Key messages
- A statement of rights sets out a person’s rights, and the processes that apply, while a person is receiving a mental health and wellbeing service under the Mental Health and Wellbeing Act 2022.
- The relevant statement of rights must be given to a person and specified support people at key points during their assessment and treatment.
- When a person is given a statement of rights, all reasonable steps must be taken to ensure that the person understands the rights set out in the document.
Statements of rights are documents that set out a person’s rights, and the processes that apply, while a person is receiving a mental health and wellbeing service under the Act. Statements of rights are approved by the Chief Officer for Mental Health and Wellbeing.
Contents of statements of rights
A statement of rights provides information relevant to a person’s circumstances, including rights to:
- information, support and help making decisions
- communicate
- feel safe and respected
- make an advance statement of preferences
- choose a nominated support person
- apply to the Mental Health Tribunal for a revocation of a compulsory treatment order
- seek a second psychiatric opinion
- make a complaint to a service provider or the Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission
- be legally represented
- instruct a non-legal mental health advocate to provide support
- seek the assistance of a Community Visitor
Statements of rights also include information about the rights of First Nation people to have their unique culture and identity respected.
Providing a statement of rights
Statements of rights must be provided to:
- people receiving mental health and wellbeing services in a bed-based service at a designated mental health service (including people receiving those services on a voluntary basis)
- patients on assessment orders, court assessment orders, temporary treatment orders, and treatment orders
- security patients on secure treatment orders and court secure treatment orders
- forensic patients
- people consenting to electroconvulsive treatment (ECT) or receiving ECT under an order made by the Mental Health Tribunal
- people consenting to neurosurgery for mental illness
- people subject to intensive monitored supervision orders.
The person responsible for providing a statement of rights to a person must take all reasonable steps to ensure that the person understands the rights set out in the document.
A number of other people must also be given a copy of the statement of rights. This includes a person’s:
- nominated support person, if they have one
- guardian, if they have one
- carer, if the circumstances, event, decision or order in relation to the person under the Act will directly affect the carer and the care relationship
- parent, if the person is under the age of 16
- the Secretary of the Department of Families, Fairness and Housing if that Secretary has parental responsibility for the inpatient under a relevant child protection order
Statements of rights (English and translated versions)
- Voluntary treatment statement of rights - Mental Health and Wellbeing Act 2022العلاج الطوعي Voluntary treatment statement of rights in ArabicΕθελοντική Θεραπεία Voluntary treatment statement of rights in GreekTrattamento volontario Voluntary treatment statement of rights in italianTratamiento voluntario Voluntary treatment statement of rights in Spanishدرمان داوطلبانه Voluntary treatment statement of rights in Farsi (Persian)Доброволно лекување Voluntary treatment statement of rights in Macedonian自願治療 Voluntary treatment statement of rights in Chinese Traditional自愿治疗 Voluntary treatment statement of rights in Chinese Simplifiedਸਵੈਇੱਛਤ ਇਲਾਜ Voluntary treatment statement of rights in Punjabiதனாக முன்வந்து சிகிச்சை பெறுதல் Voluntary treatment statement of rights in TamilGönüllü Tedavi Voluntary treatment statement of