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Some thoughts I have been having recently.
Prevention of suicide = promotion of life.
This is a mantra that I have found helpful working with suicidal clients.
When a client tells me that they are going to commit suicide, the first thing to do is to ask if they have a plan. This is a rough test to see how serious their claim is (now all suicide threats are of course serious but not all are going to follow through). If they have a concrete plan then I would try to speak to them about contacting a mental health crisis team or even hospitalising them. Things are very serious at this stage.
If they don’t have a plan then generally I kick into promotion of life mode.
The first question I ask is: “Why haven’t you already done it? What has kept you going so far?” The key thing here is to try and pick up things that they say that are positive, what you could call ‘preventative factors’, things that keep the person from going through with the suicide.
I used to work at a crisis accommodation for homeless men and would regularly do the 11pm-7am shift. During the night I would always get a few calls from people who were lonely, depressed and contemplating suicide. One such call that I remember clearly was from a high school teacher. His preventative factor was the joy of seeing students learn and grow – sounds corny, but it was a very effective preventative factor for him that evening, after a while he got tired and decided to go to bed so he could get up and go to work in the morning.
This has got me thinking, what are my preventative factors? What are yours? It is something we don’t think about too often unless we are faced with a crisis, but it would be nice to have concrete answers in a time of vulnerability.
Suicidal people can be split into two groups: Those with significant mental health disorder and those who have had a stressful life event (e.g. rejection of refugee claim, loss of money, loss of relationship etc). Most of us would fall into the second category and so it is conceivable to think that in a time of significant anxiety it would be good have our preventative factors close by.
Anyway, just been thinking – an occupational hazard of being a social worker.
Lifeline 13 11 14
The following is from todays SMH heckler. It is by Rachel Jacobs. Enjoy.
The federal election had a focus on the huge numbers of boat people on our shores. And rightly so. They’re everywhere. And their numbers are increasing.
I see them in Sydney Harbour, flaunting their expensive yachts and catamarans. Some obstruct walkways by forming queues to get on party cruises.
I see them lining the north shore and eastern suburbs, docking their boats wherever they see fit. Others have tinnies, shamelessly practising their primitive fishing culture when there are good fish and chip shops down the road.
Their attitude is rude and aloof. They don’t assimilate with wider society and display anti-social behaviours. Once I saw a boat person park their four-wheel drive across two parking spots. I saw another not tip the wait staff after breakfast at an eastern suburbs cafe.
The children of boat people take all the university places. They take our jobs, or perhaps they just take the better jobs. They keep to themselves, choosing only to mingle with others who own boats. They build large houses with huge driveways needed to park their boats. They wake early on weekend mornings to take the boat out, with little regard for the boatless who might be sleeping.
Call me xenophobic, but I believe their clothing should be legislated against. Boat shoes and stripey polo shirts have no place in our society. They can wear white sun visors at home if they want, but in public it could be considered a security risk, obscuring their faces and hiding their identities.
Their festivals, commonly called boat shows, are loud, annoying and crowded, taking over entire convention centres. Those without boats are shunned and discriminated against, as the boat people seek out bigger and more impressive boats to rub into the boatless’s faces. At these festivals they openly speak in their own language, speaking of ”knots” and ”cats”.
It’s a worrying trend to see them recruit young boaters to perform dangerous feats in the name of spreading boating culture around the world, a la Jessica Watson.
Most irritatingly, boat people complain endlessly about the inadequate big boat facilities in Sydney Harbour, the price of petrol, the current prime minister, even the rising cost of caviar.
Tony Abbot was correct. We must stop the boats. And the boat shows and boat shoes. If you’re not careful, your next-door neighbour could become a dreaded boat person.
Rachael Jacobs
Most Australians don’t know much about asylum seekers and refugees, how many are coming, what they get when they get here, are there security and health checks, are they all put into detention etc.
The result is that a lot of opinions (and unfortunately policy) is based on misconceptions and from that fear. The media does their fair share of fear mongering (yes Daily Telegraph, we’re looking at you). This is a worry for a lot of people who work in this area or are simply have a desire to know the facts. While lots of people have been trying to get the truth out there it is interesting to see that the Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) have also decided to throw their voice into the mix. It is a public news release from a few weeks back but it gives clear answers to some of the important questions (though unfortunately not all of them). Worth a read if you want to be more informed on this issue.
Plus I usually try and get an interview up on Fridays and didn’t get round to it, so this will have to suffice.
