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CLUMSY
STUFF! (this article is not finished yet but I put it up,
so people can see it .... discuss it... while I work to finish
it.)
One.
We have had yet another
Suicide in Cooktown. A single, educated, professional female...
As the persons Allied Friend, I do not think the problem
is with the person's new visiting
Psychiatrist. I know he tried everything... the problem
was he had NO APPROPRIATE practical HUMAN support among
the Nurses... for the client, outside his door. I can not
describe HOW serious this issue is in Cooktown.
The breakdown is in HOW the nursing staff related to the
client, (AD HOC) and her circle of community supports. (EXCLUSIVE
and AUTHORITY). This is not about "BEDSIDE" manna...
it is about so much more.
The Mental Health Staff as well as "fly-in" mainstream
medical doctors obstructed the "goodwill" of those
who were her true friends. Where ever approached to help...
the responses were always about FEAR.... their worry of
interring... getting into trouble from the DON... losing
their jobs... that they are TOO BUSY.... (go away) Any request
for co-operation on diet and others issues was as if you
were trying to be aversive. As an Allied friend I went through
some 15 Nurses... and 4 DONs... as well as the entire Mental
Health and Social Service industry from Cooktown - to- Townsville-to
Melbourne... New Zealand to Canada.
I
BEGGED THE MAYOR, the x-CEO, PEOPLE IN COUNCIL, Staff
at the FAMILY DISTRICT COMMUNITY SERVICES, PRIMARY HEALTH,
CENTACARE(CAIRNS), ALL THE CONSUMER GROUPS IN CAIRNS _TOWNSVILLE_BRISBANE_WESTERN
AUSTRALIA_TASMANIA and the MENTAL HEALTH TRIBUNAL... it
is all SILO. People performing their work roles from
inside the square. Each would smile at you provided you
DON'T ROCK THE BOAT. As I said I have a back load of evidence...
letters - from the the client... myself and others ...
and much of this is held at the QUALITY HEALTH RIGHTS
COMMISSION...
Even
as I was Informed of her DEATH I rang the QUALITY HEALTH
RIGHTS COMMISSION to report and asked for them "
please" to allow me to talk to someone regarding
the outcome and reference to do with the client/our case
file. I was told there had been changes... that they don't
do ITO cases any more... they could not tell me where
to go.
I
rang the the Mental Health Council... the boss wasn't
in and they said they'll ring me back.... AGAIN AGAIN
AGAIN... no response
I
rang the Mental Health Tribunals Office again as the Consumer
Advocate that person DID NOT RING ME... ... ALAS.
I
tried to build links find a place where this person could
go.... i.e.: Health Farm.... ? I contacted all the friends
I knew she had in Australia.... I was UPFRONT --- PUSHY
with LIFELINE.... NO CAN DO (we don't do this... we don't
do that... it's like if you are a Allied Friend /advocate
for a friend it is hopeless... "get the client to
ring me... we can not just ring the client..."...
sure I would normally agree but not in this case and not
after all that was going on. This person needed a advocate
from within the SYSTEM someone who the client could have
opportunity to build trust with... someone who would validate
just "something" that the client was doing positive
.... and someone who would at least try to discuss alternative.
Why
all the LACK of RESPONSE ... why... in terms of the regional
bodies it was because we live in COOKTOWN. The client
was a professional herself and in that way a STRONG SELF
ADVOCATE....
The
problem with people who don't understand Mental Health
and specifically Recovery issues is they get scared ...
don't want I cant "ROCK THE BOAT" is their central
message.... to think about how in "this" case
might need other types of resources... i.e.: HOME CARE
contacts... Community Project contacts (activities and
socialisation) ... believe they could do something differently...
work with the "whole" person... help create
change... something this person who DIED STOOD for and
is the reason it got to much... if you cant help yourself...
all your dreams crash.
Put
yourself in the "state" of a client... a person
with high ideal... feels deeply sensitive about the Wars,
the Injustice... Human Rights... advocate Mental Hygiene....
isolated in the middle of the bush.....
