mi voice winter 2009
DESCRIPTION
Mental Illness Fellowship Victoria's quarterly member magazine. This issue highlights the man who will deliver this year's Bruce Woodcock Memorial Lecture, visiting UK social inclusion expert Dr David MorrisTRANSCRIPT
winter 2009
issue 114
Tuesday, May 19, 6pm BMW Edge Theatre, Federation Square, Melbourne
Registered with the Department of Human Services Print Post Approved 350190 / 00023 ISSN 0816 7877
mivoice
see inside back cover for more
inside features coping with mental illness: a carer’s perspective p8 | our four-star employment services p9 | nominations now open for MI Fellowship awards p10 | renew your membership now p11
1 in 5 will be affected with mental illness. 5 in 5 can help. You can help by joining mifriend
Reaching out to bushfire victims of Black Saturday p6-7
$
$$
2009 Woodcock Lecture: David Morris and what we
can learn from the UK’s social inclusion experience p4-5
The Hon. Robert Knowles AO
from our president
2
It is pleasing to see that the National Health and
Hospital Reform Commission’s (NHHRC) interim
report to the Federal Government has many
recommendations relating to mental health.
Key recommendations of the NHHRC include:
• Developing further services for early psychosis
in young people in order to intervene in these
potentially lifelong illnesses;
• Creating acute mental health services with rapid
response teams;
• Providing appropriate access to treatment to
ensure maximum availability, family education
and consumer participation;
• Creating community awareness programs to reduce
stigma and discrimination;
• Focusing on better consumer and carer participation
strategies;
• Giving mental health services their own links to other
prevention and recovery services;
• Allowing mental health services to design better
discharge strategies and communicate more with
consumers and their carers/families by focusing
on family supports and needs; and
• Linking housing vocational/educational support
and programs.
This is only a broad overview of the NHHRC’s
recommendations; a more detailed report can be located
at www.nhhrc.org.au
Mental health issues figure prominently in a new report currently before the Federal Government.
www.mifellowship.org
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MI Fellowship chief executive Elizabeth Crowther’s
column (opposite) outlines the Victorian Government’s
new mental health policy that was launched on March 13.
Many of you have taken an active role in contributing to the
formulation of Because Mental Health Matters, which will be
the Government’s mental health blueprint for the next
10 years. I thank you for your hard work and dedication.
The review of the Victorian Mental Health Act set the
legislative framework for these changes. A copy of our
submission to the review can be found on our website,
www.mifellowship.org, while Because Mental Health
Matters can be found online at www.health.vic.gov.
au/mentalhealth/reformstrategy.
I hope you are able to make the Bruce Woodcock
Memorial Lecture on Tuesday, May 19. Dr David Morris
will be presenting on a matter of enormous interest to
us – social inclusion.
He will be speaking about what can be done and will give
us some examples of projects that have been successful
in the UK.
Finally, MI Fellowship’s appointments and governance
committee has been very active in reviewing our
constitution and looking at ways of increasing the number
of members.
It is your membership and your activities that are essential
for advocating improvements to the mental health system.
The committee is also in the process of reviewing our
governance policies to ensure that we have all of the skills
required for us to govern this wonderful organisation.
contents from our chief executive p3 | woodcock lecture p4-5 | bushfire aid p6-7 | people and their stories p8 | news bites p9 | membership matters p10-11 clout! has been renamed membership matters6 11 Cover photograph by www.urbanartistry.com.au (9416 5076)
winter 2009
3mivoice
from our chief executive
Because Mental Health Matters is a vision
for the reform of Victoria’s mental health
services, the likes of which have not been
seen since de-institutionalisation. As
Community Services Minister Lisa Neville
says in the foreword: “Prevention, early
intervention, recovery and social inclusion
lie at the heart of this new agenda.”
The State Government has foreshadowed
numerous far-reaching changes, such as
the introduction of a new 24-hour telephone
information and referral service to improve
access, and the “comprehensive redesign”
of child and youth mental health services.
But what does this new framework mean
for MI Fellowship and its services?
