Visit our webite for the
latest news and comment. Visit Carers NSW website for the
latest news and comment.
Also see the NSW Carers Action Plan 2007-2012 which commits NSW Government agencies to recognise, respect and value the role that carers play in the community.
National
Australian Government response to the Who cares? report
The Australian Government has responded to the Inquiry into better support for carers conducted by the Standing Committee on Family, Community, Housing and Youth. The Government response to Who cares ...? Report on the inquiry into better support for carers emphasises the Secure and Sustainable Pension Reform Package already put in place with pension increases from September 2009. The response also highlights the carer recognition legislation to be introduced nationally in 2010. But it foreshadows the slower progress of other reforms, particularly disability changes. Read the Response document.
Carers Australia welcomed the National Carer Recognition Framework as a positive step forward. However, it also expressed disappointment with some failures in the response, notably the right for all carers to request flexible work arrangements. The Government response also failed to make adjustments to the restrictive ‘25 hour rule’ that dictates the number of hours carers can devote to education and work while receiving support payments. For more detail, see the Carers Australia website.
National Disability Care and Support Insurance Scheme (NDCSIS)
The Prime Minister has announced a feasibility study into national social insurance for people living with incapacitating disability. The call for such a scheme has been building for some time and was canvassed Who cares ...?, the report from the Inquiry into better support for carers, which advocated for the scheme.
The Productivity Commission will examine the costs and benefits of replacing the current network of disability services with a scheme that resembles Medicare. The goal is to provide lifelong sustainable and seemless support to people living with disability regardless of how the disability occurred - at birth or as a result of an accident. Presently, disability support is provided differently depending on how the disability was sustained. People with disabilities and their carers will have input into the review. The Productivity Commission inquiry will report to Jenny Macklin, Australian Governement Minister for Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs, and Bill Shorten, Parliamentary Secretary for Disabilities and Children’s Services in July 2011. Read the Prime Minister's announcement.
The scheme has a broad base of support. Carers Australia supports the feasibility study as does the NSW Liberal and National Parties. Read the press release. An editorial in The Australian newspaper outlines the case. The Australian Council of Social Service, the Young People In Nursing Homes Alliance, and MS Australia all welcome the annoucement. For more background, see an article on the issue in the last edition of the e-bulletin. For a funding analysis read this Sydney Morning Herald article.
New executive team for Carers Australia
Helen Johnson has been elected President of Carers Australia as part of a new executive team. Helen cares for her 16 year old son and her 81 year old father who both require continual around-the-clock support. In her previous role she served as Vice President of Carers Australia. Read the media release.
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New
South Wales
NSW Carers Recognition Bill
The Shadow Minister for Ageing and Disability Services in NSW, Andrew Constance, has given notice of the Carers Recognition Bill 2009 which is expected to be introduced into the NSW Parliament as a private members bill in March 2010. For brief details, visit this website.
New members on the NSW Home Care Advisory Board
Four new members to the Home Care Service Advisory Board of NSW have been announced and include Sheree Freeburn of Carers NSW, the Chair of the NSW Aboriginal Community Care Gathering Committee. The Board provides advice to the government on the delivery of home care services to the elderly and to people with disabilities. Read the media release from Paul Lynch, the NSW Minster for Ageing, Disability Services and Aboriginal Affairs.
Carer support services at Carers NSW
Carers NSW has undertaken to extend the availability of Carer Line (1800 242 636 - free call except from mobiles)
and counselling service up to 8pm on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday each week. The telephone information service provides information and counselling support to carers. In parallel programs, carers will also be offered therapeutic writing, family carer telephone link-ups and art therapy for young carers and Koori carers.
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Understanding and supporting carers - Carers NSW in-house training
Carers NSW is offering free training for service providers from government and non government services. The training aims to build capacity of both government organisations and non government service providers in health and community care to support and work with carers.
When: January, March, May and June 2010 - various dates. See details
Where: Carers NSW, Sydney
Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST)
Lifeline is conducting training in suicide prevention in the New Year. The course teaches participants to recognise when someone is at risk of suicide and respond in ways that help keep them safe. The training will take place initially in Sydney and then in Gosford and Brisbane.