I
ask you how you feel when you are or think you are BETRAYED.
(FAMILY/SERVICES/FRIENDS/Most of ALL by COMMUNITY), and
the world itself is full of poverty, war and turmoil...
everyone's telling you you are Mentally ill and all you
can see is infant THEM....?
Even positive Radio sounds overwhelming... untrue - a
lie - all right if you are them.... for the community
there is insight here.... and it IS NOT all about someone
hearing 'evil angels'.... it is about the environmental
forces/relationships that are all around you - the level
of healthy socialisation available and the ways others
work for that goal.
The
problem with SILO culture's is that everyone is buddy with
everyone else (social incest) so
1)
not to loose their jobs
2)
for status or so as to protect their own social relations
or popularity.
(The Client in this case did not come first, in away that
was meaningful... on any level.)
3)
It was difficult with the family because
her brother is a Psychiatrist...
brother and sister were in a ideological mind battle...
(as the 1st doctor) he used medication argument as a "right
to protect" her sister from herself. Without something
else... this was a projection only... offering no other
supports. A nephew, come to Cooktown to stay with her. The
problem was that the person did not validate anything of
her Aunty. Her self advocating... issues calling for alternative
supports that could have helped to buffer/give hope... affirm
strength.
Instead
they fought ... his aunty on all the administrative issues
(which was easy to do) telling her ... she was just being
"political" and he is not into politics. Infact
when I tried to suggest he might take a look at her material
he flatly refused. I am not blaming this person... but am
clear that the role of the family had so many issues...
it was unhealthy to watch. My role was to try and support
the client without getting involved with the family issues.
The nephew did not stay with the client during the whole
timeframe... their conflict was to great... each had a different
agenda concerning the persons health.
1) it is not my place...
2)
why she told me of some of these things she never asked
me to do anything for her in this regard.
The
client was quite together about things until the 7th...
8th.... 10th forced injection. If anyone knew this person
it was clear from the beginning this sort of approach was
never going to work. a) she was a strong -passive self advocator...
The first doctor she had (plays mind games) and virtually
broke her spirit. The client could not believe the "conflict",
her loss of "dignity" and could see no end. Between
this and the side-effects... things became increasingly
HOPELESS.
4)
As I said her Doctor did try... it is that the "nurses"
... I feel in the end who let her down.
The client was on an ITO. I believe this aspect was worse
than the medication although without better services and
"deal making". It was difficult to see after the
"DAMAGE DONE" by the first doctor --- (HORROR
STORY) that a recovery plan.... could be the focus.
I put it to you that he, the second Doctor (on this case)
... did the best he could.
The
women who is now dead had originally some 15 friends (living
all over the Community Shire). These people all tried to
support her... she rounded them up... tried to start a group
(her request) of some kind, to help set up, or work towards
getting some of the environmental social resources required.
I.e.: Face to Face trained counselling and "friendly"
support to help around education and diet. More to the point....
the person lived isolated on a property where the hardship
in the wet season (Cylone LArry + Monica) was/is to much
for just one person to handle. There was a sequence of events
that lead to the events that occurred... and when you stand
back and look at ALL the evidence, it is easy to see how
a person might run out of energy... out of patience... out
of heart from all the conflict and broken promises...
As
I said None of significance was there, outside the doctors
door. Nothing to t help level or normalise the relationship
she had with services...
They
used the medication in a way that was .... less than constructive.
This client was always clear about where she stood... what
she wanted but the ones that needed to most.
I
attempted to talk to Council... to the community development
sectors... no-one knew anything about Mental Health - they
were all scared (to act) and extremely clumsy with all appeals
for help. Can you imagine being told that "Sorry we
don't do Mental Health..."
TWO:
As her dedicated Allied Friend I tell you I have written
letters, tried in person, over the phone, went to Melbourne,
Townsville. Much of the work was initially. International
organisations to get this woman some network supports. Until
a year and a half ago this women had "self advocated".
