autumn 2009
issue 113
mivoice
inside features MI Fellowship’s capital venture p4 | CGEA graduate’s story p6 | Christmas thank-you p10 | Respite option p9
’09 Woodcock lecturer announced p5
top of the class: our new CGEA graduates p6-7
Registered with the Department of Human Services Print Post Approved 350190 / 00023 ISSN 0816 7877
1 in 5 will be affected with mental illness. 5 in 5 can help. You can help by joining mifriendsee inside back cover for more
The Hon. Robert Knowles AO
from our president
2
As we start 2009 we face new challenges, many
of which we have been advocating. The economic
downturn is expected to have an impact on the
funding for some of these initiatives, however we
will continue to argue for financial support from
governments at state and commonwealth levels.
At the state level the new mental health policy Because
mental health matters is due for release in March this
year. We – and many of you – had significant input into
the development of this framework and now look forward
to seeing the implementation and funding strategies
that will accompany it. You can access this document at
www.health.vic.gov.au/mentalhealth/reformstrategy
This policy focuses on eight areas for reform,
commencing with promoting mental health and
wellbeing, and reforming child and adolescent mental
health services to cover up to the age of 25. Access
to mental health services is on the agenda, as is the
responsiveness of services, community-based beds
and support. The agenda aims to provide better services
for people from cultural and linguistically diverse
populations and those with other co-existing disorders.
Workforce development and innovation and building
partnerships to improve accountability and outcomes
round out the reform agenda. I encourage you to look
at this document.
The challenges we face in 2009 will not be purely financial ones.
But MI Fellowship will ensure that governments at all levels are
well aware of the importance of the projects we are advocating.
www.mifellowship.org
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This broad platform for change also prompted
a review of the 1986 Mental Health Act, which is
now the oldest Act of its kind in Australia. The State
Government’s consultation document can also be found
at www.health.vic.gov.au/mentalhealth/mhactreview
We have actively participated in consultations and have
conducted our own, the outcomes of these discussions
now being consolidated into a submission that will
be completed by the end of February. Once this is
completed we will publish it on our website.
At the national level, the Commonwealth Government
and the States have identified areas where the roles
of each level of government could be improved. These
discussions have directly influenced the rollout of the
respite and the personal helpers and mentors programs.
Consultations are under way in each state and territory and
a decision about who funds what, and who holds which
responsibilities is expected to be made at the Councils
of Australian Governments meeting in March this year.
Finally, the white paper on homelessness has
been released, and we will keep you up to date
on developments.
I am also pleased to announce that Dr David Morris from
the UK’s National Social Inclusion Program will be our
speaker for the Woodcock lecture during Schizophrenia
Awareness Week. I hope that you are able to attend this
important event.
contents from our chief executive p3 | new step up step down facility p4 | woodcock lecture p5 | graduation p6-7 | people and their stories p8 | news bites p9 | clout! p10-11
autumn 2009
8 10
3mivoice
from our chief executive
“Work connects people to the wider world”
is the principle underlying the new National
Mental Health and Disability Employment
Strategy that has also long been a
passionate belief of MI Fellowship.
Without educational and economic
participation, there can be no social inclusion.
People with mental illness need work or
study opportunities to increase financial
independence, expand their social networks,
and boost self-confidence and self-esteem.
Our platform seeks an integrated education
and employment policy for people living
with a mental illness, increased investment
for long-term individualised support and
initiatives for mental health professionals and
employers to prepare them for the challenge
of social inclusion.
With our partner agencies in the community
sector we will continue to strongly participate
in the consultation surrounding the release of
the new Disability Employment Strategy and
the policy paper soon to follow.
In addition to our continuing campaign
for improved education and employment
opportunities, MI Fellowship has articulated
many fresh challenges ahead in our Strategic
Plan, 2009-2013. We envisage robust growth
but a continued focus on psychotic illnesses
as our core business.
By shaping our services with more active health
promotion and earlier intervention, we intend to
have a greater impact on the severity of illness
and its consequences. Peer involvement has
always been a driver; in the future we aim to
grow the active involvement of participants
and carers in our services.