When: Monday 22 - Tuesday 23 February 2010
Where: War Memorial Hospital, Waverley
Details: flyer, registration forms for Sydney, Gosford and Brisbane
Diversity in Health Conference
The Centre for Culture, Ethnicity & Health (Victoria) will present this conference in Melbourne in June next year. It is intended for health providers and practitioners and focuses on the concept of cultural integrity in health service provision.
When: Monday 7 - Wednesday 9 June 2010
Where: Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre
Details: website
Australian Institute of Family Studies (AIFS) - Sustaining families in challenging times
AIFS celebrates 30 years of operation with this conference which brings together international researchers, policy-makers and practitioners.
When:
Friday 7 - Sunday 9 July 2010
Where: Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre
Details: website
5th International Carers Conference - New frontiers in caring: 2010 and beyond
How we manage the task of caring in a changing and ageing world is one of the world's greatest challenges.
When:
Thursday 8 - Sunday 11 July 2010
Where: Royal Armouries, Leeds UK
Details:
website
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First Home and Community Care (HACC) annual report
The HACC program
has released its first annual report in 24 years of operation. The program coordinates services to assist the elderly and people with disabilities to remain in their homes. Respite and counselling are offered to carers through HACC and the report notes that a third of HACC clients are assisted by a carer. Australian-born clients are less likely to have a carer, compared to clients born in Asia, North Africa, Southern and Eastern Europe or the Middle East. Read section 3.3 of the report.
Carers election campaigns
A number of state elections are occurring in Australia during 2010. In preparation for these events, the Network of Carers Associations plans carer awareness campaigns and pre-budget submissions to communicate the expectations of carers to their electoral representative and prospective candidates. Candidates in the South Australian election will receive copies of Carers SA's election platform entitled Carers opportunity and choice: challenges for candidates.
Victoria will also experience an election. Carers Victoria has prepared a pre-budget submission which will form the framework for their election campaign on behalf of carers.
Strategic Carers Action Network (SCAN)
SCAN represents organisations from the health and community sectors who work with carers in NSW. The group is auspiced by Carers NSW who conducted a survey to identify how SCAN currently provides services, programs and support to carers. The goal of the survey was to gain an understanding of carer services in NSW and to monitor engagement with the NSW Carers Action Plan 2007-2012. Read the survey.
Disability support services 2007-08
The Australian Institute for Health and Welfare (AIHW) has released an analysis of figures collected on disabilty over a four year period. The report found that almost one quarter of a million people used Commonwealth, State or Territory funded disability services in 2007–08, an increase of 31% from 2003–04, or 7% average annual growth. Respite and employment services registered the highest increases, 53% and 40% respectively during these years.
Demand for services appears to be outstripping supply with hours of respite received showing a downward trend from an average of 12.1 hours per respite user per week in 2003–04 to 10.5 hours per week in 2007–08. That is, while government spending has increased over this period, the number of people attempting to access respite is surging. Read a summary of the report. For a special focus on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander service users, click this link.
A publication entitled Australia's welfare 2009, also released by AIHW,
examines welfare services offered to different population groups across Australia. Topics covered include families, ageing and aged care, disability, housing and homelessness. Carers and informal carers are dealt with in chapter five. Findings lead to the conclusion that "support services in the future will have to meet increased demand but may also need to close service gaps and adopt new approaches to service delivery,
such as the need [to] recognise care that is shared more widely across informal care networks."
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A
Writing competition - late onset depression
The Black Dog Institute is conducting a writing competition for people over 60 years old and their carers. The competition is intended to highlight the experience of late onset depression, that is, depression that develops in later life for the first time. Depression and anxiety are also common among carers of older people. The competition hopes to bring to light different means of managing depression. Competition ends 31 December 2009. Read more.
Pay equity report highlights gender injustice
In November, the Making it fair report was tabled in the Australian Parliament. It follows an inquiry by the House Standing Committee on Employment and Workplace Relations into pay equity as it relates to gender in the workforce. The Inquiry defined pay equity to mean the same pay, benefits and conditions for work of equal or comparable value. The Australian Nursing Federation (ANF) points out that the Government-funded aged care sector was repeatedly referred to in the report as an example of ingrained and sustained pay inequity. Read the press release and see further industrial news in this e-bulletin, below.