rights in TurkishĐiều trị Tự nguyện Voluntary treatment statement of rights in Vietnameseتداوی داوطلبانه Voluntary treatment statement of rights in DariДобровољни третман Voluntary treatment statement of rights in SerbianKusang-loob na Paggamot Voluntary treatment statement of rights in Filipino / Tagalogस्वैच्छिक उपचार Voluntary treatment statement of rights in Hindiස්වේච්ඡා ප්රතිකාර නියෝග Voluntary treatment statement of rights in Sinhalese (Singalese)رضاکارانہ علاج Voluntary treatment statement of rights in Urdu자발적 치료 Voluntary treatment statement of rights in KoreanDaaweynta Ikhtiyaariga ah Voluntary treatment statement of rights in Somali
- Assessment orders statement of rights - Mental Health and Wellbeing Act 2022أمر بالتقييم Assessment order statement of rights in ArabicΔιαταγή αξιολόγησης Assessment order statement of rights in GreekProvvedimento di valutazione Assessment order statement of rights in ItalianOrden de evaluación Assessment order statement of rights in Spanishحکم ارزیابی Assessment order statement of rights in Farsi (Persian)Налог за преглед Assessment order statement of rights in Macedonian評估令 Assessment order statement of rights in Chinese Traditional评估令 Assessment order statement of rights in Chinese Simplifiedਮੁਲਾਂਕਣ ਆਰਡਰ Assessment order statement of rights in Punjabiமதிப்பீட்டு உத்தரவு Assessment order statement of rights in TamilDeğerlendirme Kararı Assessment order statement of rights in TurkishÁn lệnh thẩm định Assessment order statement of rights in Vietnameseحکم ارزیابی Assessment order statement of rights in DariНалог о процени Assessment order statement of rights in SerbianKautusan sa Pagtasa Assessment order statement of rights in Filipino / Tagalogमूल्यांकन आदेश Assessment order statement of rights in Hindiඇගයීම් නියෝගය Assessment order statement of rights in Sinhalese (Singalese)تشخیص کا حکم Assessment order statement of rights in Urdu평가 명령 권리 진술서 Assessment order statement of rights in KoreanAmarka Qiimeynta Maxkamada Assessment order statement of rights in Somali
- Compulsory treatment orders statement of rights - Mental Health and Wellbeing Act 2022أوامر العلاج الإلزامي Compulsory treatment order statement of rights in ArabicΑπόφαση Υποχρεωτικής Θεραπείας Compulsory treatment order statement of rights in GreekProvvedimenti di trattamento obbligatorio Compulsory treatment order statement of rights in ItalianÓrdenes de tratamiento obligatorio Compulsory treatment order statement of rights in Spanishاحکام درمان اجباری Compulsory treatment order statement of rights in Farsi (Persian)Налози за задолжително лекување Compulsory treatment order statement of rights in Macedonian強制治療令 Compulsory treatment order statement of rights in Chinese Traditional强制治疗令 Compulsory treatment order statement of rights in Chinese Simplifiedਲਾਜ਼ਮੀ ਇਲਾਜ ਕਰਨ ਦਾ ਆਰਡਰ Compulsory treatment order statement of rights in Punjabiகட்டாய சிகிச்சை உத்தரவுகள் Compulsory treatment order statement of rights in TamilZorunlu Tedavi Kararları Compulsory treatment order statement of rights in TurkishÁn lệnh điều trị bắt buộc Compulsory treatment order statement of rights in Vietnameseاحکام تداوی اجباری Compulsory treatment order statement of rights in DariНалози за присилни третман Compulsory treatment order statement of rights in SerbianMga Kautusan sa Sapilitang Paggamot Compulsory treatment order statement of rights in Filipino / Tagalogअनिवार्य उपचार आदेश Compulsory treatment order statement of rights in Hindiඅනිවාර්ය ප්රතිකාර නියෝග Compulsory treatment order statement of rights in Sinhalese (Singalese)ازمی علاج کے احکامات Compulsory treatment order statement of rights in Urdu의무적 치료 명령 Compulsory treatment order statement of rights in KoreanAmarada Daaweynta Khasabka ah Compulsory treatment order statement of rights in Somali
