Community News

Seniors back elderly abuse laws

House of Reps passes NDIS bill

The House of Representatives has passed legislation to set up the Government’s National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS).

The bill, which will allow the scheme to be launched from July, passed with the support of all MPs.

Disability Reform Minister Jenny Macklin broke down as she wound up her speech on the bill.  Full story here..

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My Future My Life Workshop

  www.myfuturemylife.com.au

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Miraa House Open Day

Met with Amy and the Team at Miraa House at Seventeen Mile Rocks yesterday.   What a wonderful atmosphere they have created to provide a safe learning environment for young women between the ages of 18 – 30 with an intellectual disability. click here to read more.

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New Branding for Flexible Support

Last week, they unveiled a new brand strategy and visual identity that not only better encapsulates who they are and why they exist, but will make it easier for them to explain the positive impact they have in our community.

It is important to know that their mission, vision and values remain the same.   In fact, they are more important that ever and can be reflected in their new tagline “We give but never give up”.   This is a brand promise that Flexible Living has always adhered to and will continue to do so each and every day.   It is the promise they make to their clients, their funding bodies, the community and to themselves.

the new branding helps them do a better job of telling their story, explaining the depth of their services and most importantly it will help strengthen the voice behind the way they continue to advocate for their clients and their families.

Flixible Living is in fact part of a family of organisations that for more than 30 years have been working to support and enhance the quality of life of many Australinas.   This family of organisation is called the Community Services Group.
* Flexible Living ( Elderly Support and Volunteering Service)
* Ability Care (Disability Services)
* Foundations Care ( Relationship, Therapeutic Services and Out-of-Home Care)
* Community Services Australia ( Business consultancy for Community based organisations, Family relationship Centre).

National Disability Insurance Forum Broadcast

Recently Dr Sev Ozdowski OAM and the UWS Equity and Diversity Unit hosted an Open Forum on the topic National Disability Insurance – De we need it?   The speakers at this event were Suzanne Colbert AM, Chief Executive, Australian Network on Disability and Dr Mark Bagshaw, Disability ADvocate

TVS Digital Channel 44 will be broadcasting this Forum on the following dates:

Sunday 11th November at 6.30pm
Monday 12th November at 12 noon
Tuesday 13th November at 11pm

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The Mental Health Information Line has extended services from
9:00am to 7:00pm, Monday – Friday.

The Mental Health Information Line utilises Queensland’s most comprehensive mental health service directory. Our professionally trained team of consultants strive to raise awareness of mental illness and to promote positive mental health connections in your community.

The Mental Health Information Line provides information and referrals on mental health related services in Queensland; service types include support groups, men’s services, respite, child and youth services and many more.

We can discuss with you how a referral to a particular service might assist you or a loved one, we also have a range of information packs available on mental illnesses and mental wellbeing which we can send via email attachments or postal.

If we can’t find something in your area then we will let you know where the nearest appropriate service is located. Contact us to find out how services in the community can either help you, your family or your friends.

You can call the Mental Health Information Line on 1300 729 686 for the cost of a local call.

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New Online Support Service increasing access to professional support for Queenslanders!

A new and exciting free online video support service is being rolled out across Queensland to better serve the needs of all Queenslanders and particularly remote and rural communities. This service, staffed by Clinicians qualified to provide longer term counselling and therapeutic intervention, enables people to remotely access professional support via online video to assist in addressing any issues that may be affecting mental health and quality of life. By providing free and accessible professional support from outside of the person’s usual community, the Online Support Service aims to increase the participation of people who delay accessing mental health support due to a lack of economic or social convenience or who have concerns regarding a lack of anonymity in smaller communities. The main aim is improving access and equity of services for these people and regions.

People might use the Online Support Service if they:

• feel they need to talk to someone about what’s going on in their life
• could use some support while clarifying their goals and future direction
• are worried about their mental health or feeling down or stressed
• are feeling isolated or alone
• want to reduce their drug and/or alcohol use
• are concerned about a friend or family member

The Online Support Service is appointment based, via online video. However, if online video is not accessible, support may also be available by telephone. The service is individualised and therefore more able to meet the needs of the person referred, with no limit on the amount of sessions available.

Referral into this service is via the Mental Health Information Line on 1300 729 686. Please call this number if you would like more information or to access referral.

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Downs Syndrome Assoc – Reading Our Way

                                              Parents, Teachers, Therapists & other support staff,

You are invited to attend a professional development workshop

Teaching Reading to Students with Intellectual Impairmen

An Introduction to

…IPSWICH……..BRISBANE……GOLD COAST……TOOWOOMBA……SUNSHINE COAST……BUNDABERG……ROCKHAMPTON……MACKAY……TOWNSVILLE……CAIRNS……

Reading Our Way is an exciting new reading program that has been designed for students who are visual learners. The all inclusive program teaches sight words through fun, interactive and engaging activities, with everything that is needed to implement the program included in the kit.