We plan to increase the scope of our services
to include more younger and older people
with mental illness. A key change is the
significantly increased emphasis that we
will place on strengthened relationships with
our stakeholders.
On this page you’ll see some of the shocking
indicators that show the unacceptably poor
health of many people with a serious mental
illness. Ultimately, the effectiveness of this
strategic plan – indeed, of this organisation
– will be measured by our capacity to make a
positive difference to the appalling health and
social inequality of people with a mental illness.
Finally, MI Fellowship shares the profound
horror that the bushfires have brought to
Victoria, and specifically to some of our
participants and their families.
It is important that you know that this
organisation has been proactive in responding
swiftly and practically to assist those affected.
We would welcome any suggestions from
you regarding additional measures that could
increase our effectiveness in supporting our
people at this time.
A new Federal Government direction is echoing a long-held MI Fellowship belief.
Elizabeth Crowther
A state of bad health
• The death rate of people
with a mental illness is 2.5
times greater than
the general population.
• People with schizophrenia have
a mortality rate that is up to
three times higher than
that of the general population.
• Heart disease is the main
cause of above average deaths among people with
mental illness.
• A likely cause of the high death
rate of people with mental
illness is poorer detection:
people with mental illness are
30 per cent more likely to
die from a cancer diagnosis.
• People with mental illness have
poor oral health, requiring a
greater rate of dental treatment
such as extractions, than other
low income consumers.
• People living with severe mental
illness experience higher rates of physical illness due to adverse risk
health behaviours – smoking,
alcohol and other drug use,
obesity and poor diet, under-
activity and lack of exercise.
Source: VICSERV (2008) Framework for Influencing: Health Inequalities – Policy and Practice Failure.
autumn 2009
4mivoice
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.
autumn 2009
residential centre a capital ideanThe nation’s capital has become home to MI Fellowship’s latest residential centre – and its first interstate venture
MI Fellowship has taken its mental health expertise north of the border, partnering with ACT Mental Health to open up a new Step Up, Step Down centre in Canberra.
ACT Health Minister Katy Gallagher officially opened the
five-bedroom centre in suburban Lyneham on January 8.
Step Up, Step Down programs, known as Prevention
and Recovery Care (PARC) centres in Victoria, provide an
important midway point for people receiving treatment for
a mental illness. They assist those who have just exited
from acute psychiatric care but need more support to
transition back into the community as well as people
who need support to prevent the onset of a mental
illness episode but are not so unwell that they require
an in-patient stay in hospital.
As well as giving these people more options for
managing their illness, the program also helps to improve
community understanding of mental illness and relieve
some of the pressure on acute inpatient beds.
MI Fellowship, based on our experience running PARC
centres in South Yarra and Shepparton, is providing the
psychosocial support for the Lyneham Step Up Step
Down. ACT Mental Health will provide the clinical support.
“You go into a psychiatric hospital and you’re dislocated
from your normal life, you obviously don’t go to work and
maybe your family and friends don’t want to visit because
it’s a pretty horrid environment to be in, you lose contact
with the clubs and social networks that you might be a
part of,” MI Fellowship’s Rehabilitation General Manager,
Laura Collister, said at the opening.
“For someone to be able to continue to cook their own
meals or get support to do that, and continue on their
normal routine is really critical to their recovery.”
ACT Health Minister Katy Gallagher is f anked by MI Fellowship’s Rehabilitation General Manager, Laura Collister, left, and Mental Health ACT’s Director, Access and Specialty Services, Christine Waller.
(left to right) Mark Johnson, Michelle Russell, Babu Vattaparambil, Hilda Seima, Neil Forman, Linda Bochenek, Bryony Walsh, Maggie Scott, Gavin Bussenschutt
This year’s Woodcock lecture will be delivered on Tuesday 19th May by an international expert with a career spent working out how best to further social inclusion.
5mivoice
The type of work carried out by Dr David Morris (right)
would be familiar to many mental health workers in
Australia. What may not be is the scale of his undertaking,
which should make for an interesting perspective at this
year’s Woodcock lecture.
