Start Newsletter MDAA sHARE Newsletter Start Newsletter MDAA sHARE Newsletter April 2010 Page 1 IN THIS ISSUE: Georgina’s Farewel; MDAA at Wetherill Park TAFE; News Georgina’s Farewell (Picture of Georgina. Picture of Lyn (MDAA Assistant Director gave a speech to farewel Georgina) Georgina’s Farewell Georgina Clark started working at MDAA in 2005 and has worked in varying roles over a number of years. In her role as the advocacy development worker, she conducted research on women with disability and their experience of domestic violence. The report from this project was recently launched and generated a lot of interest. Georgina has also acted as an individual advocate and an industry development project officer. She is dedicated and enthusiastic and is happy to share her skills with fellow workers. Georgina will be sorely missed and we wish her good luck in her new job. MDAA at Wetherill Park TAFE Picture of Individual Advocate Susan Laguna & MDAA Community Voices member Milanka Zivanovic talking to a group of students doing the Disability Certificate Course on 29.05.10 MDAA Contact details: You can contact us: Phone: (02) 9891 6400 or 1800 629 072 Fax: (02) 9635 5355 Writing: PO Box 9381, Harris Park, NSW 2150 E-mail: mdaa@mdaa.org.au Coming to the office: 40 Albion Street, Harris Park, NSW 2150. Monday -Friday, 9am - 5pm Website: www.mdaa.org.au Page 2 Revision of the National Standards for Disability Services All community based disability services funded by the state or federal governments have to operate their service according to a set of standards that ensures the best quality service to consumers. The government wants to hear from people about how to improve these standards because the current standards are old and should be based on new ideas which make disability services better and more up to date. How can I have a say? There are four ways people can have their say: survey on the internet; group discussion; interview on the telephone; write about what you think. What is MDAA doing? MDAA will be holding consultations for its members and for NESB service providers throughout Sydney during June this year. MDAA will also be writing a submission. All MDAA members will receive information about this consultation towards the end of May. If you want to learn more about the Disability Service Standards go to www.dhs.vic.gov.au/ disabilitysupports/national-quality-framework or you can ring Sonia Davda at Ageing, Disability and Home Care on 8270 2093. Public Interest Advocacy Centre (PIAC) News Challenging Failures in Health Services for People with Mental Illness: Throughout 2007-08, PIAC has been engaged in legal proceedings on behalf of Mrs Terri Simpson against the State of NSW and Justice Health. Mrs Simpson is the mother of Scott Simpson, a forensic patient who died in custody in Long Bay Prison in June 2004. PIAC acted for the family in the coronial inquest into Scott’s death. Mrs Simpson is claiming that the Department of Corrective Services and Justice Health were negligent in their treatment of her son, and that she has suffered a recognisable psychiatric injury as a result of Scott’s death. In July 2006, the NSW Deputy State Coroner found that Justice Health and the Department of Corrective Services failed to ensure that Scott received adequate treatment for his mental illness and made recommendations about new standards that should be put in place for the treatment of mentally ill inmates in NSW prisons. The Simpson matter is one of the first cases brought following the precedent established in Appleton v State of NSW, in which PIAC successfully argued that damages should be available to compensate a mother for the shock she suffered as a result of her son’s death in custody. PIAC is also representing the mother of a man who committed suicide in 2006 at a Coronial Inquest. The man, who wanted to be treated in hospital, was being treated by a community mental health team. He tried to commit suicide in the week before his death but he was still not admitted to hospital. He was requesting to be admitted up to the day he killed himself. PIAC will be asking the Coroner to make recommendations to the NSW Government that more restrictive alternatives to the community care model be provided to someone who is suicidal in order to avoid similar tragic outcomes. Report on Prisoners and Disability: PIAC’s work in the area of mental health and prisoners is ongoing. The recommendations of the Coroner about segregation of prisoners with a mental illness have not been fully implemented. Continuing concerns remain regarding the future care and treatment of prisoners with a mental illness within the NSW correctional system, despite the construction of a separate forensic hospital at Long Bay and legislative changes. People with intellectual disability have similar but nevertheless different experiences in the criminal justice system and within prisons, to people with a mental illness. Access to mental health treatment remains an issue for members of disadvantaged groups, often with tragic consequences when people are denied adequate treatment and care and subsequently end their own life. PIAC will continue to campaign for law reform and systemic change in all these areas, including through the use of legal advocacy and test cases. Page 3 MDAA Garry Murray in the News (This note was published in ADHC Newsletter in October 09) “Improving the work station. After