Enjoy.
What do refugees get when they arrive in Australia?
The Australian Government provides settlement support to about 13 750 refugees and others in humanitarian need who arrive under the Humanitarian Program each year. This support could include meeting them when they arrive, help finding suitable accommodation, initial orientation and a package of basic household goods such as simple furnishings, linen, some white goods and kitchen equipment. Refugees are helped to gain access to Centrelink, Medicare and banking, helped to understand Australian laws and culture, and to gain employment. They are provided with English language classes through the Adult Migrant English Program (AMEP) and may be referred, if required, to torture and trauma counselling services Many of these services are delivered under the Integrated Humanitarian Settlement Strategy (IHSS), for about six months, but can be extended for up to 12 months for particularly vulnerable people. This program is funded by the Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC). After IHSS, refugees can be referred to migrant resource centres and other organisations funded under the Settlement Grants Program (SGP), also funded by DIAC. These programs help newly arrived refugees become self-reliant and participate in the Australian community as soon as possible. The government allocated $316 million in 2009-10 towards these direct settlement programs.
What do they NOT get?
There have been a number of concerns raised within parts of the Australian community that more assistance is provided to refugee entrants than to other Australians, such as pensioners. There is no truth to these claims. Refugees do not receive higher benefits than other social security recipients. They have the same entitlements as all other Australian permanent residents. Refugees do not have their rental bonds automatically paid for by the government, nor do they receive a lump sum payment from the government upon arrival.
What income support do they receive?
When they arrive in Australia through the Humanitarian Program, refugees can immediately gain access to income support payments under the same eligibility criteria as any other Australian. At present, the maximum fortnightly rate for Age Pension, Disability Support Pension and Carer Payment is $644.20 for a single person. The maximum fortnightly rate for Newstart Allowance and Special Benefit is $462.80 for a single person with no children.
Where do they settle?
Refugees are often located close to family members or their proposers living in Australia. If they do not have links in Australia they are settled where possible in regional locations that often provide the best access to reasonable housing and work prospects. Locations are carefully chosen to take into account employment opportunities and affordable housing that is reasonably close to key facilities such as retail shops, medical facilities, schools, public transport and community services.
Do they get priority for public housing?
Humanitarian entrants must also meet the same requirements as other Australians to be eligible for public housing. They are not given preferential treatment and must remain on waiting lists, as do other Australians in need of public housing.
Are they taught English?
Adult migrants and refugees are entitled to up to 510 hours of tuition under the AMEP. This helps them settle more effectively in Australia by giving them skills to engage with the community at large, and to find work. Translating and Interpreting Service (TIS National) provides free interpreting services to non-English speaking Australian citizens and permanent residents communicating with approved groups and individuals including doctors in private practice and pharmacies.
Why do we bring them here?
Many refugees arriving in Australia have been traumatised by the experiences that have caused them to leave their home countries. As a member of the international community, we share responsibility for protecting such vulnerable people. Our help does not end at providing them with a new life in Australia. The Australian Government is committed to ensuring that people settling here have the help they need to rebuild their lives and become fully functioning members of the community.
What about refugees who arrive by boat?
Some people confuse asylum seekers who arrive in Australia by boat, currently mainly at Christmas Island, with those refugees who are resettled in Australia under the Humanitarian Program. There is a difference. Australia accepts about 13 750 refugees and others in humanitarian need each year under the Humanitarian Program. The majority are selected for resettlement from tens of thousands of overseas applicants, who have fled persecution from their country of origin and waited years in refugee camps for a solution to their plight. Boat arrivals who are found to be owed protection are also accepted under the Humanitarian Program and are provided with the same entitlements as any other newly arrived refugee. It is important to note the number of refugees arriving in Australia to seek asylum remains low by world standards. Our share has averaged about 1.5 per cent over the past two decades. The overwhelming majority of asylum seekers still head towards Europe.
What do asylum seekers get?
Asylum seekers who have not yet had their protection claims decided have no access to Centrelink benefits. The Australian Government established the Asylum Seeker Assistance Scheme, administered by the Australian Red Cross. This provides financial help to those unable to meet their most basic needs for food, accommodation and health care, as well as meeting torture and trauma counselling costs.
Are they given health checks?
All refugees resettled in Australia are subject to strict health, character and national security requirements, which all Australian permanent visa applicants must meet.
What do refugees contribute?