Responding to the ANF campaign to increase wages for aged care nurses, Aged and Community Services Australia, a national not-for-profit body representing community aged care providers, insisted that unless funding was increased, nurses' wages could not be raised. Read the press release.
Carer Ambassador wins People's Choice Award
Carer Ambassador, Tania Hayes, has won the Illawarra Mercury People's Choice Award from a field of Top Gong winners. Tania has cared for her husband since before their marriage when she was 22 years old. After surgery for a brain tumour, Warren her husband, needed support. The couple now has a son. Read the newspaper report.
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NSW now covered by the national Fair Work legislation
From 1 January 2010, industrial conditions will change for all privately employed workers in NSW as the state adopts Fair Work cover. The changes will not affect those employed in the public sector. John Hatzistergos, the then NSW Minister for Industrial Relations, announced the changes in November. Read the details and some newspaper discussion of the changes.
While Fair Work legislation protects the right to request flexible hours, the definition of 'carer' is more narrowly defined to refer only to parents of children and parents of children with a disability under 18 years of age. Other caring responsibilies, for example, the care of elderly parents, are not considered if flexible hours are requested under the Fair Woirk legislation. Read the fact sheet. NSW is one of the last states to move to the national Fair Work framework.
Fair Work announcement at odds with flexible work hours
The announcement made by the NSW Minister for Industrial Relations regarding the application of a national Fair Work system in NSW, as outlined above, comes after a recent appeal in the NSW Parliment to support mature age workers in their efforts to gain flexible work hours. The Minister referred to the report entitled Taking care. Mature age workers with elder care responsibilities when encouraging employers to provide mature age workers with work hours that accommodated their caring responsibilities. The Fair Work announcement may work against this process in that other carers, including carers of the aged, are not extended this right. Only parents of a child with a disability under the age of 18 are extended the right to request flexible hours. See the Minister's speech in Parliament.
Working Carers Gateway provides a case study of how a carer working in the private sector may need to call on his right to request flexible hours in the workplace. Read the case study.
Pay equity test case for community workers
The Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations, Julia Gillard, announced that the Australian Government has reached agreement with the Australian Services Union, the major union representing social and community services workers, ahead of the adoption by all states of the national Fair Work system. The Australian Government has promised to support the conduct of a major test case on pay equity for community sector employees under the new Fair Work system.
Under the new Fair Work system, social and community services sector workers - working in the youth, welfare and community sectors - will be covered by the Fair Work Act and a single modern award, rather than the multitude of state and federal laws and awards that currently apply. Lower pay for community care workers has been a barrier to recruitment and retention of staff which places a greater burden on community service providers seeking to deliver services. Read more.
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Increase to pensions
From 1 January, Carer Allowance along with some other pensions
and income support payments will increase in line with inflation. Read the details.
Disability pensions
Ken Henry, Secretary to the Treasurey and Chairman of the review of Australia's pension, tax and transfer system, has given a speech questioning the surge in disability pension numbers. In preparing the ground to deliver his report, due this month, he says ''it's hard to believe that an ever-increasing number of people dependent on income support is the best we can do''. Read the Sydney Morning Herald article.
Customers experiencing hardship with electricity and gas bills
The NSW Governement has made amendments to the legislation governing the sale of electricity and gas. Utilities will be required to identify customers experiencing hardship and to provide more generous terms of payment and conditions. The amendmements also require that retailers draw up a Customer Hardship Charter to be published on their website. Read more.
Household assistance for the Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme (CPRS)
The Australian Government's assurance promised pensioners, seniors, carers and people with disability that they will receive full compensation for the overall cost increase they face as a result of the introduction of any future CPRS.
Carers
and legal issues
Older people and the law
Elder law is an emerging specialisation and relects the reality that different laws have particular application at different points in the life cycle. A recent report from the Australian Government entitled Older people and the law, observes that "as legal matters happen, the things that affect older people are exactly the things that affect younger people, except where it relates to particular stages of life." The range of legal issues singled out for attention in the report include fraud and financial abuse, powers of attorney, advance health care planning, guardianship and administration, family agreements, barrriers to accessing legal services, age discrimination and retirement villages. Read the report and the government response.