• “Prevention and early intervention” are
about catching mental health problems
early, or even before they begin. For
example working with local primary and
secondary schools to educate young
people about mental illness, encouraging
them to adopt healthy lifestyles and to get
help if they have concerns. It also means
developing our participants’ awareness
of their own all-round health needs – diet,
exercise and screening checks. We will be
introducing more health promotion activities
into our Open Mind Fiesta.
• Increasing the “recovery” focus of our
services and building consumer participation
will mean continuing many of the themes
of change already started. We are planning
to trial MI Recovery – our eight-week
peer-led program to foster recovery
– in our rehabilitation programs, making it
available for participants in day programs or
residential settings. We will be increasing and
formalising opportunities for participants and
carers to provide feedback and to have a say
in the decision-making that affects them.
• “Social inclusion” is about increasing
participation of people with mental illness in
the community. Through further development
of our employment and education programs,
we will increase opportunities for people
with mental illness to get jobs and training.
We look forward to taking up changes to the
home-based outreach support service so
that we can offer more flexible and long-term
psychosocial support to enable people with
mental illness to live in community housing.
You can read the new Mental Health Reform
Strategy 2009–2019 at www.health.vic.gov.
au/mentalhealth/reformstrategy.
You can read our submission to the strategy
at www.mifellowship.org/ip-submissions.
shtml. Please let us know your thoughts and
ideas for MI Fellowship services.
The Government’s new mental health policy heralds progressive change for Victoria and our sector.
Elizabeth Crowther
good news statistics
PHaMS on the Peninsula: MI Fellowship has received
the go-ahead to commence
a new Personal Helpers
and Mentors program in the
Peninsula and Western Port
areas. This service provides
one-on-one personal support
to people with a mental illness.
Respite opportunities: MI Fellowship has been granted
Commonwealth funds to grow
our respite services in many
parts of the state. This will
mean more flexible, in-home,
short stay and innovative
respite models for carers and
people with mental illness.
Men’s health: A Bendigo Bank grant is being
used for a 12-month pilot men’s
program at the Pines Learning
and Activity Centre in Doncaster
East. The program aims to
increase men’s confidence and
peer support.
Star performers: My Recruitment’s two
Vocational Rehabilitation
Services have been awarded
four-star ratings by the
Federal Department of
Education, Employment
and Workplace Relations.
winter 2009
4
Visit www.mifellowship.org
for news, views, events and mental health information. Who knows
– you may wish to make a secure online donation while you’re there.
Make sure to subscribe to our free private e-newsletter mi voice
update which keeps you in touch with us in between magazines.
social inclusion
heed global lessons of social exclusion
Professor Alan Hayes has published extensively in the field of family research and has contributed directly to the growing body of knowledge and government policy concerning social inclusion in Australia.
The Australian Institute of Family Studies (AIFS) drives
much of the Australian social policy research agenda in
relation to families, and it has taken a keen interest in the
issue of social inclusion policy as it affects families.
In 2008 the AIFS collaborated with the Federal
Department of Families, Community Services and
Indigenous Affairs (now FAHCSIA) in a major study into
the impacts on family members of caring for family
members with a disability. This report can be accessed
in full at www.aifs.gov.au/institute/pubs/resreport16/main.html.
The research brought to the fore many of the challenges
of caring that will be familiar to carers of people with a
mental illness, including stress, impacts on mental health
and impacts on physical health.
Importantly, the report also identified factors that
together serve to undermine the social inclusion of family
members of people with a mental illness. Issues here
include diminished workforce participation, financial
hardship (which would impact in turn on uptake of leisure
and recreation opportunities), and stresses that affect
relationships and support networks.
The report concludes that ‘family care giving is usually
generous and provided with love and compassion. It also
frequently brings to the caregiver a personal sense of
satisfaction and achievement.’ However, ‘the challenge
for the Australian community is to give families an
opportunity to care for a person with a disability, while
minimising the social, emotional and economic costs
associated with caring’.
MI Fellowship has invited Professor Hayes to specifically
address this challenge in his response to the Woodcock
lecture. How can we ensure that family members of
people with a mental illness, are better supported to
participate more fully in social and economic life?
If you would like to read more about Professor
Alan Hayes and his diverse body of work, go to
www.aifs.gov.au/institute/staffprofile/ahayes.html. Copies of the AIFS Research Journal, Family Matters,
can also be perused at this site.
