Mental health advocacy: paradigm or panacea?

In May, 1982, the Ontario Minister of Health set out the bare essentials of a proposed advocacy program for psychiatric patients. In November, a Toronto family doctor, actively involved in civil rights issues, was appointed to develop and coordinate the program. In May, 1983, eleven advocates were appointed to advise and assist patients in each of the province's ten psychiatric hospitals. The advocates came from various backgrounds--legal, psychiatric nursing and social work, labour negotiation, pastoral and other public services. This paper describes the design, function and scope of Canada's first province-wide psychiatric patient advocate system and some major issues identified in the first year.