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Disability Investment Group (DIG)
DIG was established in April 2008 by the Australian Government to investigate the idea of national investment in disability rather than the more traditional notion of welfare for people with disability. The Group has generated a report entitled The Way Forward: A new disability policy framework for Australia. Its chief idea is that the welfare model of disability services needs to be replaced with a three-pronged approach:
- a new National Disability Insurance Scheme (read below) to deliver life-long care and support for people with severe and profound disability starting with a feasibility study
- income support for people with disability who cannot support themselves through work
- a range of measures to enable increased private contributions
For comment on DIG, read an article, Care of disabled a 'national disgrace', report finds, in the The Australian newspaper.
National Disability Care and Support Insurance Scheme (NDCSIS)
The Prime Minister has announced a feasibility study into national social insurance for people living with incapacitating disability. The call for such a scheme has been building for some time and was canvassed in the report from the Inquiry into Better Support for Carers, Who cares ...?, which advocated for the scheme. Read more in the 'News' section of this e-bulletin.
Kingsdene Special School
Kingsdene Special School, in north-west Sydney, is due to close at the end of 2010 due to a shortfall in funding. Anglicare, who administers the school, announced its closure in November. Mothers of children at the school say they would be unable to manage without the support of this weekday boarding school which teaches life skills, music and physical education. An appeal to Julia Gillard, Australian Government Minister for Education, was unsuccessful, with the response that the school already receives the maximum rate of funding for special schools. Read the report in the Inner West Courier and the press release from the Carers Alliance.
Mother relinquishes care of son
The case of Niall Cain, who was left in the care of the NSW Department of Community Services (DOCS) because his mother Anita was too exhausted to care from him, has again highlighted the plight of parents left to care alone. Read the story in the Sydney Morning Herald. The article discusses Anita's claim that DOCS is idealogically committed to the care of children with disabilities in the family of origin and is therefore unable to provide flexible respite options. The Australian Medical Association supports parent carers of children with severe disabilities and their need for respite. Read the press release.
NSW Ombudsman and people with a disability
The NSW Ombudsman has responsibility for investigating complaints about disability and other community service sectors. In the Annual Report 2008-09, the Obmudsman reveals that nearly two thirds of the formal complaints received about disability services concerned accommodation support provided by the NSW Human Services, Ageing, Disability and Home Care. Read the report summary.
Report on people with a disability and their carers in NSW
The 2006 Census of Population and Housing uses a broader definition than in previous collections on people with a need for assistance and their unpaid carers. The NSW Department of Human Services, Ageing, Disability and Home Care has analysed the data in Report on people with a disability and their carers in NSW.
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National Disability Awards
Ahead of International Day for People with Disabilities on 3 December, the National Disability Awards were announced in Parliament House, Canberra. Read about the winners. Meanwhile, Kurt Fearnley, a papaplegic from birth, has inspired and amazed the Australian public by scaling the Kokoda Track on his knees. Follow his blog which describes his progress along the Track.
In celebrating International Day of People with a Disability, Graeme Innes, the Disability Discrimination Commissioner encouraged all Australians to consider this fact: one in five Australians experience some form of disabilty and the figures worsening as we age. Read his reflections in this media release entitled Disability: Coming soon to a person near you.
International Day for People with Disabilities was celebrated in Canberra with the announcement by the Australian Government of the National Companion Card, a move welcomed by Carers Australia and Carers NSW. Read details.
Technical aid for the Disabled (TAD)
This service refurbishes donated computers and provides these to people with disabilities throughout NSW. There are currently over 1,200 clients, about half of whom live in regional NSW. Volunteers refurbish computers and peripherals, install software and assist in installing computers in client's homes (service only available in Sydney). Ongoing technical support is provided during work hours. Anyone with a disability or anyone in receipt of a Centrelink benefit, including carers with a carers health care card, is eligible to apply for a computer. There is no means test and no need for a referral. There is however, a membership fee of $50 a year. Read more about the service.
Many Australians experience a bad death
Palliative Care Australia wants to refocus on the qualilty of end-of-life care in a world of complex medical technologies and choices. Read the media release.