Professor Hayes has been the chair, deputy chair, or a member of four
Australian Government Ministerial Advisory Councils. An Alexander von
Humboldt Fellow, he has been a visiting professor at the Free University
of Berlin and the Pennsylvania State University.
mivoicewinter 2009
The respondent at this year’s Woodcock Lecture is Professor Alan Hayes, director of the Australian Institute of Family Studies since September 2004.
L ) O r ] L
woodcock lecturer tells how we can learn from international experience
?5
Social inclusion has been a priority of the British Government for the past five years but the issue must be seen in global terms and addressed by all levels of government, says 2009 Bruce Woodcock Memorial lecturer Dr David Morris.
How do you define social inclusion? The National Social Inclusion Programme (NSIP) has
adopted the definition of the Social Exclusion Unit: “What
happens when people suffer from a combination of linked
problems – unemployment, poor skills, low incomes, poor
housing, high crime, bad health and family breakdown
– characterised by the inter-relatedness of problems
that are mutually reinforcing.” The key point about this
definition is that of inter-relatedness.
What are the biggest problems faced by those who are socially excluded? Discrimination, social marginalisation, barriers to
accessing ordinary things in many domains of life.
Is there one factor that is a particular catalyst, or one element you think needs to be targeted more by government? Unemployment is the issue which has received most
‘singularity’ of government attention. In terms of a clear
evidence base, this is justified. Nevertheless, the recognition
by the Social Exclusion Unit of the inter-relatedness of
these factors is key. Arguably, especially in a recession,
the question of how to address the skills gap and reduce
unequal access to learning opportunities is just as important.
Is social inclusion seen as a national issue, or one for local councils? Both, and this is important. In my view, an essential
aspect of a policy successfully implemented is action at
all levels, linked ‘vertically’ from local settings in regional
government to central government.
governments hold the key to social inclusion
Has this emphasis always been the case? No. It is a product of broader contextual changes in the ways
in which health and social care services are commissioned
and provided.
Are there any issues that you think are unique to Britain, or are they applicable internationally? Most of the issues have international application. However,
the National Service Framework and a succession of other
policy documents have set a course for services into which
inclusion can be inserted in a very distinctive way.
Specifically, would they work in Australia? Yes. There may be necessary complexities and challenges but
major accomplishments of international note in wellbeing and
health promotion would seem to represent important resources
for effective programs.
Is it a question of money, more government will or greater public perception? All of these. There is no single solution. Any route map will
have side turnings and long circuits. There are, though, some
necessary conditions and government commitment is one.
Another is the power and authority of service users. In my
view, community engagement is also key and without this,
the changes in public perception associated with sustainable
long-term progress will not happen.
social inclusion mivoice winter 2009
Dr D
avid Morris
AT A GLANCE
Dr David Morris (pictured above) was until recently Director of the cross – government National Social Inclusion Programme (NSIP) at the National Institute for Mental Health in England. He has recently taken up a position as Director of the Inclusion Institute, a new centre of excellence for learning, evidence, innovation and practice on inclusion and community at the International School for Communities, Rights and Inclusion, University of Central Lancashire. He holds a Visiting Academic Associate post at the Institute of Psychiatry, Kings College, London. Dr Morris worked with the Social Exclusion Unit at the then Office of the Deputy Prime Minister to produce the national report, Mental Health and Social Exclusion (June 2004).
For a full transcript of this interview, go tohttp://www.mifellowship.org/news-woodcock.shtml
Dr David Morris will deliver the
2009 Bruce Woodcock Memorial Lecture at 6pm on Tuesday, May 19 in the BMW Edge Theatre
at Federation Square, Melbourne.
woodcock lecturer tells how we can learn from international experience
6
February’s Victorian bushfires constituted a disaster on an unprecedented scale in Australia: 173 lives lost, 2029 properties destroyed, 78 townships affected, over 400,000 hectares burnt.
But in the face of such tragedy also
came unprecedented action. Chief
among that was the Red Cross Bushfire
Appeal Fund, which raised more than
$300 million. But scores of organisations
also played significant roles.
Mental Illness Fellowship Victoria
staff in the Hume region developed
and put together an
emergency response
and recovery kit
within days of the bushfires. The aim
was to assist MI Fellowship staff to
support their participants through both
the crisis and recovery phase. Within
the Hume region, seven participants/
families lost their homes.
