Brainwaves

This week we speak to Andi Jones, a volunteer coordinator from Launch Housing Melbourne. Launch Housing is a not-for-profit organisation which was formed from the merger of two of Melbourne's largest and most respected homelessness services. Launch Housing believes that every individual has a right to have a home and it is their goal is to put an end to homelessness, whlist providing support to th...

This week we speak with Dr James McLure, peer support worker with Pathways Mental Health and Wellbeing Services and author of Eight Stones: My Journey Through Schizophrenia and Depression. James, a former AFL footballer with a PHD in clinical pharmacology, discusses everyfrom from his lived experience with mental illness to his role with the with the support group GROW, as well as his stance on me...

On this week's episode of Brainwaves, Hannah shares her lived experience of Bulimia Nervosa. Hannah talks about factors that contributed to her developing the disorder, her behaviours and feelings when she was unwell, and how she managed to recover. She also discusses her experience with major depression and anxiety, and a serious physical illness. This show contains material that may be distressi...

This week is Mental Health Week, and in honour of this years theme - "where to from here?" - the Brainwaves team speaks to Phil Crooks from Senswide Employment. Many individuals associate wellness and recovery with obtaining meaningful employment. Phil chats about what it's like for people with mental illness to find employment through a disability employment service. Feel free to contact Senswide...

This week is BPD Awareness Week (October 1st - October 7th). In honour of that, the Brainwaves team talks to Barb Mullen from the BPD Community. BPD otherwise known as Borderline Personality Disorder is a common mental illness. It is characterised by poor control of emotions and impulses, unstable interpersonal relationships and unstable self-image. On the 6th of October at 7pm there is a Melbourn...

On today's show, the Brainwaves team talk to sisters Rachael and Jenna about the organisation they founded- Run4mind. Run4mind aims to increase awareness about mental illness and raise funds for mental health organisations through ultra running campaigns. Both girls have a background in the fitness industry and a lived experience of mental illness, and they talk about the importance of excercise i...

On today's show, we talk to Brainwaves team member Rebecca on her experience of rehab and returning to everyday life. Rebecca tells us a little about how she ended up in rehab, what it was like while she was there, and how she got to where she is now in life. This episode of Brainwaves discusses heavy topics including self harm and suicide. If you or anyone you care about is struggling with their...

Art therapist Emma Finch talks to the Brainwaves team about art therapy and how art can be used as a way of expressing the experience of mental illness. Emma also talks about The Black Dog Art Exhibition which is running from Friday 30th September to Satruday 1st October 2016. This exhibition uses the creative therapies to explore what it is like to live with mental health issues as the “elephant...

Philippa talks to the Brainwaves team about her lived experience of mental illness, schizophrenia and recovery.

Richard Hill is a psychotherapist who began his career as a professional actor for 25 years, but returned to university at 45 to do a BA in linguistics and went on to complete three Masters degrees with a focus on neurobiology and neuroscience. Richard is interested in how to apply developments in neuroscience into therapeutic practice and what techniques practitioners can utilise to help clients...

MI Fellowship has partnered with three avid walkers who will undertake El Camino de Santiago de Compostela, the most famous pilgrimage in the world, to raise awareness of mental health and the impacts of mental illness on individuals and families. MI Fellowship supporters Cheryl McInnes, Kym Murphy and Tony Whyte will embark on ‘one million steps for mental health’ in August of this year, commenci...

Over the last century, Australia has taken a huge step forward for the human rights of those with a mental illness by working towards deinstitutionalization, taking into account the ineffectiveness of institutional care along with the possibilities of abuse and neglect in long-term institutionalization. Shifting mental health care into the community has become a priority for governing bodies. Howe...

The Lead Tenant program seeks to create an environment where adolescents can transition into independent living. Two adolescents are paired with two adults in the community (Lead Tenants) where they share-house together. The program strives to foster a living environment that allows Lead Tenants to exhibit positive role modeling, engage a young person’s social and recreational skills, establish po...

Today on Brainwaves we talk to Simon Katterl, a community consumer advocate. We discuss the role of an advocate in the mental health system, all about Advanced Statements and the new Mental Health Act, and what the difference is between a voluntary and an involuntary patient. We attempt to answer a very interesting question: are voluntary patients really voluntary?

On todays show we talk about the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) with David Parker and Elena Ashley from JobCo. We talk about what the NDIS is, what it means for consumers and how it fits in with the current mental health care system. JobCo is a not-for-profit organisation which can help consumers find resources relating to the implementation of the NDIS. You can access the JobCo websi...

Brainwaves speaks to exercise physiologist Louise Pontin from The Mind Movement Co. on the connection between our body and our mind and how we can incorporate movement into our lives in order to stay mentally well. For more information about The Mind Movement Co, visit http://www.themindmovement.co/, and have a read of Louise's article "Why I'm grateful to have depression".

Rose speaks with Bernadette and Phil from the BPD Community who are both carers of loved ones who have a diagnosis of Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD). BPD is one of the most misunderstood diagnoses and Bernadette and Phil speak about their experiences as carers, trying to understand their loved ones illness, care for their loved one and also care for themselves. Bernadette and Phil have reci...

On today's show we talk to Sarah, one of our Brainwaves team members, on her life after relapse. We discuss her recovery from Major Depression and the various ways in which she has learned to cope with her mental illness. 

On today's show Rose Cuff, statewide FaPMI coordinator and Catherine Vine, peer program worker talk with Chiara & Terri about the services available for family members who have a loved one with a mental illness. For more information on the FaPMI stratedgy and for how to find a FaPMI coordinator in your area, please visit http://www.bouverie.org.au/support-for-services/fapmi. For more information o...

On the first week of our carers special, we discuss the Let's Talk About Children project with project manager Dr Melinda Goodyear and participant Sian. The Let's Talk Project from Monash University aims to help aid the recovery process for parents dealing with mental health issues. We talk about what the project is about and how it works, with some first-hand insight from Sian on her experience o...

Simon Duffy talks to Brainwaves following his keynote speech “Being a true equal: Citizenship contribution and mutual support under a modern welfare state ”at the VICSERV Conference in May this year. Simon explored what it means to be a true equal and what this means for how we think about mental health and the organisation of support. The modern welfare state, particularly health and social care,...

Brainwaves speaks with PhD candidate and social worker Kath Sellick who is interested in the experience of voice hearing and trauma informed care. kath has just finished conducting research on how Australian mental health services respond to voice hearers who have experienced trauma or sexual assault. For more information on Kath's research or for resources, please feel free to contac Kath at ksel...

On today's show, Lauren & Terri speak with Brainwaves team member James about his lived experience of Schizophrenia and recovery in light of Wellway to Mental Health Week (formerly Schizophrenia Awareness Week). James talks about some of the negative perceptions he experienced, what it was like being in the mental health system, the experience of recieving a diagnosis, what assisted him in regaini...

On today's show Brainwaves members Terri & Serena interviewed Sue Nunn, founder and lived experience facilitator and Jarred Harvey, participant of the support group ECHOES. ECHOES is a peer support group for individuals who experience dissociation and multiplicity. For anyone who is interested in attending ECHOES, the group runs on the 1st and 3rd Thursday of every month from 7pm-8:30m. Please con...

This week on Brainwaves, Eila Lyan discussed her stance on mental health services available in rural areas and also brings her own lived experience to the mix. Eila discusses attitudes, supports available, differences between rural and urban mental health services, areas for improvement and talks about how we can further continue to break down the stigma.