A friend on the autism spectrum who deals with mental health issues asked me if I’ve ever suffered the Mental Health system myself.  It was a great question and really the answer depends on what the contrast is.

I was diagnosed in a 3 day hospital observation at the age of 2 as psychotic. In 1965 that would have been a social death knell.  The abuse, degredation, being hidden, paraded etc, the sense I was only temporary and ultimately pegged for an institution… was that suffering due to the mental health system?

7 yrs of the primary school having me observed by Psych and Guidance, studied, evading, being labeled disturbed for my inability to comply, participate, communicate with all the associated 2nd class citizenship that entails in a mainstream.  The teachers going through the motions at best, mostly left alone or stood out in the corridor, later stood in the rubbish bin by the teacher who threw chalk at me to the amusement of the students… is that due to the mental health system? Read the rest of this entry »

Hot off the press…..

Greens candidate for Brand, Dawn Jecks and Greens health spokesperson, Rachel Siewert have urged the Government to reconsider a decision to cut funding for social workers and occupational therapists from a major mental health program. Senator Siewert said the removal of more than one thousand social workers from the Better Access program was an example of government’s “inadequate” response to growing demands on mental health services.

“Front line mental health social workers are absolutely critical to an effective approach to mental health care. Many people will be unable to receive Medicare-funded assistance from mental health social workers if these cuts go ahead.” The Better Access program will lose the funding for 1100 social workers in April next year if the funding cuts go ahead.  The Greens opposed these changes when they were announced and we continue to oppose the Federal Government’s plan.

“If social workers and occupation therapists are removed from the Better Access program – the consequences for people who need mental health care will be dramatic,” said Senator Siewert. The Federal Department of Health and Ageing is currently reviewing the program but, despite the review not being finalised, the Government has already made the decision to axe social workers from the program.

Ms Jecks said she was “deeply troubled” by the decision. “Social workers and occupational therapists are essential to a comprehensive approach to mental health,” she said. “Mental health is a matter of national importance requiring the creation of a new position in cabinet – a dedicated Minister for Mental Health”. Read the rest of this entry »

When most people think of mental health they tend to think of psychologists or psychiatrists.  But what do Social Workers and Occupational Therapists do in the mental health field?  Can’t that all be covered by psychologists and psychiatrists?   Find out before the government succeeds in cutting Medicare funding for OTs and Social Workers. Read the rest of this entry »

Once upon a time a 9 year old girl had been stimming in the garden.  Thirty feet away, an excited black curly haired retriever/kelpie cross bounded about happily, looking like a cheery harmless grizzly bear.  The dog had no name for it was only visiting.  It belonged a man who’d gone on holiday and was being looked after in respite care.  But the 9 year old didn’t care, for anything friendly was a friend.  Read the rest of this entry »

In 2008 The Aspinauts and I were gathered in a living room improvising with me doing beat poetry as the guys jammed on guitars, drums, keyboards.  It became an anti war protest song, Ladies and Gentlemen.  Luckily, someone hit the record button so when Paul joined us as drummer in 2009 we began to rehearse the song.  It became a powerful, almost Floydian stand out piece of sound art and made it onto the debut album, Broken Biscuit in 2010.

Here’s the video clip made by Oz Thomas, a colorful human and a wonderful poet in his own right.

We’ve always considered Donna and The Aspinauts to be diversity friendly but what does it mean to be a disability friendly band?  Is it about having people with disabilities in the band?  Is it about making it easy for those with disabilities to attend your gigs and shows?  Is it about having a natural sense of equality with and respect for those with disabilities?  Is it about having a strong presence in the wider disability community?  Read the rest of this entry »

AIME is a mentoring program for Indigenous Australian high school kids.  It links them up with Indigenous University Students to inspire and encourage them to take their hopes, dreams and skills further.  AIME has launched a TV campaign to raise awareness of their program.  They need (tax deductible) donations to keep this important program going.  They need to spread awareness of the program and the inequality indigenous Australian’s, particularly youth, are still experiencing in Australian cities and towns today.  Check out their work.  Blog about it.  Volunteer.  Donate.  Read the rest of this entry »

This week Australia was again wrangling over asylum seekers headed for Australian shores.  Whilst the Rudd government has not been as overtly racist as that of John Howard, it still fails to lead the Australian people in how to combine both warmth and sense in tackling ‘the asylum seeker issue’ and the media as still to self interested to address their use of loaded terms which fan the flames of racism and sell their papers. Read the rest of this entry »

Footsteps of a Nobody is getting a 2nd showing!

Footsteps of a Nobody is a powerful one woman rock-musical from Donna Williams, author of the international bestseller, Nobody Nowhere; Autobiography of an Autistic Girl. Through characterisations, gestural signing, evocative spoken word and song it traces Donna’s pivotal experiences from a meaning deaf, meaning blind feral child to homelessness and life as a domestic prostitute and on to her ultimate fight to claim a place of equality among others.

REVIEWS OF DONNA WILLIAMS’ BOOKS:
THE NEW YORK TIMES: She allows us to understand our own perceptions as never before.
PEOPLE MAGAZINE: By turns fascinating and harrowing…
WEEKEND REVIEW: …evocative, poetic…compelling, shocking, gut-wrenchingly moving…
DAILY TELEGRAPH: Powerful and unique.
THE GLOBE AND MAIL: deserves every superlative a reviewer can muster.

BOOKINGS: 9329 8821

www.spenserslive.com.au
www.aspinauts.com

  Following the recent incendiary theatrics surrounding international autism expert and author, Tony Attwood, I invited him to a Skype interview.  I recorded the hour long interview in which I asked Tony about his involvement with FAAS, his take on CAAD, his view on autistic culture and the autistic pride movement, about the concept of hate groups and whether he does farcical characterisations of non-spectrum people too.  The result was an amusing interview over on my podcast site, Odd Pod. Read the rest of this entry »