3- Supporting Mechanisms of Monitoring and Supervision

Supervisory boards that monitor mental-health facilities are the main safeguard for sound implementation of the law and, for this reason, must remain independent. Although the formation of the mental health councils is prescribed by law and cannot be changed in the IR, the technical secretariat of the councils can be created in a way that ensures plurality and a multidisciplinary nature. It is necessary to ensure that its membership can be renewed. The IR should permit the secretariat to seek the help of civil-society representatives and representatives of patients and their families, and ensure that the secretariat not only monitors involuntary admission but also voluntarily admitted patients who have been in the facility for a long period of time. Supervision should include inspection of the different parts of a facility, monitoring of patients' conditions, documentation of statistics, providing guidance and submitting recommendations. All monitoring must be undertaken on a periodic basis.ss

Mechanisms must be introduced to give the Patients' Rights Committees more support and independence. For example, the Local Council should approve the Committee members appointed by the director of the hospital. The committee membership must also include a representative of the patients and their families and a representative of civil society; it must be provided with an office; and its members must be available full time. The committees must also be given executive powers to ensure that their role is effective and not merely a formality. It must be able to hold periodic meetings with the Local Council, during which the committee must document all complaints, observations and interventions.