As program director of the National Social Inclusion
Program (NSIP) which he established at the National
Institute for Mental Health in England, Dr Morris oversaw
the British government’s implementation of the 2004
report Mental Health and Social Exclusion.
Through NSIP he has led implementation of the report’s
27 sets of recommendations. These recommendations
will have far-reaching consequences given that it has
been estimated that one in four British adults – more
than 12 million people – experience at least one
diagnosable mental health problem in any one year, one
in six at any given time.
an all-inclusive vision
NSIP also contributed to the work of the Prime Minister’s
Strategy Unit on inclusion and its Social Exclusion Action Plan
(2006), had lead responsibility for parts of the report relating
to employment and mental health and backed a new cross-
government public service agreement on social inclusion.
Away from NSIP, Dr Morris has had a long-standing professional and
research interest in social inclusion and community engagement.
With a professional background in social work and management
of mental health services in local authority social care, he
has extensive experience in social inclusion and advised on
strategy and practice across a range of governmental and non-
governmental organisations at national and international levels.
Apart from this Australian tour, he has represented the
International Initiative for Mental Health Leadership in Europe,
the US, New Zealand and Latin America. He also works with the
World Health Organisation and the Institute of Psychiatry, London.
social inclusion
autumn 2009
n
Here we look back at the speakers and issues from the Bruce Woodcock lectures’ first 10 years.
The Bruce Woodcock lectures began in
1999 after an approach to Mental Illness
Fellowship Victoria by Frank and Patricia
Woodcock. They wanted to honour the
memory of Frank’s late son Bruce, who
had schizophrenia, while challenging the
stigma and discrimination surrounding
mental illness.
In the past decade, experts from
Australia and overseas have shed light
on an area that is still misunderstood
by so many people.
The first four lectures were delivered
by local speakers. Chief Psychiatrist
Norman James (1999) assessed mental
health services in Victoria and future
directions; VicHealth chief executive
Rob Moodie (2000) spoke on building
an inclusive and tolerant society;
Radio National’s Julie McCrossin
(2001) spoke on the role of families
when a member has a mental illness;
Churchill Fellow Caroline Crosse (2002)
discussed why work works.
An award-winning US author and
lecturer specialising in mental health
and homeless issues, Nathaniel
Lachenmeyer spoke in 2003 of his
father’s struggles and his own journey
in losing his father and later tracking
his story.
The next two lectures were delivered
by American experts – author
Dr Xavier Amador (2004) from
New York’s Columbia University
and the National Alliance for the
Mentally Ill and Professor Gary Bond
(2005), who has spent 25 years
researching the treatment of people
with a severe mental illness.
The 2006 visit by Major Sam Cochran
– the founder of the “Memphis model”
of police intervention in psychiatric
crises – helped get a review of Victoria
Police intervention practices when
called to psychiatric crises.
In addition to his 2007 lecture,
American anti-stigma campaigner
Dr Patrick Corrigan facilitated 17
community workshops around Victoria.
And last year saw Dr Sam Tsmeberis
present his Housing First model for
housing for people with a mental illness.
decade of insight
Dr Sam Tsmeberis, Patricia and Frank Woodcock.
ACT Health Minister Katy Gallagher is f anked by MI Fellowship’s Rehabilitation General Manager, Laura Collister, left, and Mental Health ACT’s Director, Access and Specialty Services, Christine Waller.
2009 Woodcock lecture –
cgea’s classy dozen
6mivoiceautumn 2009
It was another exciting day at MI Fellowship on December 15 as the Certificate of General Education for Adults (CGEA) class of 2008 graduated with their latest awards.
Twelve students from the Fairfield
campus and eight from the Frankston
campus received their certificates, along
with five graduates from the Introduction
to Community and Event Volunteering,
newly offered by MI Fellowship.
The students at our new CGEA
Shepparton Campus are expected
to graduate in mid 2009.
CGEA provides people recovering
from a mental illness with an
opportunity to get back into the
rhythms and structures of studying,
before heading on to further study
or into the workforce.