Reading Our Way is designed to support early reading and word recognition for students with Down syndrome. It is based on research which suggests that students with Down syndrome learn to read best via the whole word approach to reading. This is true for students with a variety of needs and as such, this program will be beneficial in teaching a range of students to read

Watch an introductory video about Reading Our Way here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YxbWg6gNK0A&feature=youtu.be

The Professional Development session will include:

• An introduction to teaching reading

• The latest research into teaching reading to people with intellectual impairment

• Practical reading activities and strategies to be used in an educational or home environment

• An overview of the Reading Our Way Program

• Details on implementation and purchase of Reading Our Way

Venues: to be advised
Ipswich Wed 17th October 5-7pm Ipswich Library Auditorium, 40 South St, Ipswich
Brisbane Tues 23rd October 5-7pm DSAQ Conference Room, 282 Stafford Rd, Stafford
Gold Coast Thurs 25th October 5-7pm Southport Community Ctr, 6 Lawson St, Southport
Toowoomba Fri 26th October 5-7pm Cedar Centre, 36 Baker St, Toowoomba
Sunshine Coast Mon 29th October 5-7pm Lake Kawana Community Ctr, 114 Sportsman Pde, Bokarina
Bundaberg Tues 30th October 5-7pm Enterprise Ctr, Cnr Quay & Tantitha Sts, Bundaberg
Rockhampton Wed 31st October 5-7pm The Allenstown Hotel, 8 Upper Dawson Rd, Rockhampton
Mackay Thurs 1st November 5-7pm TBA
Townsville Mon 5th November 5-7pm Arcadian Surf Life Saving Club, The Strand, Townsville
Cairns Tues 6th November 5-7pm Quality Hotel Sheridan Plaza, 295 Sheridan St, Cairns
Cost:
Members (Parents and Organisations): $40.00 each (includes GST)
Non-Members (Parents and Organisations): $50.00 each (includes GST)

Contact:     Amanda Corby           Education Consultant
Down Syndrome Association of Queensland

Ph: 07 3356 6655              Web: dsaq.org.au

Cleveland Court Support Service

The Court Support initiative provides court based risk assessment, information and support to people who experience domestic and family violence and who attend a Magistrates Court for a domestic and family violence matter. Funding of up to $41,649 per annum is available to provide a domestic and family violence court support service at the Cleveland Magistrates Court. The Funding Information Paper and Submission Form are available on the Department of Communities, Child Safety and Disability Services web site at www.communities.qld.gov.au, or from your local regional office.

The contact officer for this Funding Information Paper is Bob Helyar, Senior Resource Officer, Logan and Redland CCSQ Service Centre on 3884 7820.

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Finally a fair go for the community’s forgotten people

Do you know someone who has made a difference in the lives of people with autism and their families?  Has a teacher, therapist, social worker, school or business gone above and beyond the call to raise autism awareness, raise funds, increase

understanding or demonstrate personal achievement?

Autism Queensland recognises there are many individuals and organisations that make significant contributions in our community and are calling for nominations for the 2012 Creative Futures Recognition Awards.
The awards are an annual, Queensland-wide search to recognise the individual contributions of people living with autism as well as the parents, carers, schools and employers who support them.
Creative Futures highlights the services and supports that are essential to addressing the complex problems associated with autism, a lifelong disability which requires varying levels of intervention and support throughout a person’s life.
Nominations are currently open and must be received by 5.00pm on Friday 28 September 2012.  The awards will be presented at a morning tea on Friday 26 October 2012 at Government House, Brisbane by invitation only.
Autism Queensland will present awards in seven categories. For more information and a nomination form please visit www.autismqld.com.au

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UnitingCare Community Vacation Care Program

UnitingCare Community Vacation Care Program operates from 8am – 5pm from:

• Beenleigh Special School – Mt Warren Blvd, Mt Warren Park
• Nursery Road State Special School - Nursery Rd, Mt Gravatt West
• Mitchelton Special School – Kedron Ave, Mitchelton

To participate in the Vacation Care program, your child must be of school age 5-18 years and have a diagnosed disability. Our policy of inclusion endeavors to understand and provide for the individual needs of your child. Depending on your child’s support needs we may require your cooperation and assistance to meet your child’s needs.