Refugees arriving in Australia face challenges in adjusting to the Australian way of life. Despite these challenges, most refugees and their families settle successfully and make a positive contribution to the Australian community. Some of Australia’s more prominent former refugees include research biologist Sir Gustav Nossal, stand-up comedian Anh Do and his filmmaker brother Khoa Do, artist Judy Cassab and 2009 Victoria Australian of the Year African-Australian community leader, Dr Berhan Ahmed.
For more information visit: www.immi.gov.au
Last Sunday night I preached on the Good Samaritan. My final point was that the only sustainable motivation for loving our neighbours is an understanding of grace as opposed to morality.
I said that morality is used by secular society as well as every major religion to get its followers to do good deeds to those who are poor. Morality is essentially this: I am a good person if I do good deeds and I will therefore be worthy to receive an award. In religion it often manifests itself in: you must give to the poor because the bible commands it or the Koran commands it or the Torah commands it. If you do this, you will be rewarded by going to heaven; if you don’t do this you should feel guilty!
I stated that morality is a weak motivator; it doesn’t take people where Jesus wants them to go because it is essentially a selfish motivation. If I do good things then I will get a good reward, but if doing good things causes me to sacrifice then I will not do it because the reward doesn’t seem to be worth it. You see this clearly in the Priest and the Levite who show us how far morality can take you: not far enough. Morality is a weak motivation for mercy.
I then went on to say that experience of grace is the only motivation; Jesus puts the law expert (and us) into the story as the beaten Jew lying on the road being aided by our enemy who had no obligation to help us. A real understanding and experience of this in the saving work of Jesus is the only motivation for grace because it is not selfish but responsive.
Anyway that is all preamble to my current thought that I wanted to share with you.
(AAP: Alan Porritt)
I was thinking about how to illustrate this and I didn’t come up with anything decent for the night but since then I have had the thought that maybe the weakness of morality brought down an Australian Prime Minister!
I am speaking of course of Kevin Rudd who famously called climate change “the greatest moral challenge of our time!” The implication being that if you were a moral person – a progressive person, a good person, then you would care about climate change and vote for him. Which Australia did in the Ruddslide that was the 2007 election.
But morality is a essentially a selfish motivation and so once the cost became real, once the implications of sacrifice came home, once businesses didn’t want to pay for a price on carbon; the reward wasn’t worth it and it fell by the wayside. We couldn’t even take the first step towards conquering the greatest moral challenge of our time. Morality is weak in the face of sacrifice. Now neither party has a real policy on climate change.
I am not saying that everyone in Australia needs to become a Christian for us to do something about climate change (indeed that might even be a step backwards considering that the Christian Democrat Party for example are self confessed ‘agnostics’ when it comes to climate change, are against the Kyoto Protocol, against a prince on carbon (ETS) and refuse to do anything that will have a negative economic consequence).
The reality is that we are stuck in a way of life that has a large negative environmental impact, if we want to change that then it is going to mean sacrifice. Calling something the greatest moral challenge of our time and appealing to morality is not going to work.
But then again a citizen’s assembly of 150 randomly selected people isn’t going to work either.
Anyway, what do you think?
So on Saturday Australia went to the poles and made their voice heard loud and clear with a collective “Meh”. Some are calling it a triumph of democracy, while some are simply terrified that a guy who wears a cowboy hat and still uses a lasso has the balance of power in the House of Representatives.
In many ways a hung parliament was the most fitting result when you consider the following:
- Both major parties spent the majority of the campaign trying to convince us that we couldn’t trust the other one. I guess they were just equally good at getting their message across.
- Both major parties had pretty much the same major policies, thus it is only fair that they get the same amount of seats.
- Let’s be honest with ourselves: neither candidate really possesses that je ne sais quoi, that X factor that makes a person into PM material.
- Federal elections, like primary school soccer, is not about who wins. It is about having fun on the day. It is like my wife’s year 1 class at speech day, everyone gets two prizes because you don’t want anyone to feel left out and start crying in front of all the parents and visitors.
So now the parliament is hung, at present it looks like 72 seats a piece with 3 independent MPs and 1 greens MP.
On the day I had the opportunity to work at a booth in Bennelong and although it was a very long day (7:30am-10:30pm) there were lots of enjoyable moments.
Most notably was when a man and woman came to my table and said that their surname was “tweedle”. You would not believe how hard I fought to not ask which one of them was tweedledum and who was tweedledee!
