‘It takes more than a form: respect, care and dignity in handling mental health Complaints’ is a participatory action research project initiated by the Illawarra Mental Health Action Coalition and completed in partnership with Shellharbour TAFE Diploma of Community Welfare students. The project explores what works and what doesn't work for people using the mental health care system and in particular the complaints process. While this is a small-scale, qualitative research project it does provide valuable insight into the experiences of consumers and carers. Their ideas about what makes a difference in their care and treatment could help to improve the service system in the Illawarra and Shoalhaven regions.

Click here to download

 

‘Stories from the Hood’ is an action research project produced by Shellharbour TAFE Diploma of Community Services students in conjunction with the Illawarra Regional Community Development Consortium and the Illawarra Forum to support the work of place-based organisations.

The purpose of this action research project is to demonstrate the contributions place-based organisations make to the health & well being of communities in the Illawarra. Place-based organisations are distinguished by focusing their work efforts in a particular neighbourhood or bounded locality. They pay particular attention to those most marginalised in their community. Placebased organisations build relationships between people, develop community life and are actively involved in local community issues and concerns. This report thereby investigates the differences place-based organisations make to people’s lives and the benefits they bring to communities at a neighbourhood level.

Click here to download

 

The ‘Our Voices Our Communities’ (OVOC) action research project investigates the contribution small, local community groups make to the health and well being of the Illawarra community. It also considers the impact of current social policy on the community services sector, particularly the impact on small grass roots community organisations, and the people living in culturally diverse, Indigenous, marginalised or disadvantaged communities. The research project is a collaborative initiative between Shellharbour TAFE, Illawarra Forum, Voice for SONG, and Illawarra Multicultural Services. It developed out of a broader three year research project called ‘Valuing Local NGO Knowledge in Planning Community Services Research Project’ funded by the Australian Research Council.

Click here to download

 

It’s Time, It’s Overdue and It Can Be Fixed ...100,000 people, 36,000 aged 12 to 24 years, 22,000 of those are teenagers, an additional 10,000 children homeless on any night. This is the speech given by Narelle Clay, Chief Executive Officer of Southern Youth and Family Services at the National Homelessness Conference in May 2008. The Conference was attended by 1,200 people.

Download this speech

 

The number of people with mental health issues has increased, with more than 3 million Australians affected in any one year and an estimated annual cost of around 20 billion. Now is a critical moment for mental health in Australia. Despite many inquiries and reports into the mental health system, it seems that the system has consistently failed to meet the needs of both those with a mental health illness and their carers. ‘Our Mental Health Care System’ is a discussion paper prepared for the Social Policy Conference - Steering Our Future - in November 2006.

Download this discussion paper

 

 

 

Click here to go back to Publications