CGEA classes provided by
MI Fellowship are specifically designed
for people with a mental illness.
They start later in the day, allow more
time for work to be completed and all
of the teachers and tutors are selected
for their suitability for working with
people with a mental illness.
Congratulations go to Ben Rinaudo
(right), of the Fairfield class, and
Karen McQuaigue (top centre),
of the Frankston class, for receiving
the Doris Wisniewski Student of the
Year Awards for 2008.
social inclusionemployment
(left to right) Frankston students; Michael Fernandez, Phil Connolly, Karen McQuaigue, Danielle Nygaard and Paul Tzambazis
(left to right) Fairfield students; Patrick Meehan, Selena Gately, Pat Tarquinio, Dean Lumley, Ben Rinaudo, Cathy Fratto, Chris Gooding and Strahan Anderson, Daniel Mahy
Mental Illness Fellowship organisational support worker Veronica Komodromou
making employment workIt is well recognised that education and employment have a major impact on quality of life and wellbeing. With this in mind, MI Fellowship has closely aligned these two services under the umbrella of vocational services.
Many of our CGEA students have work aspirations,
and these vocational services will make the pathway
for students wishing to make the transition from education
to employment as easy as possible.
Students are encouraged to register with our employment
service at the completion of the course. In fact, some past
students have been able to both study and work part-time.
The new government priorities in employment and
education are clear. It wants to see the delivery of training
that meets the labour market skill shortages. The alignment
of education and employment positions us well to meet
this challenge and to provide targeted training that is
immediately linked to current vacancies.
7mivoice
The team at Chapel Street Bazaar has been very accommodating and supportive, which has produced positive outcomes for all.
Work Matters conferenceLast November we were invited to present at the Work Matters Symposium-NSW, which explored the changing face of employment and education interventions in mental health.
Highlights of this conference included
presentations from Professor Hector Tsang
and Dr Geoff Waghorn, who spoke about the
superior employment outcomes achieved by
integrating employment and treatment services.
This was well complemented by Laura Collister
and Gafa Tuiloma’s presentation on how
MI Fellowship implemented this model of service
delivery within our own programs.
autumn 2009
employer profileAnyone who has visited Chapel Street Bazaar would agree that it takes you back to your childhood – or at least gives you a glimpse of the past.
Chapel Street Bazaar is a 25-year-old shopping institution
located in the heart of Prahran. Set up like a mini market,
it is covered from top to bottom with collectables, vintage
clothes, costume jewellery, furniture, posters and much more.
My Recruitment’s (MI Fellowship’s employment services) first
encounter with Chapel Street Bazaar occurred in mid-2008
when we had the opportunity to approach manager/owner
Jonine Versace. She was very keen to support the program
and set up a relationship.
Thanks to Jonine’s support we have managed to place a job
seeker who has been working with her since October last year.
This participant had not worked for more than eight years.
Jonine has been very flexible in allowing our
participant to choose her own hours and work
days. Jonine values empowerment and has consistently
shown that through her ongoing training. She recognises our
participant’s efforts and has expressed how much it helped
to have someone on board, especially during the Christmas
period. Some of the duties are dusting, window cleaning,
merchandising, and silver polishing.
The team at Chapel Street Bazaar has been very
accommodating and supportive, which has produced
positive outcomes for all.
If you have a business and require more staff, call us
at My Recruitment on 8486 4200. We can meet
your staffing needs free of charge.
(left to right) Frankston students; Michael Fernandez, Phil Connolly, Karen McQuaigue, Danielle Nygaard and Paul Tzambazis
Ben Rinaudo, one of 2008's Students of the Year.
Mental illness has been a common thread running
throughout much of Christine Sahasrara’s life. But she
was determined not to be defined by it alone.
Christine Sahasrara still remembers the times as a child
when she would shake, her hands clenched tightly into
fists. She recalls leaving school at 14 and how hard it
was to find a place to live, or a job. And she knows the
common thread through it all – mental illness.