Although I lost the internal battle when someone with the last name “Cullen” came to my table. I asked if she was still living at the same address and then I asked if she was a vampire.
To say that she chortled would be generous.
We also had to ask what is probably the silliest question that we could have asked:
“Have you voted anywhere else earlier today?”
How dumb do the good people at the AEC think electoral cheats are!
Me: “Have you voted anywhere else earlier today?”
Them: “yes, down the road”
Me: “Well you know that you can only vote once?”
Them: “yeah I know, I am willingly committing electoral fraud”
Me: “That is a federal offence”
Them: “yeah I know”
Me: “yeah…”
Them: “So can I vote?”
Me: “No…”
They also say that it was by far the highest percentage of informal votes of any election. This is certainly true from the stacks of informal ballots that we had to discard at my booth. The surprising thing is that on so many of them you could see that the person had attempted to vote greens but hadn’t numbered all the boxes or had written the number 5 twice.
Makes you wonder what would have happened if more greens voters actually knew how to vote!
There is a possibility that we will have to go the polls again in a few weeks. Well if we do then I am not going to hold back, I am going to make fun of as many silly names as I can!
I am allowed to: I am a Smith!
Just wanted to keep you in the loop on this one.
I came to this realisation when I received a pamphlet for the ‘Climate Sceptics’ party. The main worry is not that they want me to vote One Nation before any of the major parties but that they don’t believe in climates!
Climates, according to Wikipedia, “encompasses the statistics of temperature, humidity, atmospheric pressure, wind, rainfall, atmospheric particle count and other meteorological elements in a given region over long periods of time.”
Radical left wing, green, pinko commy, liberal mumbo jumbo propaganda trying to take away our jobs and our way of life!
Although the most interesting aspect is something that a friend pointed out, that they want you to vote for the Greens before the Australian Sex Party (ASP)!
Makes you wonder what environmental policies the ASP have!
I have always been a big fan of the jelly bean. Always.
My signature trick at uni when I had an all nighter of essay writing in front of me was to make myself a multigrain jellybean sandwich. The jellybeans are a delicious burst of high GI energy to get you cracking on the essay. But of course jellybean energy doesn’t last and sooner or later you will come crashing down on a sugar low! But with log GI multigrain bread you delay that crash and give you slow burning essay to get the body and conclusion for the essay done. Then, if you have timed it right, as soon as you finish the conclusion the sugar low should kick into full effect and send you off to a nice deep sleep. Deep in the slumber of the knowledge that you will at least get a pass for that essay!
That is the power of jellybeans!
What is you could add the power of jelly beans to a bike! What genius that would be! Can you only imagine?
Well now you don’t have to imagine, for a Melbourne based business has made this magic come true!
In their own words:
Custom made Jelly Bean Bikes
You’ve come to expect a certain amount of customisation with the products you buy; iPhone cases, mobile ring tones, lap top covers, car rego plates and the like. So it’s only fitting that if you like to cycle you should be able to style your bike to your exacting requirements.
The aptly named Jelly Bean Bikes has a tag line that epitomises their service “Colour your ride”. You can purchase a single speed bike of your design – whether that’s a rainbow colour combo or a sleek monochromatic, and after about a week it will be shipped to you.
You’re in the saddle when it comes to choosing colours for the bike’s frame, grip bars, seat, seat post and stem, chain, crankset, front and rear wheels. And to make sure your combination clicks you can test ride some bikes at their Melbourne warehouse or see what other bike enthusiasts have styled.
Now all you need is a designer helmet that’s both flattering and functional (surely there’s a market for that?).
Well it is official, you heard it here first: the future is now!
Why not have a go building your own one here: http://www.jellybeanbikes.com.au/build
Well it has been a while but it is Friday and on Fridays I try and get an interview up on an interesting and relevent issue - so get comfy, grab a cup of tea and read on!
Today I have interviewed Sheryl Sarkozey on the sexualisation of girls in our culture. Some of you may be more aware of this than others, some of you may be more concerned than otehrs, either way it is something important to think and talk about!
Sheryl is a full time wife and mother of two teenage daughters, a part time student at Sydney’s Presbyterian Theological Centre, and a part time teachers’ aide at a small primary school.
In her spare time she reads, sews, knits and uses her camera to chronicle her family’s life and try to make “art”. She likes a good cup of tea, pears, Popular Penguins, and the way Sons of Korah sing the Psalms.
