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Hunters Hill Local News |
30 June 2010
TO THE POINT with Bernadette Beinke
To The POINT
With
Bernadette Beinke
SIX MONTHS ago a group of concerned carers began its battle with North Sydney Central Coast Area Health Services (NSCCAHS) to save Cornucopia Cafe in the grounds of Gladesville Hospital.
It was in protest of an attempt by NSCCAHS to ‘sell off’ the cafe and nursery to a non-government organisation (NGO).
A public meeting at the cafe was well supported by customers, consumers and their carers, the local community, local police and politicians, Lane Cove MP Anthony Roberts, Ryde MP Victor Dominello, Hornsby MP Judy Hopwood, Barwon MP Kevin Humphries, Shadow Minister for Mental Health, national and local media, including TWT.
After the meeting two of the cafe employees’ mothers were finally granted a meeting with Minister Assisting the Minister for Health (Mental Health) Barbara Perry MP.
In this meeting she assured us that, “No one would lose their job.” She apologised on behalf of NSCCAHS for their lack of consultation and consideration for the mental health of employees and their carers and admitted to us that they had got it wrong.
* * *
THE MINISTER appointed a review panel to determine how consistent the program at Cornucopia was with current NSW policy in the provision of vocational rehabilitation and training.
Cornucopia has been running a successful and profitable business and program since 1988.
At another public meeting on June 10, also well supported by the local community and media, key stakeholders were given a draft of the panel’s review.
This 43-page document was a result of numerous consultative meetings with consumers, carers, area health workers and board members. To say the document was confusing is an understatement.
Even members of the review panel struggled to explain it clearly, and so we were given two weeks to respond to the recommendations before it was to be officially submitted to the minister for her approval.
Having attended many of the consultation meetings it was obvious that the real issue behind the ‘sell off’ was for NSCCAHS to shift the responsibility of the rehabilitation services of the mentally ill to a community organisation, saying that an NGO would have better access to government funding and therefore would be able to offer more extensive programs to the consumers. It was clearly a money saving exercise on behalf of NSCCAHS.
IT IS also obvious that NSCCAHS have systematically dismantled other successful mental health programs over a number of years. No new services have been provided in their place which means there are many people suffering severe mental illnesses without hope of true recovery and rehabilitation.
My son Patrick was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia 12 years ago and after a number of admissions to the Acute Ward at Macquarie Hospital and 12 months living on site in the Fig Tree Unit, it was suggested he try out for a position at Cornucopia Cafe.
For the past eight years Patrick has been employed at the cafe where he works as a barista, a chef and at times acting manager. He has also just completed Certificate III in Commercial Cookery at TAFE.
During this time he has had no relapses and no hospital admissions. I can, without hesitation, attribute much of this to the successful program which has been set up at Cornucopia and I am determined to see that the program continues so that others, like Patrick, can have a real job with a real wage - a job to call their own.
* BERNADETTE BEINKE is a local carer.
Courtesy of TWT
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