But in her life’s journey, Christine has also encountered
something else: a desire to make her way on her own
terms. She accepts her mental illness; she does not
accept that it alone defines her.
And that’s why MI Fellowship’s Certificate in General
Education for Adults (CGEA) proved so beneficial.
CGEA is a series of four accredited certificates for people
who have not completed secondary education to improve
their literacy, numeracy and general education skills.
It is a stepping stone but also gives students hope. Students
have a counsellor as well as teaching staff to call on.
“No matter what illness you’ve got or what you need
to work with, if you make the decision to work with the
illness and talk about things to the teacher and the people
giving support to you, then it can be achieved. It’s not
difficult,” Christine says.
“It was a positive experience by the end of it and leaving
that door open for further education was really important.”
Since her CGEA course, Christine has completed the
Community Services Certificate II, an Environmental
Maintenance Certificate II, Aged Care Certificate III
(Personal Care) and is undertaking another certificate
course with the aim of becoming a hypnotherapist.
Her CGEA course also coincided with her getting a new job
through MI Fellowship as a cleaner with Social Firm Management
Group. She’s now a leading hand with the organisation.
“This job is the first permanent job that I have had,” Christine says.
“Through this job I have discovered other skills that I have, and
that has been really eye-opening and has given me reassurance.
“It is possible for people with mental illnesses to have a normal
life and to succeed.
“It’s not always perfect, it doesn’t always go to plan but I’m
working with the illness so I can do these things.”
“When I was in my certificate classes, just before we finished
the course we were talking about goal-setting and what we
wanted to achieve. When I told them that I had achieved getting
work, they all clapped.”
Mental Illness Fellowship Victoria currently runs
Certificate II, Certificate III (in General Education for
Adults) and Introduction to Community and Event
Volunteering courses. For information on all CGEA
courses run by Mental Illness Fellowship, contact Sue
Vardy on (03) 8486 4228. All courses are offered at low
cost to people aged over 18 and are available through
the Frankston, Fairfield and Shepparton venues.
a yearning to learn
8
pathways
mivoice
mi voice 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
Christine Sahasrara
autumn 2009
“ It is possible for people with mental illnesses to have a normal life and to succeed.”
people and their stories
9mivoice
He established and guided the creation of our service
system, with direct input into developing and recruiting
staff. He was instrumental in building a culture of trust and
the belief that, with appropriate support, people with mental
illnesses can significantly contribute to their communities.
Eifion fostered the development of a recruitment process
in which all MI Fellowship staff are interviewed by
a technical staff panel and a consumer/carer panel, ensuring
our approach to care is based on the lived experience of
mental illness together with knowledge of best practice.
Eifion has been a driving force for MI Fellowship.
We will be holding a farewell celebration for him
in June and will ensure that invitations are
extended to his many friends and colleagues.
news bites
Carer respite on hand
In many regions mi respite options now has an evening
activity group for people with a mental illness who have
a carer in need of respite.
Eight weeks of activities are planned at an initial meeting with
both carer and participant, at which participants with similar
interests are matched. The aim is to form lasting friendships
that will continue long after the scheduled activities end.
The Bairnsdale group has successfully referred one participant
to a local psychiatric disability rehabilitation service, while
another has obtained regular work at a local café. The carers
are enjoying the knowledge that a specified time in their week
is theirs so they can take some time out for themselves.
If you are interested in taking part in a group in your area,
or know someone who may benefit, please contact your local
mi respite options co-ordinator.
New PARC for Frankston
MI Fellowship was recently announced as the preferred
tenderer for a new Prevention and Recovery Care (PARC)
program to be established in the Frankston area. The 10-bed
PARC will be run in partnership with Peninsula Health.
We have sourced a location for the program and are now
in the process of looking at building plans. This will be
MI Fellowship’s fourth PARC-type service, and is expected
to be operational in 2010.
MI Fellowship and Headspace partner up
MI Fellowship now offers employment assistance to young
people in the Barwon region in partnership with Headspace.
