Transforming Perceptions

Áine Ní Tighearnaigh chats with Radhiah Chowdhury one of the editors of 'Admissions' (Upswell Publishing, 2022).  The book was recently launched in Melbourne at the Big Anxiety Festival during mental health month.  'Admissions' is a new anthology documenting the lived/living experience of mental health issues in Australia, featuring 100+ pieces from some of our leading writers, poets and...

October is National Mental Health Month promoting and raising awareness of issues affecting those living with disability, mental illness, or as a lived experience Carer or Consumer. I speak with local Canberra girl Leisa Keen, who is not only a well-known and respected professional musician, music teacher, singer and producer of musical theatre, but who also shares the care of two sons with Autism...

"According to the Better Health Channel, 45% of adults will experience mental health challenges in their lifetime, with Lifeline reporting that 75% of those who take their own life are male". Áine chats with Simon Jarvis about the support and needs of men in our communities today and how Mentoring Men is assisting.  "Mentoring Men aims to help men experiencing distress or a sense of helplessn...

On this weekend of the Garma Festival (July 2022) in the Northern Territory we share an Indigenous story of resilience and strength. Aunty Rhonda Collard-Spratt is a member of the stolen generations.  Four generations of her family were stolen.  She grew up under segregation and government control in Western Australia as part of the White Australia Policy away from her family and without...

Áine chats with Rachel Green CEO of Sane Australia. Rachel shares her own lived experience story of recovery from mental illness, growing up in Canberra and how that has guided her work with SANE and in providing care to others who need mental health support. In response to data from the Federal Government’s Productivity Commission showing that 150,000 Australians are currently missing out on vita...

In Conversation with Julie Tongs, OAM, CEO of Winnunga Nimmityjah, Nominee, Senior Australian of the Year 2022 and Author - The Housing Growth and Renewal Program - Impact on Indigenous Families in the ACT; Over-representation of Aboriginal People in the Justice System and Systemic Racism. Julie is a Wiradjuri woman an incredible leader, service provider and campaigner for Aboriginal and/or Torres...

Áine speaks with Dr Emma Campbell from the ACT Council of Social Services (ACTCOSS) about their latest media release advocating on behalf of public housing tenants who are being threatened with the loss of their homes as part of the ACT governments' Growing and Renewing Public Housing Program.   In the government's latest move this week to oust women, children, elderly and disabled tenants, g...

Áine chats with boxing veteran and bestselling author Gary Todd who has released a very personal coming-of-age memoir called Annie's Boy, a tale of resilience and rising up above a violent childhood in gritty Dundee, Scotland, where fear and violence were rife, and struggle was an everyday part of life.  Gary and his mother Annie, who worked multiple jobs to put food on the table, were stuck...

Áine chats with Jason Ball, whose personal experience of coming out as a young gay man involved in his local AFL team in Yarraglen led to his passionate activism, the establishment of the Pride Cup and development of resources to educate communities and sports teams about inclusivity and the LGTBIQ+ community. "Ball started a petition on change.org on 9 September 2012 that called on the Australian...

Áine chats with Dean Widders National Rugby League (NRL) Indigenous Pathways Manager and former Roosters and Eels player about the NRL Indigenous Round 2022. Dean is an Anaiwan Indigenous Australian from Armidale, and a former professional rugby league footballer who played in the 2000’s and 2010’s. He works with the national Rugby League as an Indigenous Pathways manager supporting young Indigeno...

Áine chats with Markus Fischer, Peer Support Worker, Relationship’s Australia Canberra about his personal lived experience and recovery from the harmful impacts of alcohol and gambling addiction. Markus works within the Gambling Harm Support Team at Relationships Australia Canberra as a Peer Worker providing education, support and awareness-raising in the ACT region.  He shares insights into...

Áine speaks with Andy Fermo Co-founder of Invisible Injuries, a support service for veterans and their families who have been affected by their service and PTSD.  Andy talks about his personal experience of service with deployments to Afghanistan in 2007 and 2009 with the SAS. He survived the impact of an I.E.D roadside bomb (Improvised Explosive Device), witnessing many traumatic incidences...

The Voices of Gambling Harm Project - Relationships Australia and Mental Illness Education ACT (MIEACT) Áine chats with with Markus Fischer, Peer Support Worker, Relationship’s Australia Canberra, and John Dickson, Programs & Delivery Manager Client Relations Manager, MIEACT, about the new Voices of Gambling Harm community education project. Markus has a lived experience of gambling harm and w...