She blogs about all that. And sometimes more. You can check out her blog here
1. So first things first: how did you get interested in this topic?
I’m mother to two teenage girls and have been concerned for a while about the things that they are exposed to in our culture. This started as a feeling that there was something not quite right about the way little girls seemed to be “growing up” too fast, but I wasn’t able to give that feeling a name until I was asked to review the book “Getting Real”, edited by Melinda Tankard Reist, for the April 2010 issue of The Australian Presbyterian (the article). That book, and others, explained and provided more evidence about the problem of the sexualisation of women and girls in our culture, and gave some helpful responses that girls, and their parents and carers, could make. In the book, Julie Gale says: “ As long as we stay silent we are complicit in maintaining the status quo.” So now I speak up when I see something in the media that I think should be challenged. It’s not the only subject I blog about, and there are others who do a much better job of it than I, but I think it’s an issue important enough to add another voice to the argument.
2. Is it really that big an issue? Aren’t teens just going through a natural process of sexual awakening?
The problem is that this process is occurring at earlier ages than previously – before girls and boys are naturally mature enough, physically and emotionally, to deal with it in a healthy way. When adult concepts of sexuality are forced onto children they are at risk of negative outcomes such as poor body image (because it’s not possible to live up to the ideals portrayed in the media), eating disorders, impaired cognitive and emotional development, distorted views of sexuality (such as might be found in violent pornography), and early experimentation with sex. These are serious problems.
Also, when children are used in advertising images that are sexually provocative – through the way they are posed, or the style of clothing that they wear – there is a message sent to adults that it is OK to regard children as sexually available. It amazes me that, as a society, we can’t see the contradiction between this and our otherwise strong stand against paedophilia.
3. How do you see this happening in our culture? What should someone concerned about this be looking out for?
We all are exposed to images of a sexualizing nature in many contexts.
Women’s and girls’ magazines are full of advertising that promotes impossible-to-achieve, idealised beauty: thin, young, wrinkle-free, fashionable, and often white.
Billboard advertising frequently uses images of barely dressed women – in the workplace these images would be illegal, but for some reason we tolerate them in public places!
More than a few hit songs contain explicit lyrics (SMH article) and the accompanying music videos are often nothing less than soft porn. Think Lady Gaga – you’ve got the picture.
Increasingly, television advertising images include pornography references – remember the Nandos chicken ad about the pole-dancing mum?
These are just a few examples of the ways in which sex is used to sell, in a marketplace that increasingly includes young children.
4. What is something that we can do about this?
Advertising is so much a part of the problem that I think one of the best things we can do for our children is to help them learn discernment about advertising in general – help them understand that advertising images are designed to manipulate us into buying something so that someone else makes money out of us. A good resource for teaching this to children of any age is a book called “Adproofing Your Kids”, by Tania Andrusiak and Daniel Donahoo. Another resource, more suitable for teenage girls, is “Faking It”, published by the Women’s Forum Australia.
Teaching our children to be critical and discerning is one thing, but we can also teach them to embrace things that are helpful and nurturing in their lives, helping them build resilience and healthy lives.
Speaking up when we see something that we know is harmful for our children is also important. Make your complaint known to the relevant regulatory body. Raise the awareness of others by talking about it with friends. Never underestimate the power even one voice has to bring about change.
And if we know a young person who seems to be struggling with a physical or emotional health issue – whatever the cause – we should assist them in getting professional help.
5. Now I didn’t get around to asking Sheryl a strange question! My bad. But thankfully Sheryl is an incredibly gifted photographer and so I thought I would share some of her photos with you.
I wasn’t able to upload them onto the post but you can find some reall great photos here, here, here, here and my favourite one: here
Sunday week I am preaching on the parabe of the Good Samaritan.
Found this on the net and thought I would share it.
Well the dust has truly settled. The race is over.
Contador has again demonstrated that he is the curent king of cycling.
Cancellara has again demonstrated that he is the current king of time trials.
Cavendish has again demonstrated that he is the current king of sprinters.
I am beginning to believe that there is some kind of conspiracy that favours people who have a surname begining with C! Sure there isn’t much evidence, but there was also no evidence behind the rumour that cyclists were fitting tiny motors inside their frames to help them cycle faster. And if that paranoid conspiracy theory can gain credence with the governing body then so can my paranoid conspiracy theory!
But we are all done for another year, but at least we still have the Vuelta starting at the end of this month to look forward to! Maybe the Aussies will do better there!
So Goodbye 2010, only 11 months till next year…