Sarah Stapleton was appointed our new youth specialist
employment consultant last August and now spreads her time
between three Headspace venues – Clockwork (Geelong city
centre), Jigsaw (Corio) and Bellarine (Surf Coast) – allowing
her greater access to the young people and Headspace
support staff.
Headspace’s mission is to deliver improvements in the mental
health, social wellbeing and economic participation of young
Australians aged 12-25.
Employment support in the community
My Recruitment, the specialist
employment service of MI Fellowship,
has had a Vocational Rehabilitation
Service (VRS) on the Mornington
Peninsula since July 2007.
Vocational rehabilitation involves
identifying, delivering and/or
purchasing interventions and
strategies to assist job seekers
to manage their disability and
achieve sustainable employment.
Offering VRS at the Hastings Community Information and
Support Centre gives access to an array of community-based
services in the Western Port area, allows us to advocate for
our clients in both their local community and job market and
means a simple referral process to other services offered at
the Hastings Centre.
We have recently increased our presence at the centre to one
full-time consultant in order to meet demand.
date for your diary in 2009 Volunteer information session
– Monday 6 April, 5.30pm-6.30pm, Fairfield Place |
Member forum – Monday 20th April, 6.30pm-8.30pm |
Find out more about all activities by calling 03 8486 4200 or visit www.mifellowship.org
fond farewellautumn 2009
Eifion Breese will be leaving MI Fellowship in June, having been integral to this organisation since joining us in 1997.
Volunteer manning reception
at the Hastings Community
Information and Support Centre.
10 mivoice
clout!volunteer Christmas partyOver 80 volunteers gathered in December to celebrate
their contribution towards MI Fellowship. Along with an
address from chief executive Elizabeth Crowther, two
volunteers spoke of their experiences.
Mona Osborne, a member of the sorting committee at the
Northcote Op Shop, described her volunteer experience as
“…the highlight of my week”. She finds great value in the
strong connection and support within the group of ladies who
have been sorting there for over 15 years.
Sam Fiumara is a reasonably new volunteer with our Speakers’
Bureau and volunteers his time to speak about his experience
of living with a mental illness. He says that volunteering as a
public speaker has helped him increase his confidence and
his ability to meet and communicate with new people.
We currently need volunteers for a variety of roles.
Register your attendance at our next volunteer information
session on April 6 by phoning 8486 4205 or e-mail to
well ways carers’ dinner Over the past four years, the Well Ways team at MI
Fellowship has organised a carers’ dinner to celebrate the
wonderful work of carers of people with a mental illness.
Last November, over 70 carers attended the 2008 dinner
at Fairfield Place. The Italian theme la dolce vita (“the sweet
life”) was chosen as a reminder about the joy of living.
To this end, the menu featured lasagne and cannelloni
prepared by a local Italian club, delicacies from suppliers
of great Italian food and Italian wines.
The undisputed highlight of the night was the wonderful music
provided by the Italian women’s choir La Voce Della Luna,
led by well-known singer Kavisha Mazzella (right).
To send feedback to Stacia Beazley call 8486 4250 To renew your membership or update your details with Hayley Dodd call 8486 4220 or contact [email protected]
well ways update The popularity of our Well Ways programs for family members
and friends of people with mental illness keeps on growing.
Well Ways programs reached an estimated 1000 family
members during 2008.
Alongside the original Well Ways program (Building a Future),
and the program targeting families of those with dual diagnosis
(Well Ways Duo), the Well Ways Snapshot program is finding a
ready audience amongst carers who are time-poor.
During 2008 we provided this one-day program as part of
organised respite retreats for family members. Feedback from
participants was so positive that we look forward to providing
more “retreats” in 2009.
other member newsNext Member Forum to be held on April 20 6.30-8.30pm
Pathways to Employment – Exploring employment
pathways for people with mental illness.
for membersclout! news
autumn 2009
Management, staff and volunteers would like to thank all those who sent in a Christmas wish. Mental Illness Fellowship
would also like to thank all who donated to the Christmas Appeal. Your generous gifts allow us to keep helping people
with a mental illness, their families and friends.
