinical team, it’s important that you:

• ask the consumer and carer what they want from care and what progress and recovery look like to them, rather than assuming goals on their behalf
• give them clear information about their care options, risks, and likely outcomes, so they can make decisions that suit their needs and values
• recognise that their idea of ‘success’ may differ from yours.

However, it’s important that you balance ‘dignity of risk’ with safety and your duty of care. To achieve this, identify the minimal effective intervention that the consumer is willing to try that also maintains safety.

Empowerment also includes understanding the consumer’s context, including who they are and how their environment and lifestyle impact their experiences of their mental health condition. This could mean learning about their support networks or lack thereof, and asking questions such as ‘What can you do for yourself?’; ‘What can other people do for you?’; and ‘What can only I, as your GP, do?’

For Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, this may include connection to Country, kinship structures, cultural obligations and community roles, which may influence care preferences and healing.

The goal is to develop a stepped care plan that works for the consumer and their carer, even if it differs from standard pathways.

Other ways you can empower the consumer and carer include:

• suggesting self-management resources that support personal responsibility for care, such as digital tools or guided programs
• using social prescribing to connect consumers with community, cultural, or wellbeing activities that align with what they find meaningful
• asking carers, with the consumer’s consent:
  • how they define improvement
  • what changes they have seen
  • what challenges remain
  • what support they need in their caring role. 

It is also recommended to:

• Explain to the consumer that the consumer journey is not linear and discuss what they should do if their symptoms worsen or if they experience a crisis. This should include a discussion of realistic expectations, what early warning signs might look like, their preferred supports, and clear actions for them, or others, to take in the event of a crisis. This helps consumers feel informed, confident and prepared throughout their care journey.
• Respond supportively if their condition regresses, including if they have returned to care only after their condition has worsened.

A key part of empowerment is inviting carers, with the consumer’s consent, to share their perspective. They often see subtle changes in behaviour, mood or functioning before others do, and their insights can shape more effective care. 

How to empower carers

Asking questions such as ‘What does improvement look like to you?’ and ‘What support do you need in your caring role?’ helps validate their experience and strengthens collaboration between carer, consumer and GP. This also sends the message that the carer is a partner in the consumer’s care, not a passive observer.

You can also empower carers by connecting them with appropriate resources, such as carer support groups, psychoeducation programs, respite services and digital tools that help them monitor and manage their own wellbeing. Encouraging carers to look after themselves is essential because caring for someone with a mental illness can be emotionally demanding, and burnout reduces their ability to provide effective support.

By keeping carers informed, included and supported, you can help to build a stable environment for the consumer, and foster better outcomes for everyone involved.