Essentially the kits comprised
checklists to guide staff and people
affected by the fires, to ensure that all
possible assistance was requested
and received. Immediate assistance
included emergency relief goods, help
at the relief and recovery centres,
registration with authorities, lodging
applications for government financial
assistance, ensuring that prescription
medications
were secured.
There was also a range of longer
term tasks identified, associated with
getting lives back on track during the
recovery phase.
The kits were subsequently taken
up by the Department of Human
Services and a number of other
organisations in the Hume Region,
which acknowledged MI Fellowship’s
leadership initiative.
Reflecting on the experience of the
fires, MI Fellowship regional manager
Alastair Drummond recalled a sense of
shock and bewilderment that gripped
everyone – staff and participants alike.
However he also emphasised that
both staff and participants quickly
responded in a way that was
“immediate, heartfelt, genuine
and generous”.
“The teamwork approach that
underwrites our programs’ work with
individuals and families showed in this
time of crisis because everyone really
did pull together,” Alastair said.
mivoicewinter 2009
mi fellowship responds as a team to victoria’s bushfires
In the wake of the February 7 bushfires, Australia united in its desire to assist the victims.
Here are two ways MI Fellowship reacted to help ease their burden.
Staff in the Hume region developed and put together an emergency response and recovery kit within days of the bushfires.
7
The image of Sam the koala drinking from the water bottle of a CFA fireman focused worldwide attention on the animal victims of Black Saturday.
The Herald Sun, which initially ran the
photograph, was inundated by people
wanting to buy a copy. At one stage 40
full-time staff were donating their time
to answer phones and fill out orders.
The newspaper sold more than 15,000
copies of the famous photograph and
raised over $300,000 for the CFA.
Sam’s popularity grew so much she
eventually had a lawyer to handle
media queries.
But there were, and still are, thousands
of other animals recovering away from
the spotlight.
A group of MI Fellowship participants
has done their bit to make that road
to recovery just a little easier.
The women, who attend a day
program in Warragul, have prepared
‘animal aid’ packs for use by a local
wildlife shelter to help treat some of
the injured animals brought to the
shelter in the wake of the fires.
A call for help from the shelter was
broadcast on a local community radio
station and was heard by Gippsland day
program worker Michelle Possingham.
She passed it on at the centre and
within days half a dozen women
attending the day program were putting
their sewing skills to good use – making
blankets, microwaveable wheat bags
and heat packs.
“In times of crisis you get a lot of people
volunteering to help,” Michelle says.
“The fires came within a kilometre
of one of our consumer’s homes.
We all know people who have died.”
Michelle says they are hoping to
find more ways to be involved in the
ongoing bushfire recovery.
If you have animals affected by the Victorian bushfires, the RSPCA may be able to provide you with support from the RSPCA Bushfire Animal Assistance fund.
Kinglake, February 2009
mivoice winter 2009
mi fellowship responds as a team to victoria’s bushfires
helping all creatures great and small
Sam the injured koala became a fundraising superstar.
Kinglake, February 2009
“ In times of crisis you get a lot of people volunteering to help,” Michelle says.
Kinglake photography by Cam Ward at Hootville
Carer Jeff Hemmings shares how he’s coped with the life-altering diagnosis of a mental illness.
Some 20 years ago my wife was diagnosed with
agoraphobia. As this was to prove my baptism-by-fire
moment, I had to look up agoraphobia (‘an irrational fear
of public or open spaces’) at the Albury library. Without
knowing it at the time, I had joined the ranks of mental
illness carers.
My lack of understanding and inaccurate initial
diagnosis were not the only barriers I had to overcome.
I was excluded from clinical sessions, even though I was
the patient’s husband, and dismissed as not intelligent
enough to understand treatment options or medical
terminology because I was not medically trained.
As I then worked for government, my family led a very
transient lifestyle. Our extended families were never
where we needed them. Our choices then were harsh
– cope or disintegrate.
Today, after much progress in correct diagnosis and
treatment, life is brighter and much clearer. And, yes,
my family is stronger for the experience.