retiring from full time work, Garry Murray became a volunteer at the Multicultural Disability Advocacy Association (MDAA). However, because Garry lacks fine motor skills, he needed adaptive devices to work on the computer and phone, and a height-adjustable table to accommodate his wheelchair. He uses a trackball mouse, a phone headset, a wheelchair tray for his files, a typing aid on his left hand with a pointer attached and he also needs a keyboard rest positioned at a 30 degree angle from his desk. TADNSW volunteer Jeffrey Jones made an acrylic keyboard wedge with a lip at the front and non-slip surface to keep the keyboard in position when under pressure from Garry using the keyboard pointer. Garry is comfortable at his work station and, after some time volunteering, he was successful in gaining paid part time work at MDAA.” New location for South East Sydney Advocacy (SESA) After months of searching SESA has finally moved into its new home in Rockdale this week. The address is: Level 1, 564 Princes Hwy. Rockdale NSW 2216 Ph: 9597 9970 (General Enquiries) Email: sesa@mdaa.org.au Freda Botica and Sam Chung are the new SESA Individual Advocates “New SESA Advocate Freda Botica is excited to be working in the newly established Advocacy Service and enjoying Rockdale, with it’s wonderful mix of peoples and eating places. She is a community worker who wears her passions openly and loudly”. “Sam Chung is looking forward to working in the South East Sydney Area. Sam first became involved in broader social justice issues as a university student. She is passionate, but not quite as loud as Freda. “ Freda and Sam look forward to continued support from MDAA staff and members. We will be arranging a launch in the near future to celebrate the opening of a new local service so watch this space. Page 4 Australian Hearing are going to launch Telscreen's multi-language service. Telscreen is the most advanced over-the-phone hearing check in the world. Now your phone can tell you how good your hearing is, free of charge, anytime, from anywhere in Australia. As the Australian population ages, services of this type become increasingly important as they assist people in overcoming barriers. No doubt other age groups will also benefit from the availability of the service Customers need to ring 1800 826 500 and follow the instructions. Customers must be over 18 years of age. The service is not available from a mobile phone. More information is available on www.hearing.com.au The Commonwealth Government has asked the Productivity Commission to undertake a public inquiry into a long term disability care and support scheme. Some important questions about how to change the current arrangements include: • How a scheme should be designed and funded to better meet the long term needs of people with disability, their families and carers • How to determine the people most in need of support, the services that should be available to them and service delivery arrangements • The costs, benefits, feasibility and funding options for alternative schemes • How the scheme will interact with the health, aged care, informal care, income support and injury insurance systems • Its impact on the workforce • How any scheme should be introduced and governed • What protections and safeguards should be part of the scheme The Government has asked the Commission to advise on a scheme that will cover those most in need, with a disability present at birth, or acquired through an accident or a health condition, but not as a result of the natural process of ageing. The Commissioners for the inquiry are Patricia Scott, David Kalisch and John Walsh. How can you become involved in the Inquiry? The Commission welcomes the views of all people and organisations on how a scheme could be designed. Views will be gathered by individuals or organisations writing submissions as well as the Commission talking to a cross-section of organisations informally and hold public hearings. It is also looking at other possible ways of involving people in the inquiry and in making their processes accessible and user-friendly. The Commission will release and issues paper and put any updates about the inquiry on its website at http://www.pc.gov.au/projects/inquiry/disability-support. MDAA will be preparing a submission by 30 June 2010 and holding a consultation in Griffith on 26th May. MDAA members are welcome to ring Adama Kamara to have their opinion included in the MDAA submission. You can contact her on 9891 6400 or email to adama.kamara@mdaa.org.au The Commission will also release its draft report next year, so people can comment by further submissions or at public hearings before the report is finalised. Religious and Significant Days MAY 2 Twelfth Day of Ridvan* Baha’i 13 Ascension of Christ Christian 19-2 Shavuot * Jewish 23 Pentecost Orthodox Christian Christian Declaration of the Bab* Baha’i 26 National Sorry Day Australia Buddha Day (Visakha Puja/ Vesak) **Buddhist 29 Ascension of Baha’u’llah * Baha’i JUNE 16 Martyrdom of Guru Arjan Dev Sahib Sikh 16 Day of the African Child Celebrated across Africa 20 World Refugee Day United Nations Note: * Usually begins sunset the day before; ** local customs may vary this date. Dates and information largely obtained from the Interfaith Calendar at www.interfaithcalendar.org More details about each day can be found at www.mdaa.org.au on the Frequently Asked Questions page. End of Newsletter