Get Real: Talking mental health & disability

Send us Fan Mail Geoff Radford is the CEO of the Northern Territory Mental Health Coalition who joins us for this episode from Darwin. The coalition is the peak body for community-managed mental health services across the Northern Territory, also known as the NT, The Territory or  the Top End. The Northern Territory is a unique part of Australia and we find out why from Geoff, as well as what this...

Send us Fan Mail This is part 2 of our episodes on the changes to the NDIS. In this episode we talk about self-care amid this time of uncertainty – for people who access the NDIS, their families and also those who work in the sector.  Sharing his thoughts is Shane Clifton , an Associate Professor at the University of Sydney and Director of Centre for Disability Research and Policy. Shane is also a...

Send us Fan Mail The NDIS will be undergoing signifcant reform. The Disability Trust Group CEO Karenza Louis-Smith speaks with National Disability Services CEO Michael Perusco to unpack the newly announced NDIS reforms -  what is clear right now, what is still unknown, and how these changes could reshape eligibility, plans, and supports outside the scheme. More info: Information on the proposed re...

Send us Fan Mail Maggie Toko has spent decades raising the voice of those who live with mental heath issues and emotional distress, using her own living experience of mental illness and professional work in homelessness, sexual assault, and youth services. At the time of recording this chat with Maggie at the Complex Needs Conference in 2025, she was the consumer commissioner for the Victorian Gov...

Send us Fan Mail Chelsea Troutman is a Board-Certified Behaviour Analyst and Clinical Supervisor, and Director of a Behaviour Support Practice Elements ABC . Chelsea has extensive experience working within Government and Community Service Sectors with expertise in disability services, children and family services, out of home care, and forensic disability.  She presented at the Complex Needs Confe...

Send us Fan Mail OVA is a matter for everyone to understand and report but in particular for frontline support workers who work with NDIS participants and provide mental health support in community programs. Awareness of, education about and the importance of reporting Occupational Violence and Aggression (OVA) has been a concerted focus for ermha365. Our work on OVA reduction was recognised in a...

Send us Fan Mail Dr Astrid Birgden is a consultant Forensic/Clinical Psychologist and NDIS Behaviour Support Specialist who has years of experience working in corrections and disability settings.  Astrid's career is quite extraordinary. She is a trailblazer in behaviour intervention support in Australia and worked overseas on international projects. She has even been an assistant sheriff/ward...

Send us Fan Mail Hearing voices is often assumed to be a symptom of a mental health condition. However this is not always the case and up to 1 in 10 people hear voices, making it not an uncommon human experience.  The Voices Vic program is led by peers with lived and living experience in hearing voices, seeing visions or having other sensory experiences. This program offers recovery groups, mentor...

Send us Fan Mail Our guest for this episode is Dr Matt Frize, Director of Forensic Disability Services , which sits within The Victorian State Government's Department of Families, Fairness and Housing (DFFH). Co-host Karenza Louis-Smith and I were lucky to catch some time with Matt at the Complex Needs Conference earlier this year. The sold out conference was co-hosted by ermha365 and ACSO Au...

Send us Fan Mail We’re diving into the topic of conspiracy theories for this episode, particularly on the impacts these beliefs have on an individual and the ripple effect on others.  Our guests for this episode are Ariel Bogle and Cam Wilson who have written a book called CONSPIRACY NATION: Exposing the dangerous world of Australian Conspiracy Theories.  Ariel is an investigative journalist at th...

Send us Fan Mail Our guest for this episode is Dr Yvonne Maxwell , a forensic psychologist who specialises in working with individuals with a disability who come into contact with the criminal justice system. Get Real spoke with Yvonne at the Complex Needs Conference 2025 where she presented on the use of Neurosequential Model of Therapeutics assessment (NMT) to understand the interplay between fa...

Send us Fan Mail The mental health system in New South Wales has been in the spotlight of recent months. ABC’s recent Four Corners episode “Emergency” about the state’s mental health system highlighted the extreme system failures that happen when there is underinvestment in community-based mental health care. The program highlighted that people in deep psychological distress are being left in emer...