Coping is more than having help come to you, even if
you are faced with apparent isolation. It’s very much
about thinking “outside of the square”. When you do,
help is easily within your grasp.
I’ve developed many and varied mechanisms to cope with
the multitude of things that have affected me as a carer.
A carer needs to be across a raft of issues – from medical
(managing medication, working with the medical fraternity,
first aid), social (the stigma of mental illness, coping with
being alienated as a carer, managing family fallout), legal
(knowing your choices and legal rights as a carer, the
Mental Health Act and how it’s enforced, council assistance,
Centrelink entitlements), treatment (what to expect from
crisis assessment and treatment team intervention, making
informed decisions on common treatments, dealing with
hospitalisation) and coping with self-harm issues.
In all of this it’s important not to overlook yourself. And so,
three coping mechanisms I have are:
• The advantages of seeking respite;
• The importance of peer support; and
• Sharing your knowledge with other carers.
All the advice in the world will amount to nothing if you’re not
prepared to seek out assistance. If you don’t understand, ask
questions, research, Google or use Wikipedia on the internet,
use libraries. If nothing else, consider my last three topics above.
And come to events like a MI Fellowship men’s barbecue,
or attend a Men’s Shed, and experience inclusion for
yourself. You’ll see you’re not on your own, and how others
can relate to your story. You won’t be sorry.
caring for the carers
8
pathways
mivoice update – email newsletterStay in touch with the latest news and events in mental health. Register your details at www.mifellowship.org. It’s free, private and you can unsubscribe at any time.2
Jeff Hemmings says carers need to seek as much information as they can from any source.
“ All the advice in the world will amount to nothing if you’re not prepared to seek out assistance.”
people and their stories
mivoicewinter 2009
9
good work recognised
Sustained excellence is an apt description of My Recruitment,
MI Fellowship’s employment services on the Mornington
Peninsula. It collected one win and a commendation from four
nominations in Ostara Australia’s annual employment awards.
Employment Consultant of the Year was June Stone, a
vocational rehabilitation services employment consultant at
Ostara’s Frankston site.
Special recognition in the Case Manager of the Year
category went to Judy Anderson, who has spent the past
news bites
star performers
My Recruitment’s/MI Fellowship’s two Vocational
Rehabilitation Services have been awarded four-star ratings
by the Federal Department of Education, Employment and
Workplace Relations.
The star rating is a way of measuring the performance of
vocational rehabilitation service providers against set criteria.
date for your diary in 2009 Woodcock Lecture – Tuesday, May 19, 6pm at BMW The Edge Theatre, Federation Square | Volunteer information sessions – June 1, 5.30-6.30pm & July 1, 3.30-4.30pm at MI Fellowship’s Fairfield office | July Members Forum – July 21, 6.30-8.30pm at MI Fellowship’s Fairfield office | AGM & awards ceremony – October 20, 5.30pm-7.30pm | Open Mind Fiesta – October 11, Station Street Fairfield Find out more about all activities by calling (03) 8486 4200 or visit www.mifellowship.org
XEmployment Consultant of the Year June Stone, left, with Judy Anderson.
mivoice winter 2009
15 months providing vocational rehabilitation services at
both Ostara’s Frankston and Hastings sites.
Nominated for Site of the Year was the Hastings Vocational
Rehabilitation Service site and nominated for Employer of
the Year was Travis Honda in Frankston.
Full details in the next edition of MI Voice.
carers learning on great escape
Retreat participants soak up some respite on the beach at Lakes Entrance.
There are 19 organisations providing vocational
rehabilitation services throughout Australia but MI
Fellowship is the only specialist provider, working out of
Hastings and Frankston exclusively with people whose
mental illness affects their ability to find a job.
Carers of people with a mental illness
have been getting an added bonus at
recent respite retreats run by Mental
Illness Fellowship Victoria, thanks to the
incorporation of the Well Ways Snapshot
education program.
The Carer Respite and Education Retreats
incorporating Well Ways Snapshot
were established with funding from the
Commonwealth Department of Families,
Housing, Community Services and
Indigenous Affairs in October 2007.
Four retreats have been held so far, within
the Gippsland, Barwon, Southern and
Eastern regions and the plan is to roll
them out statewide.
