Odysseus' Labours: A Rehabilitation and Recovery Guide for Those Who Have a Mental Illness and Their Carers

By Paul Kauffman and Rupert Gerritsen

A magnificent guide for anyone suffering mental illness or for a carer. A handbook of practical advice explaining:
· how to obtain the best medical and psychiatric care,
· how to obtain housing,
· what to do if sacked after developing a mental illness, particularly if work related,
· the cellist David Pereira’s description of suffering a mental illness,
· how to navigate the National Disability Insurance Scheme, and
· in sex abuse, how to obtain adequate compensation from a powerful institution.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Tellwell Talent
• Release date: May 17, 2018
• ISBN: 9781925814101

Paul Kauffman

Dr Paul Kauffman is a writer, administrator and polymath.He was leading actor in Shakespearean and classical tragedies at school and university since the age of 16. He studied five European languages at school and five Asian languages at university. He gained a doctoral scholarship to Cambridge University at age 22. He has written four non-fiction books, three novels and published some 30 articles, including seven on psychiatry. In 2017 he established Australian Players ACT to provide paid work to talented Australian actors and directors. He is writing five plays about outstanding women. His plays are accompanied by academic articles and e-books with numerous coloured illustrations and portraits. He established www.lifeofshakespeare.com website with other eminent scholars.For many years he worked with Australian Indigenous peoples helping them gain land rights, native title, and establish housing, health and educational programs. He has also been a visiting professor at Cambridge, University of British Columbia, UQAM Montreal, Konstanz University Germany and the OECD in Paris. He met his wife Jan when 18 in Venice. They married and 12 months later had twin daughters and a son 15 months thereafter, blessed with children even more quickly than William and Anne Shakespeare.Plays Emilia and Wil; Princess Phaedra; Lou Andreas Salome.Music and songs by David Pereira, scripts by Paul Kauffman

Book preview

Odysseus’ Labours

A Rehabilitation and Recovery Guide

for Those Who Have a Mental Illness and Their Carers

by

Paul Kauffman and Rupert Gerritsen

Foreword by Mary Porter AM MLA

Preface by the Hon Gary Humphries

This is an IndieMosh book

brought to you by MoshPit Publishing

an imprint of Mosher’s Business Support Pty Ltd

PO BOX 147

Hazelbrook NSW 2779

https://www.indiemosh.com.au/

Copyright 2018 © Paul Kauffman and Rupert Gerritsen

All rights reserved

Cover David Pereira 2017 (courtesy David Pereira)

Licence Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to your favourite ebook retailer and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted by any person or entity, in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, scanning or by any information storage and retrieval system, without prior permission in writing from the author and publisher.

Disclaimer

Although the authors have made every effort to ensure that the information in this book was correct at press time, the authors and publisher do not assume and hereby disclaim any liability to any party for any loss, damage, or disruption caused by errors or omissions, whether such errors or omissions result from negligence, accident, or any other cause.

Second edition 2018, with a contribution by John Corcoran M.Sc. (Clin. Psych) Canberra (includes ten year outcomes of case-studies). Mental Health Foundation, Canberra.

First edition launched with a Bach recital by cellist David Pereira. David has produced 27 compact discs with the Tall Poppies label. His journey is also described in this book.

Subject matter: mental illness, bipolar, obsessive-compulsive disorder, schizophrenia, recovery from mental illness, psychiatric care, housing, employment discrimination, sex abuse compensation, family manual, David Pereira.

For more information on mental health please visit www.mhf.org.au

ENDORSEMENTS

This book provides a wealth of practical information from persons with many years’ experience in facing challenges in this area and devising ways to overcome those challenges. Recommended for family doctors and other health personnel who are often on the front line of treating sufferers of mental illness and hearing their stories.

Dr Denise Kraus, MBBS, FRACGP, M.Forensic Med & Dr Paul Appleton MBBS, DipRACOG FRACGP FACRRM, Canberra Australia

A magnificent and invaluable guide for anyone unfortunate enough personally, or through a relative or friend, to experience extreme mental illness. The book provides a handbook of practical advice on many topics and also explains:

· how to identify and obtain the best medical and psychiatric care,

· how to obtain suitable housing,

· what to do if a friend or relative is sacked after developing a mental illness, particularly if work related, (Appendix B2),

· David Pereira’s perceptive description of suffering a mental illness (Appendix B2),

· how to navigate the pitfalls of the National Disability Insurance Scheme, (Appendix I) and

· in sex abuse, how to obtain adequate compensation from a powerful institution (Appendix H).

Professor Rolf Gerristen, Charles Darwin University

What an astonishing and positive outcome of a grueling campaign, Paul. I am delighted to receive this news, and wish you and R019738 the very best for your futures.

Warmly,

Professor Michael Jackson, Harvard University USA

I am glad that the situation with R019738 is resolved.

Professor Harold Koenig, MD Duke University USA

An excellent resource.

Jodie Gerritsen, Solicitor, Robinson Gill Lawyers

A wonderful and practical assistance for so many.

Professor Christopher Corns, Law, La Trobe University

Grasp with both hands

Gift of time

Spin dreams

Wonderful dreams

From the poem Trapped by Mary Kirkland Wilson

Sing to me of the man, Muse, the man of twists and turns

Driven time and again off course…

Many cities of men he saw and learned their minds,

many pains he suffered, heartsick on the open sea, fighting to save his life and bring his comrades home.

From The Odyssey 1.1-6 by Homer 700 B.C.

About the Authors

Dr Paul Kauffman is an Adjunct Professor at the National Institute for Governance at the University of Canberra who has administered national health and housing programs. He has a doctorate from the Australian National University and has also undertaken research on public policy issues in Canada and Europe. He has published books on Indigenous and multicultural affairs in four countries and published extensively on severe mental illnesses. He has also been a pro bono carer for many years.