Dementia, lesbians and gay men
Alzheimer’s Australia has published a paper for lesbian and gay men who have an interest in dementia. In association with Aids Council of NSW and Aged & Community Services Association of NSW and ACT, the paper was launched by Micheal Kirby, former Australian High Court judge. It covers information on the legal position of gay and lesbian couples, caregiving and services available to them as they age. Read the paper.
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Journal
article
Anger and depression predict hospital use among chronic heart failure patients
Roslyn C Jenner , Esben S Strodl and Robert D Schweitzer
Australian Health Review 2009; 33 (4): 541-548
Depression and anger play a detrimental role in the health profile of chronic heart failure patients.
Abstract
Inquiry into immigration treatment of disability
Carers NSW has prepared a submission on behalf of the Network of Carers Associations to the Australian Government's Inquiry into immigration treatment of disability. The submission focused on the economic and social contributions of people with a disability and their families and Australia's obligations under international treaties which need to be honoured when health sceening visa applicants.
At present visas are granted to people intending to migrate to Australia with the proviso that the person satisfies certain health requirements. The Parliamentary Joint Committee will examine whether the Australian Government Department of Immigration and Citizenship should take into account the social and economic contribution made by migrants, as well as the anticipated health care costs of disability. Read more on the Parliamentary website.
NSW health services to asylum seekers
The NSW Government has approved fee waivers for specified public health services to community based asylum seekers who are Medicare ineligible. The policy provides NSW Health facilities and staff with a description of the public health services to which the waiver applies. Read more.
National Multicultural Marketing Award
An information kit produced for families of children and young people with a disability has won a National Multicultural Marketing Award. The kit (a booklet and a DVD) entitled, Raising Kids together: Information for families who have a child or young person with a disability is translated into Arabic, Assyrian, Dari, Dinka and Juba Arabic and intended for families from Afghanistan, Iraq and Sudan. Read more.
The Australian journey - Muslim communities
This publication by the Australian Government Department of Immigration and Citizenship covers the social history of Muslims in Australia from the earliest times. View a list of similar publications by the Department.
Cultural Competence and the NSW Carers Action Plan 2007-2012
Maintaining cultural competence when working with carers, while implementing the priorities of the Action Plan, can take a number of forms. Service providers must remember that culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) carers confront barriers not experienced by Anglo-Australian carers (Cardona, Chalmers
and Neilson, 2006):
- Language and communication: accessing services and information in a predominantly English speaking and Anglo-centric service system, where often there are not enough bi-lingual workers and information is not always available or culturally appropriate.
- Identification as a carer: the term carer does not literally translate into all languages and people from CALD backgrounds do not always easily identify with being a carer.
- Understanding and using service systems: a lack of understanding of the health, community care, aged care and disability systems and limited information and knowledge about services as well as eligibility and assessment criteria often leads to
the under-use of services.
- Stress, dissatisfaction and isolation: community support is not always available, CALD carers are under-recognised and acknowledged for the work that they do and are often isolated due to factors such as recent migration.
Read more from a paper by the Multicultural Disability Advocacy Association (MDAA) of NSW. MDAA is the peak organisation for people from non-English speaking backgrounds (NESB) with disability, their families and carers in NSW.
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Australian National University (ANU) launches the National Health Reform Series
ANU has begun to deliver a series of policy briefings to inform the debate on health reform in the wake of recent landmark federal and state reports on the issue. National Health Reform Series is intended for policymakers, parliamentarians, health groups and the media to stimulate informed debate. A series of six briefings will be held between November 2009 and June 2010. Read more and view the first discussion in the series, Can we fix the health system without reforming the workforce?
Australian Medical Association (AMA) on health reform
In November, the President of the AMA, Dr Andrew Pesce, addressed the Congress on National Health Reform. He appealed to all parties interested in reform to stop 'the blame game'. Read the transcript.
Scholarship applications open for medical students from rural areas
Scholarships for prospective medical students from rural backgrounds are now open with an intake of 100 new scholarship holders expected to take the total number to 550. The scheme is administered by the National Rural Health Alliance and funded by the Australian Government in an attempt to encourage doctors to rural and remote areas of the country.
In a report released during Carers Week 2009, The tyranny of distance? Caring in regional and remote Australia, it was demonstrated that carers in regional and remote areas of Australia have more difficulty in accessing services. The Rural Australia Medical Undergraduate Scholarship (RAMUS) Scheme is an important lifeline to carers if medical graduates return to regional and remote areas to practice.