It was CHAOS!. The is evidence in her file... at the Quality
Health Rights Commission and the Tribunal. It is also spread
half across the world to all the people she contacted. Their
are files in Legal Aid and in New Zealand. There is a lot
of evidence about the "state" of this person and
of the effort she made to get surrounding alternative supports.
PLEASE
READ THIS MATERIAL.
The link below is based
on information complied by Health authorities, as well as
Consumers and Focus Groups.
Peer to Peer Support
a Consumer Perspective
This
paper (linked above) was a prepared presentation. A form of
a "keynote speech" based on well researched material,
material I adapted/costumed for the local Cooktown community.
I presented this paper last June 2007, to the local
CAN... Community Advisory Health group...
At
the meeting it was affirmed in the "meeting minutes"
that we as a group would begin to at least "talk"
about 'Peer to Peer Support'.... something for people so isolated...
What
is Peer to Peer Support?
No
professional I have spoken to in Cooktown knows anything about
it.
No
professional appears interested... nor over the three years
I been advocating for Mental Health and Peer-to-Peer has anyone
in Health or Human Services followed-up with any form of response.
I
asked the (then) Mental Health Team to come and support me
as I faced this Meeting... not them, nor the Primary Health
or DON, who I had seen for some support.
IT
IS NULLIFYING.
I
have spoken and written to the District Manager, people in
Brisbane, Cairns and ALL locally. STONE_WALLING is the most
serious part of what I am experiencing, and it seems the more
I seek their understanding... the worse it gets. (SMALL COMMUNITIES
SILO Health and Human Services.)
At
the Advisory meeting they asked what I wanted.
After
giving a brief general community presentation, I requested
that they read the information I gave them... that I wanted
to give them time to reflect on the information.... to give
me their feedback at the next meeting. The Chairperson allocated
the TIME SLOT of 10 minutes. I said we might need a little
more time spread over a number of meeting and he argued, was
hostile saying they had other issue too and that's all I will
get. I made sure it was written in the minutes, for the agenda
of the next meeting.
I
said I wanted to work on Community Mental Health Education
and build Community Awareness, that I am representing a few
people who want support, some community involvement... to
start a Peer-to-Peer Activities program... that we need to
do something that "engages" locals and looks at
Mental Health issues, Consumer Recovery and Wellness. That
Civic Wellbeing... is a basic issue that can help to integrate
and attract funding for consumer needs as well as empower
the local services. I have repeatedly explained the need to
counteract SOCIAL DRIFT.... here in Cooktown. That some some
the social isolation, lack of community understanding is unbearable.
The
key person who'd helped me put this paper together IS NOW
DEAD. The story is HORRIFIC. She hung on for three years
... we worked hard until she just couldn't take it anymore.
During
the meeting... I asked those present to take a few minutes
to look at the list of "23
Big Things" issues in Mental Health. I asked them
if they thought these issues were serious... they
ALL said YES.
The
next meeting however was cancelled... and as much as I tried
to follow-through... they didn't send me the minutes... I
was AGAIN being seriously Stone Walled.
SERIOUS:
I want the CHAIRPERSON of the local Community Advisory Group
to be removed.
He
is abusive, a National Party x-Councillor... dysfunctional
and destructive power-player lacking any understanding of
Primary Health Issues other than those obvious.
During
the meeting he was abusive and deeply insulting. I was ridiculed
for my support of the United Nations as I mentioned the Millennium
Goals and the police's that I thought would be useful from
the World Health Organisation. I.E. Alma Ata. ('Oh you
and your bloody United Nations' he said while those present
sat-by and allowed his insults, as they sunk into their chairs
and just cowered.
Unfortunately...
no matter how hard you try to "communicate", build
any kind of relationship around critical engagement issues,
with the local service Health authorities... you are burdened
with intimidation, and by a lack of response.
I
DO NOT UNDERSTAND WHY... Or HOW it can be like this.
It
is the community I live in... ?
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This
is about a National No Wrong Door Policy