A total of 37 carers of people with a mental
illness attended the first four retreats.
They ranged in age from 36 to 81 and were
unanimous in their praise of the concept.
Of those carers who responded, 30 rated
the quality of the respite at the retreat as
excellent and 31 said they would definitely
recommend the respite program.
Similarly, all 31 carers who responded
said they found the combination of respite
and education helpful.
10
membership matterstime to get nominating As a member of MI Fellowship you are in a unique position
to nominate someone for awards that recognise people who
have worked to improve understanding, awareness, service
provision and the general promotion of mental health.
The awards are a great way to acknowledge the high
standard and ongoing commitment demonstrated by
those involved. They also provide an opportunity to say thank
you to those who have made a difference to mental health.
The categories are:
Mental Illness Fellowship Award (annual)
Awarded to a volunteer, participant or carer, family or
friend associated with Mental Illness Fellowship Victoria
for their outstanding contribution to participants and/or
carers in MI Fellowship programs.
Mental Health Community Award (annual)
Awarded to a person working in the community for their
outstanding service to people living with a mental illness,
or a carer of a person with a mental illness.
Volunteer of the Year Award (annual)
Awarded to a volunteer for outstanding contributions
to MI Fellowship.
O’Meara Award (non-annual)
Awarded to an individual who has made an outstanding and
extraordinary contribution to MI Fellowship over many years.
Blickle Award (non-annual)
Awarded to an individual who has had sustained impact
on the development of mental health outside MI Fellowship.
MI Fellowship will host an awards ceremony at the annual
general meeting on Tuesday, October 20 from 5.30pm.
Award nominations must be submitted by 5pm Friday, August 14
and can only be made by financial members of MI Fellowship.
Nomination forms are available at www.mifellowship.org/
awards.shtml or on (03) 8486 4200.
Membership application forms can be downloaded at
http://www.mifellowship.org/help-membership.shtml
or call (03) 8486 4200.
To send feedback to Stacia Beazley call (03) 486 4250 To renew your membership or update your details with Hayley Dodd call (03) 486 4220 or contact [email protected]
join the boardNominations are now being called for Mental Illness
Fellowship Victoria’s board of directors.
All people nominated and nominating for a position on the
board must be current financial members of MI Fellowship.
All members who have not renewed their membership by
Friday September 18 will be ineligible to vote at this year’s
AGM. Nominations must be received by July 31.
For more information call Bernie Trahair on (03) 8486 4200.
july members' forumRecent feedback has revealed a number of members wanting
to hear more about how families work together when caring
for someone with a mental illness.
‘Communication & Families’ is a forum that will open
up this discussion through examples of communication
techniques and strategies. Topics will include:
• Ways that family members can work together to support
each other;
• When someone becomes unwell, who takes up what role;
• What is good continuing practice when everyone is well;
• Techniques for open communication; and
• Establishing communication pathways between the whole family.
The forum will be held on Tuesday, July 21 from 6.30-8.30pm
at MI Fellowship, 276 Heidelberg Road, Fairfield. It is free for
MI Fellowship members and $5 for members of the public.
RSVP to [email protected]
or phone Hayley on 8486 4220.
mivoicewinter 2009
At last year’s AGM are, from left, MI Fellowship board secretary Diane Brown, Robin and David Richards, MI Fellowship chief executive Elizabeth Crowther and MI Fellowship president Robert Knowles. David was the winner of the 2008 Mental Illness Fellowship Award.
(clout! has been renamed membership matters)
11
The heart of a country carer still beats in Diane Brown.There is nothing unusual in Diane Brown’s passion for
Mental Illness Fellowship of Victoria; like many others,
the MI Fellowship board secretary’s family has been
deeply touched by mental illness.
But her commitment goes well beyond the norm, to the
extent that she regularly undertook a 600km round trip
by train from her home in Wodonga so she could attend
MI Fellowship board meetings in Melbourne.
Diane convened the Wodonga Support Group for five years,
is a former member of the Melbourne Health Research
and Ethics Committee and currently chairs MI Fellowship’s
Directions Committee.
Diane lived in Wodonga for 15 years before moving to
Melbourne in 2001, the year after she joined MI Fellowship’s
board. She says she’s “probably a city girl now” but still
retains a strong affinity for the country and the needs of
people with a mental illness living in rural areas.