NSW Ombudsman's report on homelessness and mental illness
Mental illness is recognised as one of the main contributors to homelessness. The NSW Ombudsman's recent report, The implementation of the Joint Guarantee of Service for People with Mental Health Problems and Disorders Living in Aboriginal, Community and Public Housing addresses the administration of social housing and the people who rely on it for a roof over their heads. Read the report.
Housing the homeless. Report on the inquiry into homelessness legislation
"On any one night in Australia there are some 17,000 people sleeping rough." This observation is made by an Australian Government report about homelessness completed in November. The result of a Parliamentary Inquiry, the report aims to demonstrate how Australian Government departments can work together to achieve a coordinated response to homelessness. Read the report.
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New members on the NSW Home Care Advisory Board
Four new members to the Home Care Service Advisory Board of NSW have been announced and include Sheree Freeburn of Carers NSW, the Chair of the NSW Aboriginal Community Care Gathering Committee. Read more in the 'News' section of this e-bulletin.
Disability support services 2007-08
The Australian Institute for Health and Welfare (AIHW) has released an analysis of figures collected on disabilty over a four year period. The report found that almost one quarter of a million people used Commonwealth, State or Territory funded disability services in 2007–08, an increase of 31% from 2003–04, or 7% average annual growth.
Carers NSW has compiled a special focus summary from the AIHW report on the use of services by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders. Disability is more common among Indigenous Australians with more reporting reliance on an informal carer than non-Indigenous Australians. Read the summary report.
Best practice working with Aboriginal communities
Casino Neighbourhood Centre has produced a pamphlet to help provide background to service providers in building relationships with their Aboriginal clients. It explains concepts like self-determination and historical distrust between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal groups. Read the pamphlet, part of the Home and Community Care Access Project.
Welfare reform and the Racial Discrimination Act
The Australian Government will introduce changes to the welfare and family payment system aimed at preventing money being wasted on alcohol and gambling according to Jenny Macklin, Australian Government Minister for Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs. Many critics have been concerned that similar measures taken during the Northern Territory Intervention, implemented during the term of the previous government, contravened Australia's obligations under international human rights law. Under the previous government, the Racial Discrimination Act 1975 was suspended in order to introduce the income management scheme where a portion of welfare payments to at-risk families were quarantined for spending on essentials like food. These families were inevitably Aboriginal families.
Ms Macklin announced that the Racial Discrimination Act will be reinstated in the Australian Parliament soon. Read her comments. This has been welcomed by the Australian Human Rights Commission. Read the announcement. The expectation is that the new welfare payment reforms will apply to all at-risk Australian familes regardless of race. Read an explanation of the reforms.
Aboriginal men's health and wellbeing
One unintended consequence of the Northern Territory Intervention has been greater attention given to Aboriginal men's health and wellbeing. The Awaye! program on ABC Radio National covers a campaign in Katherine, Northern Territory, to bring about changes in how Aboriginal men are perceived in their communities and to the wider public. Read more and listen to the program.
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Tribal Warrior Association information campaign for Aboriginal teenagers and their parents
NSW Health with the Tribal Warrior Association and Nathan Merritt, an Australian professional rugby league footballer for the South Sydney Rabbitohs, has launched a resource for Aboriginal teenages warning them of the risks of alcohol related injury. The two books are entitled Guides to dealing with grog for teenagers and parents and What are you doing to yourself? Read more.
Indigenous community safety roundtable
The Australian Government hosted a roundtable on Indigenous community safety for state and territory officials and professionals. Communities free from violence is a pre-condition to acheive targets in health, education and housing. Read the communiqué.
Child protection in Aboriginal communities
Linda Burney, NSW Minister for Community Services, announced a new component of the child protection strategy to commence next year. The plan will involve the Aboriginal community in decisions about child protection and was announced at the NSW Aboriginal, Child, Family and Community Care Secretariat (AbSec) conference in November. Read the media release.
NSW Reconciliation Council small grants program
A small grants program has been launched by the NSW Reconciliation Council to foster grassroots reconciliation. Information and registration forms are avaiable on their website.
