NDIS system wearing people with disabilities and their families down

The NDIS is ideologically grounded in the idea of "choice". Rather than funding being allocated to service providers who decide what services people receive, in theory funding is given directly to people to choose what support they want for themselves.

What actually happens is that, left without guidance or even consistently applied legislation, NDIS participants are left to negotiate an arcane system of rules, providers, delays, decisions, reviews and regulations for themselves.


The ABC

One million Australians don't receive mental health care

 Younger people and people in rural and regional areas at most risk. 

The Sydney Morning Herald

Everything you know about Jonestown is wrong

I recently saw a tweet referring to Jim Jones' followers - the members of Peoples Temple who died at Jonestown in 1978 - as brainwashed zombies. Every time I hear this, I feel saddened but not surprised. Whilst the people who died at Jonestown have been maligned for 40 years, the media narrative which started in the days after the massacre and has continued ever since of zealots mindlessly slaughtering their children before taking their own lives is very far from the truth. Like everything in life the real story is far more complicated. 

So here it is: why everything you know about Jonestown is wrong (and why you should never joke about "drinking the kool aid"). Strap in, it's going to be a long one. 

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Shattering myths on out of home care

Kirsten Gray, a Muruwari/Yuwalaraay child protection solicitor, Indigenous policy officer and former "care kid" on how the system meant to protect Aboriginal children instead perpetuates the pain and trauma. 

The Guardian 

Australia is bracing for a tsunami of homeless older women

https://probonoaustralia.com.au/news/2019/10/australia-is-bracing-for-a-tsunami-of-homeless-women/