The service will do their best to incorporate all children however are unable to jeopardise the safety of the child or other children and staff. If through consultation an acceptable level of safety cannot be provided the parent/carer will be requested to make other suitable arrangements.   More information here…

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Community Mental Health Job Placement Program

Graduates eager to enter the labour market present an opportunity to promote entry-level pathways in community mental health, which is why the Health and Community Services Workforce Council (Workforce Council) is seeking interest from organisations to take part in a new pilot initiative funded by Skills Queensland, which offers university graduates a twelve-week paid work placement to gain experience and exposure to community mental health practice and roles across service delivered in Queensland.   For more information click here

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The Vision Australia Further Education Bursary 2012 is now open for application

Please inform students with a vision impairment seeking to study (or already studying) an accredited course at or above certificate 4 level, including undergraduate adn postgraduate degrees, in 2012 of this opportunity to receive adaptive technology to assist them with their studies.

Applications will close on 31st October 2012.      For more information and the application process please visit the Vision Australia website: www.visionaustralia.org/bursary    For enquiries please contact Dr. Max Bini, Tertiary Education Consultant, Vision Australia, Free Call 1300 84 74 66  or direct line:  03 8378 1223.     email:  max.bini@visionaustralia.org

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NDIS is dangerously close to becoming what we feared – a political football

Yesterday’s COAG meeting failed to reach broad agreement from all states and territory leaders on the funding arrangements for the National Disability Insurance Scheme.    It’s a disappointing development, but there is still some hope.
Disability ministers from New South Wales and Victoria are meeting with the Federal Government today.    We are watching this meeting very closely to see if all our politicians can work together and make the NDIS real – we will be back in touch with what happens next very soon.

But there was also good progress yesterday, progress that should not be forgotten. We have launch sites agreed for South Australia, Tasmania and the ACT.   Our nation’s leaders heard your call for the NDIS, with more than 6,500 messages hand delivered to the meeting by campaigners. You can read them here.      We have all worked long and hard to get closer and closer to the NDIS. But we must not let the developments of the last 24 hours hold us back.

Take a minute to forward this page link to your friends and colleagues so they can help us win this fight for every Australian.
Because if your friends support the campaign, they will spread the word and even more people will join with us.    The more people who are banging the drum for the NDIS, the more our politicians will get to work to make the NDIS happen.
Thank you for your support.
The Every Australian Counts Team
www.everyaustraliancounts.com.au

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Warm Face, Warm Hands, Warm Feet, Blanket & sensible shoe winter appeal.

If you ave any sensible shoes or blankets that you no longer require, drop them off at your nearest Metropolitan Funerals & you can help make this winter a little bit easier for someone else.

All shoes and blankets will be given to Brisbane & Logan’s disadvantaged and homeless people who rely on help from Cummunity Friends.  For more details or to find out how you can help contact Mark from Community Friends on 0418 754 900 or Metropolitan Funerals on 3209 3555 Drop off 8am to 4.30pm at your nearest location.

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Do you want to be hidden away when you’re old?

Aged care. It’s not a very sexy topic. In fact many of us are so unwilling to consider elderly life, a successful architect in the sector has received death threats from residents opposed to the building of nursing homes in their neighbourhoods.   read more..

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Bendigo to get $10.5 million disability accommodation boost

Bendigo community service providers Golden City Support Services and St Luke’s Anglicare will create new supported accommodation places for people living with a disability following the announcement of $10.5 million in funding from the Victorian Coalition Government.   full article..

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Disability community research capacity workshop

• Monday 13 August 2012 12:30 pm – 4:00 pm
• New South Wales

Dr Rebecca Lawthom and Professor Dan Goodley, Manchester Metropolitan University,  will lead an interactive workshop about disability community organisations and members working with university researchers.  more details..

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Continence aid recycling wins business award

An innovative Australian company establishing a recycling service for ‘absorbent hygiene products’, including incontinence products from aged care services, has won a major international business award.    The new Australian recycling company, Relivit, is licensing and commercialising technology for the full recycling of absorbent hygiene product (AHP) waste including disposable nappies, feminine hygiene products and adult continence aids.  Full article…

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Councillors challenged to day in wheelchair

A challenge has been issued to every Logan City councillor to spend a day in a wheelchair in an effort to improve disabled access.   Queenslanders with Disability Network chief executive Fran Vicary said spending a day in a wheelchair was the only way to get people to think about access issues and address them…..   read more..

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A very popular art winner

The exhibition is finished, the votes counted and the Parkes Waste to Art 2012 People’s Choice winner is “Octopus’ Garden” by Currajong Disability Service.

Visitors to the Parkes Waste to Art exhibition voted for their favourite artwork and the underwater sea scene created by Currajong Disability Services captured many imaginations.  see photos a rest of article…

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Getting to the heart of the matter on stroke

A silent killer is stalking many families across Australia, taking victims with little notice while driving a black-hole in the country’s health budget. But a simple pulse check may be enough to detect this harmful and costly condition.    Every year, as many as three million people across the world will have a stroke attributable to abnormal heartbeats called atrial.  read more…

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