Mental illness and offending
Fear of mentally illness has long been a part of social history in our community. Periodically an incident occurs to exacerbate the connection between mental illness and offending in the popular imagination. The recent case of the murdered art entrepreneur, Nick Waterlow, has put focus on this question again.
Research shows, however, that the mentally ill are no more likely to commit crimes than those not living with mental illness. Studies suggest that while the mentally ill are much more at risk of injuring themselves than causing harm to others, they are over-represented in the prison population. One article suggests that the need to "contain" the mentally ill, rather than provide help and support, could explain high numbers of mentally ill prison inmates. Read the paper.
Mental Health Legal Services Project (MHLSP)
It has long been acknowledged that people with mental illness are over-represented in the prison population. MHLSP aims to reverse this phenomenon. The Public Interest Advocacy Centre has been funded by the NSW Government to trial four pilot projects to help people with mental illness access legal advice and assistance. The projects will support young homeless people, people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, Aboriginal men and torture and trauma survivors.
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NSW Ombudsman's report on homelessness and mental illness
Mental illness is recognised as one of the main contributers to homelessness. The NSW Ombudsman's recent report, The implementation of the Joint Guarantee of Service for People with Mental Health Problems and Disorders Living in Aboriginal, Community and Public Housing addresses the administration of social housing.
RU OK
Research has shown that talking about suicide saves lives rather than encouraging those contemplating suicide to take their own lives, as is commonly believed. On 29 November, Australians were asked to start a conversation with a friend or family member for whom they had mental health concerns by asking "RU OK?" Read about this initiative.
Carers Australia asked Australians to take time to ask a family carer "Are you okay?" Carers have been found to have the lowest collective wellbeing of any group. Read the media release.
Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST)
Lifeline is conducting training in suicide prevention in the New Year. The course teaches participants to recognise when someone is at risk of suicide and respond in ways that help keep them safe. The training will take place initially in Sydney and then in Gosford and Brisbane. See the details in the 'Conference and events' section of this e-bulletin.
BringChange2Mind.org
BringChange2Mind.org is a not-for-profit organisation created by Glenn Close, the high-profile actor, and other organisations. Because the stigma of mental illness is often more far-reaching than the condition itself, BringChange2Mind aims to de-stigmatise mental health with an interactive website. Visit the website.
Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender and Intersex (GLBTI) resources
beyondblue, the national depression initiative, has developed booklets and fact sheets for GLBTI people dealing with depression and anxiety. Go to their website for more information.
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Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) Census 2011
A statistical snapshot of Australia will be taken in 2011 by the ABS. Figures on carers as a population group have been collected in the census since 1993 at varying levels, but before that time, statistics on disability were analysed to give some idea of the role that carers played in Australian life. Read the history of census around the themes of disability, ageing and carers.
Reforms for children and families
UnitingCare Australia and the Social Policy Research Centre (UNSW) have partnered to produce a paper that examines the key reforms announced in 2009 that are relevant to children, young people and families. Read Because children and families matter.
Young carer e-News
Carers NSW publishes Young carer e-News, a roundup of events and news for young carers. For the latest edition (November 2009) click here.
Bullying of children and young people
The NSW Parliament has released its report into the bullying of children and young people. Carers NSW made a submission to the inquiry stating that "Young carers have identified the issue of bullying or discrimination within school as a major obstacle to equity and access. These can be from students plus teachers."
The Committee recommends that a social awareness campaign is necessary to focus the attention of schools, parents and the wider community on the issue of bullying. It also recommends that the NSW Department of Education and Training seek annual feedback from children and young people on anti-bullying initiatives that are implemented in their schools. Read the report.
How Australian kids see the world
In partnership with children, the Australian Children’s Commissioners and Children’s Guardians have published a book of Australian children’s art to commemorate 20 years of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. While hard copies are currently out of stock, the cover of the book can be seen here.
more ...
Grants for volunteer projects
The Australian Government has provided $21m in grants (of between $1,000 to $5,000 each) for the community sector to help support the activities of volunteers with purchases of equipment such as computers, printers, cameras, fridges and the like. Read more.
Carecareers website
A new recruitment website is now available to people who work in the disability and community care professions. Visit the site.