11
Her position on the Mental Illness Fellowship Victoria board
has ensured that Lyn Allison can continue to champion the
cause of mental health away from parliament.
SHE has been, variously, a teacher, outspoken campaigner
on a raft of health, education, environment, nuclear and
women’s issues, and leader of a political party. Now Lyn
Allison is bringing her considerable experience to bear
as a Mental Illness Fellowship Victoria board member.
Having been elected to Federal Parliament in 1996, her
involvement with mental health began in 2005 – the year
after she assumed leadership of the Australian Democrats
– when she co-authored a study into the progress of mental
health reform following the Burdekin inquiry.
Former federal Human Rights Commissioner Brian Burdekin
headed a national inquiry into the human rights of people with
mental illness, taking evidence/submissions from more than
1300 witnesses around Australia. Lyn said she had “an average
person’s passing interest and outrage at what he found.”
She chaired the Democrats-initiated Senate Mental Health
Inquiry that handed down its reports in early 2006, leading
to a Council of Australian Governments agreement and an
additional $4 billion being spent on mental health. She initiated
a follow-up inquiry, which tabled its interim report in June 2008.
Since losing her Senate seat in the 2007 election,
Lyn has joined the boards of several health-related,
not-for-profit organisations.
Now looking at mental illness from the other side of
the political fence, Lyn said Victoria was better than
most states when it came to mental health. But she
knows things could be better.
The self-confessed “campaigner from way back” says
she is still finding her way as a MI Fellowship board member
but would like to see it involved in more programs dealing
with employment and housing.
“We’re all going in the right direction but there’s a long
way to go,” she said. “(But) we’re making some progress.
“I’d like Mental Illness Fellowship not be just a service
provider but be up there pushing things along, being
bold with government.
“I know it’s a difficult path to tread between upsetting
government … and pushing them to do bigger and
better things.”
mivoice
pushing for changeautumn 2009
Lyn Allison
“ I’d like Mental Illness Fellowship not be just a service provider but be up there pushing things along, being bold with government.”
Bill and Iris share their good luckOur annual raffle provided a timely win – and an unexpected windfall.
There turned out to be more than one winner from the
recently drawn Christmas raffle, with the good luck
spreading well beyond the confines of the winning ticket.
That ticket was held by Bill and Iris (right), married for 47
years and worrying how much longer their 1989 Laser would
keep them visiting their five children and 10 grandchildren.
But instead of keeping the prize – a brand new Toyota
Prius valued at more than $41,000 – Bill and Iris decided
to take a smaller, less expensive car and donate the
difference back to Mental Illness Fellowship.
Not that Bill and Iris’s
generosity should have
come as a complete
surprise. Bill was awarded
an honorary life governance
award in 1979 by the Royal Children’s
Hospital for his fundraising efforts.
To all those who supported MI Fellowship by purchasing raffle
tickets, we thank you for your support and hope you will support
us again when our next raffle comes around in May 2009.
If you should wish to support Mental Illness Fellowship please call 03 8486 4290 or go to www.mifellowship.org
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a job
People with mental illness want...
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autumn 200912
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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newsmivoice
The Canberra Times Friday, January 9, 2009
Taser guns debated after Vic boy’s death
...But the Mental Illness Fellowship of Victoria is unsure that tasers are the answer, and it’s calling for improvements in police training.
...ELIZABETH CROWTHER: They’ve done a lot of work in reviewing their training, but I’m not quite sure they’ve got it right. I don’t know that they have got enough community input into their training.
I’d like to see them have people who have mental illness or experiences where people have had a difficulty in
understanding instructions, come and talk to the police. I would like the police to actually understand what it’s like
to not be able to understand instructions.
The reason I say that is because this young man was sprayed with capsicum spray, most of us wouldn’t be able to continue,
but for whatever reason it didn’t affect this young man and that’s pretty symptomatic of somebody who’s having quite significant cognitive
understanding issues...
MI Fellowship’s role in the November opening of a new Step Up, Step Down centre in Canberra attracted coverage in the Canberra Times, left, as well as on local ABC radio and WIN TV.
MVA
UT0
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