“I did it because I had a person to help. I felt MI Fellowship
helped,” she said of her decision to join the board while still
living in Wodonga.
“I could see the need for more support, more services for
country areas. Coming down (to Melbourne) as a country
person could reinforce that need.
“I’m just an ordinary person. I don’t have the degrees
or the business background but I have wide knowledge.
I’m a carer and have insights into how carers are affected.”
Diane sees her role at MI Fellowship as two-fold: helping
look after the needs of carers, and educating people to
understand and reduce the stigma surrounding mental illness.
She sees stigma as a big barrier that is yet to be overcome
and believes that reducing it is the biggest role MI
Fellowship can undertake.
“I want people to realise it’s an illness, it’s something that
can be helped with medication and everyone has a right
to dignity,” Diane said.
“You still have a right to a good life.”
‘city girl’ still has country at heart
MI Fellowship board
secretary Diane Brown
is committed to helping
carers like herself.
“ I’m a carer and have insights into how carers are affected.”
Big and Me by David Miller Ford Street Publishing, RRP $26.95. Hardcover
Big and Me is a lovely and poignant book that is appropriate
for pre-schoolers and primary school-aged children.
The story respectfully deals with the struggles of children
whose parents have mental illness and is a ‘way in’ to talk
about the confusion and fear they may have about a ‘big’
person in their life who sometimes doesn’t act like other
grown-ups.
The whimsical pictures of machines will appeal tremendously
to digger-loving young readers.
Evelyn Bugel, Counselling Services co-ordinator (and mother of small children)
You will receive a 10 per cent discount if you pay by cheque and state your membership of Mental Illness Fellowship Victoria. Post your order to:
Paul Collins, Ford Street Publishing, 2 Ford Street, Clifton Hill,
Victoria, 3068.
If you want to pay by PayPal and use your credit card you will not receive
the 10 per cent discount and you will be charged $6.50 postage and
handling. Go to: http://www.fordstreetpublishing.com
mivoice winter 2009
little book with a big message
12
Chief Executive : : Elizabeth CrowtherEditorial : : Hootville CommunicationsDesign : : Room44, Lisa MinichielloPrinting : : Bambra PressMI Voice aims to keep our readers informed of the latest
information on mental illness and our advocacy work. It is also
our opportunity to keep potential and existing supporters and
donors informed of the Mental Illness Fellowship’s activities
and the difference their contribution makes.
MI Voice is the quarterly publication of the Mental Illness
Fellowship Victoria, Fairfield Place 276 Heidelberg Road,
Fairfield, Victoria, Australia, 3078.
Telephone : : 03 8486 4200Email : : [email protected] : : www.mifellowship.orgMental Illness Fellowship retains the right to edit articles. Please note that the opinions expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the editor or the Mental Illness Fellowship Victoria.
© Mental Illness Fellowship Victoria. All rights reserved.ACN 093 357 165 ABN 93 093 357 165 ISSN 0816 7877
board of directorsPresident : : The Hon. Robert Knowles
Vice President : : Ms Louise Milne-Roch
Secretary : : Mrs Diane Brown
Treasurer : : Ms Jenny King
Directors : : Mr Darrel Drieberg, Mr Nathan Shafir, Mrs Elaine Price, Ms Lyn Allison, Mr Paul Montgomery, Mr Theo Krambias
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The Canberra Times Friday, January 9, 2009 Award-winning actor Eric Bana, the narrator of Mental Illness Fellowship Victoria’s “5 in 5” community service announcement, revealed in March that he suffers from depression.
Bana told GQ magazine his depression was eased by the love of his family and a passion for cars and racing.
The 40-year-old has indicated he was not intending to speak on behalf of those who suffer with clinical
depression, nor had he sought treatment or been diagnosed with the condition.
The stigma faced by people with a mental illness was not helped by this front page headline in the Herald Sun, left. It labelled
a patient who escaped from Thomas Embling Hospital a “maniac”.
The man’s 1999 Supreme Court trial was told he suffered from paranoid schizophrenia. He was found not guilty of attempted murder
on the basis of mental impairment.
MV
WIN
09winter 2009
newsmivoice