Resources

A health consumer opportunity with Consumer Voice Working Group

Closing date: September 22, 2023

What is it? A minimum 18-month appointment to the Consumer Voice Working Group (CVWG). The Consumer Voice Working Group will help SCV and the Department of Health to better capture and respond to data on the healthcare experience of consumers and carers in Victoria. Is it paid? Yes. It is a paid position. Attendance will … Continued

Mental Health and Wellbeing Act 2022 – Information for the community

The Victoria Health Department have developed a range of fact sheets, video content, easy English guides, posters and other supporting communications products, including information that will be translated into community languages on the Mental Health and Wellbeing Act 2022.

Ask DSC: What supports can be delivered in hospitals?

Dear DSC, As a provider delivering Core supports in a regional area, we’ve had mixed messages about whether we can deliver supports when a participant is in hospital. The participant has requested it and the hospital are happy for us to. But a local NDIA rep says it’s against the rules. We’ve scanned the NDIA Operational … Continued

Beliefs About Disabilities May Predict COVID-19 Precautions

Key Points The social model states that society is the primary cause of disability, so it is a social responsibility. A new study finds that social model beliefs about disability were associated with more COVID-19 precautions. People with stronger social model beliefs were more concerned about disabled people contracting COVID-19.

New Mental Health and Wellbeing Act 2022: Sector briefing

Victoria will have a new Mental Health and Wellbeing Act from 1 September 2023. The new Act replaces the Mental Health Act 2014. It has new rights-based principles that promote the values, preferences and views of Victorians with mental illness or psychological distress. The new principles guide how service providers should deliver assessment, treatment, care and support.

Supporting Women With Disabilities Into Secure Work

The Andrews Labor Government is supporting women with disabilities to secure work in the health, social and disability service sectors, recognising the wealth of lived experience women with disabilities can bring to these industries.

We need psychologists with disability working in mental health

There’s a lot of pressure on disability advocates to be mentally strong all the time. As a content creator, there’s this self-inflicted pressure to be happy. I took on the responsibility as the person who was going to cheer other people up and also raise awareness at the time, to challenge this misconception that if you have a disability, you’re constantly miserable. And because of this idea that people with disability are always miserable, their mental health needs get dismissed, the assumption being it’s normal for a disabled person to be depressed.

Ready To Go Home Resources

The Ready to Go Home resources have been co-designed and co-developed with health consumers with disability, disability service providers and health professionals to improve the hospital experience for a person with disability, and reduce barriers that contribute to discharge delays. The resources include a series of guides for people with disability and their supporters on topics including preparing for a scheduled or unscheduled hospital stay, what to expect while you are there, decision making during your stay, discharge and what happens afterwards.  An associated ‘My hospital kit’ is also available.

Ending the postcode lottery: Addressing barriers to sexual, maternity and reproductive healthcare in Australia

Under Australia’s Disability Strategy 2021–2031, federal, state, and territory governments have committed to improving health services to create better health outcomes for people with disability.  Notwithstanding this, it was brought to the committee’s attention that people with disability continue to face a range of barriers including accessing appropriate, accessible, responsive and equitable reproductive health services and education.

Waking up with a Disability

But none tried to pose the reality before me bravely and empower me for the future. Even the doctors in my family failed to predict the complications, difficulties and challenges ensuing from this accident. The most difficult part I feel is identifying oneself as disabled and shifting your habits, ways and lifestyle from pre-disability to the post life.

Moving towards cultural safety for Aboriginal children with disability

But because of her background in Indigenous health promotion, she knew what she was looking for and what others would need. “And one of the first things that we ever did as a family after his diagnosis was basically [say] how can we support our son better and maintain his culture throughout this journey?”. Davis knew there was a gap that needed to be filled, and in 2019 she started the I Am, Movement.