Dr Emma Campbell, CEO of ACTCOSS commenting on the community sectors view of the "heartless implementation by the ACT Government of its public housing renewal program".  Media release: ACTCOSS refutes claims of meaningful consultation on public housing moves 4 MARCH 2022 - ACT Housing Minister Yvette Berry MLA today answered questions during Government reporting on its Growing and Renewing Pu...

Áine Ní Tighearnaigh speaks with Father Wally Kalinecki of St Volodymyr's Ukrainian Catholic Church in Lyneham and Father Paul Nulley of St Joseph's Catholic Church O'Connor.  Father Wally tells us about his Ukrainian background, his birth in Poland, the ethnic cleansing that happened in his native village in the Ukraine and how his family eventually migrated to Australia. Father Paul was bor...

Fred (Iain) Smith, musician, songwriter and diplomat is the recipient of the 2021 Chief Minister’s Rotary Peace Prize.  He has penned nine albums of music that reflect on his life experiences; work within peace-building missions in the South Pacific and travels through the Texas in the USA.  Fred is author of The Dust of Uruzgan, a comprehensive on-the-ground account of Australia's invol...

In this last show for the year 2021, Áine chats with Kevin Gaynor from 3CR 855AM Melbourne.  Áine and Kevin take both a serious and wry look at the short and long-term affects of economic policies on low income earners and the vulnerable in the community, including covering housing inequality and instability, ageism, unaffordable housing and Covid-19.  Áine raises her concerns about the...

Áine Ní Tighearnaigh is in conversation Dr Maria Pallota-Chiarolli for this episode of Does Research Matter to discuss the latest research findings and recommendations from 'Navigating Intersectionality: Multicultural and Multifaith LGBTIQ+ Victorians talk about Discrimination and Affirmation.’ Dr Maria Pallota-Chiarolli of Italian heritage and an Honorary Fellow, Gender and Sexuality Studies Rese...

In the fourth week of Mental Health Month Áine chats with Maeve Castles, Head of Counselling at Canberra Institute of Technology about how Covid-19 has affected tertiary students. The Covid-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdowns have had significant effects on many people in our community and have especially affected students undertaking tertiary studies.  To better understand how this has affe...

In the third week of Mental Health Month Áine chats with Dr Clare Southerton, Sociologist and Post-Doctoral Fellow, University of NSW (UNSW).  Clare’s research is focused on exploring the intersections between sociology, health and social media at UNSW. We discuss the role of mainstream and social media in increasing stigma around contracting Covid-19 and the mental health and well-being impa...

In the third week of Mental Health Month Áine chats with Mohammad Al Khafaji, CEO of the Federation of Ethnic Communities’ Councils of Australia (FECCA). I speak with Mohammad Al Khafaji, CEO of the Federation of Ethnic Communities’ Councils of Australia (FECCA), the peak national body representing ethnic and multicultural communities in Australia. Mohammad is the former CEO of Welcome to Australi...

In the second week of Mental Health Month Áine chats with with Markus Fischer, Peer Support Worker, Relationship’s Australia Canberra, about Gambling Harm. I speak with Markus Fischer from Relationships Australia.  Gambling Harm Awareness Week is coming up soon and runs from the 18th – 24th October 2021.  Markus has a lived experience of gambling harm and works within the Gambling Harm S...

In the second week of Mental Health Month Áine chats with Jen Ramirez, Service Manager at Headspace Canberra about National Headspace Day activities. Áine speaks with Jen Ramirez about Headspace Day, which is a National Day of Support held this year on 6th October to acknowledge issues around the mental health and wellbeing of all young Australians.  This year’s theme is - ‘Small Steps Start...

Speaking Out about the needs of Multicultural, Migrant and Refugee Communities. In the first week of Mental Health Month Áine chats with Vikas Sharma about Reducing Racism, Increasing Integration and Acceptance for the well-being of migrant Australians. Final report, August 2017 from the Select Committee on Strengthening Multiculturalism - Ways of protecting and strengthening Australia's multicult...

Áine chats with Dor Akech Achiek, Settlement Services Manager at Settlement Services International about how the Covid lockdowns are impacting the mental well-being of the refugee community in Australia. Dor was 4 years old when his family left South Sudan running from the war, rocket propelled grenades, cheating death to spend 9 years in a refugee camp in Kenya.  He left the camp for Austral...