- Electroconvulsive treatment statement of rights - Mental Health and Wellbeing Act 2022العلاج بالصدمات الكهربائية (ECT) Electroconvulsive treatment statement of rights in ArabicΗλεκτροσπασμοθεραπεία (ECT) Electroconvulsive treatment statement of rights in GreekTerapia elettroconvulsivante (ECT) Electroconvulsive treatment statement of rights in ItalianTratamiento electroconvulsivo (ECT) Electroconvulsive treatment statement of rights in Spanishدرمان با ضربه الکتریکی تشنجآور (ECT) Electroconvulsive treatment statement of rights in Farsi (Persian)Електроконвулзивно лекување (ECT) Electroconvulsive treatment statement of rights in Macedonian電休克治療（ECT）Electroconvulsive treatment statement of rights in Chinese Traditional电休克治疗 （ECT）Electroconvulsive treatment statement of rights in Chinese Simplifiedਇਲੈਕਟ੍ਰੋਕਨਵਲਸਿਵ ਇਲਾਜ (ECT) Electroconvulsive treatment statement of rights in Punjabiமின் வலிப்புச் சிகிச்சை (ECT) Electroconvulsive treatment statement of rights in TamilElektrokonvülsif Tedavi (ECT) Electroconvulsive treatment statement of rights in TurkishĐiều trị xung điện (ECT) Electroconvulsive treatment statement of rights in Vietnameseتداوی الکتریکی تشنج (ECT) Electroconvulsive treatment statement of rights in DariЕлектро-конвулзивни третман (ECT) Electroconvulsive treatment statement of rights in SerbianElectroconvulsive treatment statement of rights in Filipino / Tagalogइलेक्ट्रोकन्वल्सिव (विद्युत) उपचार (ECT) Electroconvulsive treatment statement of rights in Hindiවිද්යුත් කම්පන ප්රතිකාර (ECT) Electroconvulsive treatment statement of rights in Sinhalese (Singalese)بجلی کے جھٹکوں سے علاج(ECT) Electroconvulsive treatment statement of rights in Urdu전기 충격 치료 (ECT) Electroconvulsive treatment statement of rights in KoreanDaaweynta Electroconvulsive (ECT) Electroconvulsive treatment statement of rights in Somali
- Court assessment order statement of rights - Mental Health and Wellbeing Act 2022أمر محكمة بالتقييم Court assessment order statement of rights in Arabicحکم ارزیابی دادگاه Court assessment order statement of rights in Farsi (Persian)法院评估令 Court assessment order statement of rights in Chinese SimplifiedÁn lệnh thẩm định của Tòa Court assessment order statement of rights in VietnameseAmarka Qiimeynta Maxkamada Court assessment order statement of rights in Somali
- Court secure treatment orders statement of rights - Mental Health and Wellbeing Act 2022أمر محكمة أمني للعلاج Court secure treatment order statement of rights in Arabicحکم درمان ایمن دادگاه Court secure treatment order statement of rights in Farsi (Persian)法庭安全治疗令 Court secure treatment order statement of rights in Chinese SimplifiedÁn lệnh Điều trị Trong thời hạn Giam giữ của Tòa Court secure treatment order statement of rights in VietnameseAmarka Daaweynta Maxkamada ee Sugan Court secure treatment order statement of rights in Somali
- Secure Treatment Orders statement of rights - Mental Health and Wellbeing Act 2022أمر أمني للعلاج Secure treatment order statement of rights in Arabicحکم درمان ایمن Secure treatment order statement of rights in Farsi (Persian)安全治疗令 Secure treatment order statement of rights in Chinese SimplifiedÁn lệnh Điều trị Trong thời hạn Giam giữ Secure treatment order statement of rights in VietnameseAmarka Daaweynta ee Sugan Secure treatment order statement of rights in Somali
- Forensic patients statement of rights - Mental Health and Wellbeing Act 2022Forensic patient statement of rights in ArabicForensic patient statement of rights in Farsi (Persian)Forensic patient statement of rights in Chinese SimplifiedForensic patient statement of rights in VietnameseForensic patient statement of rights in Somali
Key changes from Mental Health Act 2014
These provisions remain largely unchanged from the Mental Health Act 2014.
There is a new requirement that a statement of rights be given to a person who is admitted to a bed-based service at a designated mental health service, even if they are admitted on a voluntary basis.
Reviewed 15 January 2025