Send us Fan Mail The basis for this conversation is an important pilot service in Victoria called Assertive Outreach and Support (AOS), funded by the Department of Families, Fairness and Housing under its Multiple and Complex Needs Initiative . ermha365 and ACSO Australia deliver the service in parts of Melbourne and regional Victoria. Our guests for this episode are Cassandra Turnbull from ermha3...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode we are discussing the importance of provider-family partnerships for people with complex needs. Cheryl Jameson is our guest and she was in conversation with Emily Webb, host of this podcast, at the Complex Needs Conference in late March for the lived experience stream. A mental health support worker of many years, Cheryl found herself on the other side of systems w...

Send us Fan Mail We are a few weeks on from The 2025 Australian federal election (May 3) which resulted in a more than convincing victory for the incumbent Labor government led by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. So, as the federal government begins its new term, and we await the Victorian Government's State Budget next week (May 20),  ermha365 CEO Karenza Louis-Smith  thought it was a good t...

Send us Fan Mail This is another conversation from the Complex Needs Conference 2025 and our guest is Adjunct Associate Professor Danny Sullivan, Consultant Forensic and Adult Psychiatrist. Dr Sullivan gave a keynote at the conference about the prescribing of psychotropic medications, which are namely drugs that influence a person's mood, thoughts, and behavior - for people with complex needs...

Send us Fan Mail ermha365 CEO Karenza Louis-Smith has a thought-provoking conversation with Clinical Forensic Psychologist Dr Lisa Warren, Clinical Director of Code Black Psychology about the Stable Bases Model that the organisation developed to support young people involved in serious youth-to-youth violence to guide their developmental journey and foster long-term positive outcomes.  This episod...

Send us Fan Mail Sophie Harrington is our guest for this episode. Sophie is the CEO of NOFASD Australia , the nation’s peak body supporting people and families living with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders. NOFASD presented at the Complex Needs Conference 2025 on the complexities of this hidden disability, sharing research, therapeutic strategies and resources, in particular for health care profess...

Send us Fan Mail Andrew Radford lives in New South Wales and is a long-time advocate for people with intellectual disability and autism. Andrew himself has autism and a mild intellectual disability and has recently taken his advocacy to the next level with his appointment to the board of The Disability Trust . The trust is not-for-profit registered NDIS provider of supports and services and  last...

Send us Fan Mail The Complex Needs Conference 2025 on March 26-27 in Melbourne is co-hosted by ermha365 and ACSO – Australian Community Support Organisation . The conference is funded by the Victorian Government’s Department of Families, Fairness and Housing . BOOK NOW  Both ermha365 and ACSO deliver the pilot program Assertive Outreach and Support on behalf of the DFFH. This service is for people...

Send us Fan Mail A restrictive Intervention is any practice or intervention that has the effect of restricting the rights or freedom of movement of a person with disability.  The Research Report Restrictive Practices: A Pathway to Elimination , which is available on the Disability Royal Commission website states: "Restrictive practices are at odds with the human rights of people with disabili...

Send us Fan Mail This is a short episode revisiting some tips for wellbeing over the so-called festive season. The Christmas and New Year period can be an emotional rollercoaster. Things like complicated family dynamics and the absence of loved ones can heighten feelings of loneliness.  Not everyone feels happy and bright at this time of the year. In fact, Christmas is considered as one of the six...

Send us Fan Mail Participants, families and providers across Australia are trying to make sense of what the latest NDIS Price Guide means for them – and this is in addition to the changes slated in the Federal Government’s Getting the NDIS Back on Track Bill.  ermha365 is right behind the #4aBetterNDIS campaign that’s in response to the latest NDIS Pricing Review.  This campaign is a joint effort...

Send us Fan Mail Our guest for this episode is Dr Michelle Lim, Scientific Chair and CEO of Ending Loneliness Together - a national network of organisations that work together to address the loneliness in people living in Australia. This is done through evidence-based research, advocacy and public information and awareness. MORE INFO Find out more about Ending Loneliness Together and Loneliness Aw...

Send us Fan Mail This is an edited version of our 2020 two-part podcast Celebrating PARCs, hosted by Chief Marketing Officer Robyn Haydon. Prevention and Recovery Care services (PARCs) are short and extended residential and day programs that provides 24-hour support in a “home-like” environment to people experiencing mental ill health and whose recovery can be supported without hospital admission....