Rupert Gerritsen was Team Leader, Community Information and Education with the Mental Health Foundation. He hails from Western Australia where he worked with Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal young people, people with mental health problems, the homeless, and the community through drop-in centres, worker cooperatives, housing cooperatives, early intervention programs, outreach programs and youth employment programs. He has researched and published extensively in social issues, history, historical ethnography, historical linguistics, and archaeology, and has edited an international journal. The Mental Health Foundation delivers a range of high quality services for people with a mental illness and their carers, engages in mental health promotion and fosters consumer and carer participation.

John Corcoran M.Psych is Principal of Psychology ACT which has operated for over 20 years in Canberra and he has been M’s psychologist for over 12 years.

Disclaimer

The views expressed in this publication are those of the authors and not of any organisation(s) or company.

Comments, Suggestions and Additional Information

Please direct any comments, suggestions or additional information for inclusion in future editions, including information on other jurisdictions for publication in later editions, to: [e-mail]

Dr Denise Kraus (left) Dr Paul Kauffman & Jan Kauffman April 2018

Acknowledgements

We would like to thank the following people who have assisted us and many other people in the ACT in various ways over many years.

Medical specialists

Dr Les Drew MBBS; Professor Kathy Griffiths; Dr Paul Hamilton MBBS; Dr Jean Hollis MBBS; Professor Harold Koenig MD (Duke University); Dr Denise Kraus MBBS; Dr Robert Llwellyn-Jones MBBS; Professor Tim Lambert MD; Professor Patrick McGorry MBBS AO; Dr Bruce Lean MBBS; Dr Clive Roger McLennan MBBS; Psychology ACT (John Corcoran M.Sci Clin. Psych); Dr Kalyana Rodrigo MBBS; Dr Stephen Rosenmann MBBS; Dr John Saboisky MBBS; Dr Joseph Stoklosa MD and Dr Florian Wettenmeyer MBBS.

Community organisations

ACT CISM (Karen Ott); ACT MHCN (Maureen Bell, Prue Borrman, Leanne Craze, David Lovegrove); Barnardos (Annette Egerton); Belconnen Community Service (Sally Patterson, Ineke Wylde); Calwell Community Centre (Lydia Graham); Canberra Institutee of Technology (Jenny Thompson); Carers ACT (Jan Agnew, Katina Ellis, Jeannine Koochew, Carol Mead); Centacare (Rosemary Agnew, Anne Kirwan, Leigh Mann, Jill Wright-Young); Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (Jenny Fotherrill) Community Connections (Brenda Field, Brenda Malcolm); DUO (Sudheera de Silva, Annie Cheng) FaBRiC (Cheryl Daw); GROW (Trish Pullen, Petra Solazzini); Inanna (Robyn Sirr, Winsome Willow); Lifeline (Lisa Kelly); Reverend Dave McLennan; Mental Health Foundation (Mary Gays); Mental Illness Foundation (Maureen Hickman); Mental Illness Fellowship (Bernette Redwood); Mental Illness Fellowship (Ian Morrison); MIEACT (Margy Wylde-Browne); Northside Community Service (Stephen Larcombe); Ozhelp (Glenn Baird, Tracey Radborne, Keith Todd); Respite Care ACT (Paul Bartholemew, Melissa Lee); Richmond Fellowship (Heide Seaman); Skills for Carers (Karen Noble); Southside Community Services (Vicky Moseley); Toora Women Inc (Penny Becker); Woden Community Service (Jacqueline Paul, Chris Redmond); Workways (Kristy Elias, Lisa McPherson-Sturt); Sheelah Egan; ADACAS; Andy Hardwicke (MHACT); Victims Service (Anne Barrie); VYNE (Irmgard Reid); Simone-Maree Spano and Debbie Watson (editor) and Wellways (Adrienne Gross; Cyrus Smith).

Sex abuse

MaryAnn Armstrong (Armstrong Kutz Lawyers Queensland); Professor Selena Bartlett Queensland University of Technology; Broken Rites Australia www.brokenrites.org.au; Wayne Chamley; Scott Corfield; Professor Christopher Corns (criminal lawyer); Martin McKenzie-Murray (journalist); Amanda Gearing (journalist); Jodie Gerritsen (Roberston Gill Lawyers Victoria); Ross Koffel (Koffel Barristers and Solicitors NSW); Jack Thompson (actor).

Preface

Former Senator the Hon Gary Humphries, since 2015 Deputy President of the Australian Capital Territory Administrative Appeals Tribunal

Senator for the ACT and Deputy Chairman Senate Select Committee for Mental Health

As deputy chairman of the Senate’s Select Committee on Mental Health, it is with great pleasure that I have agreed to write a preface to this important book by Professor Paul Kauffman and Rupert Gerritsen, on mental health rehabilitation.

The first Senate Report, in March 2006, found that there needs to be more money, more effort and more care given to this neglected part of our health care system and that there is not enough emphasis on prevention and early intervention.

The committee was inundated with submissions not only drawing attention to the system’s failings, but offering constructive suggestions on how to fix them.

We recommended a substantial overall increase in funding for mental health services over time, to more closely reflect the disease burden and to satisfy the very significant unmet need.

We wish to guarantee the right of people with mental illness to access services in the least restrictive environment, to be actively engaged in determining their treatment and to be assisted in social reintegration and underpin those rights with legislation.

We wish to promote consumer involvement in service provision and promote the recovery model in mental health.

In our Report we proposed:

· A new set of Medicare mental health schedule fees and rebates for combinations of private consulting psychiatrists, GPs and psychologists,

· Reform the National Mental Health Strategy (NMHS) to guarantee the right of people with mental illness to access services in the least