Better Mental Health Facilities for Regional NSW

We as community members need to start working towards an initiative of increasing access in Regional NSW for those that suffer with mental health or illnesses. There has been a spike in self harm and suicide. People in rural and remote Australia are 50 percent more likely to die by suicide than those living in our major cities (University of Newcastle). Every year in Australia 65,000 people are in distress and don’t know how to stop it (World Suicide Day, 2021). At moment we as community members don't believe that our current system supports individuals who live in rural and remote Australia with their mental health or illness. 

Depression project stated that we loose over 800,000 people to suicide worldwide. Leading factors that contribute to suicide or self-harm is isolation, hopeless and feeling like a burden. There is so much stigma associated with mental health and illness that individuals feel like they are in a battle or alone. An increase in better Mental Health Facilities across rural and remote areas will support all of our community members, our families and our loved ones. And this is why we want to start a community petition for individuals to sign and support an increase in better mental health facilities. 

What we want is to see an increase in Better Mental Health Facilities, something like a "Well-being Centre" instead of a hospital bed or enclosed bed within a facility that you feel trapped, scared and alone. An ideal facility such as a "Wellbeing Centre" which is well coming, non-judgmental, safe, understanding, employers having empathy and compassion. So when they do leave the centre the individuals feel empowered with all aspects of their well-being not only their emotional health, but social, physical, cultural, spiritual and economical health aspects. We as a community would like to see an “out patient” follow up with the individuals themselves as well as families. Our communities have been trying to reach out for help for so long…

Will-I-Am Legacy is only one story of many of families that have been failed by our Mental Health System. The structure of our mental health system at this time feels like they only look at the physical “what they see from the outside” which means being different feels like they have been spotted out, so they put on a persona because they feel judge, or can’t get the help they need. The Will-I-Am Legacy is an example of a family that is suffering from their lost a beloved lost one.  And individuals within this family are wanting to make a change to this system, “Enough is enough, no more lives to be lost due to systemic neglect and abuse”.

If you would like to support this petition please sign and support our communities to help individuals and families seek a better mental health care and facilities within regional, rural and remote NSW.

If you would like to read more about this story, please read on… This a letter written to the Local Government.

RE:         Lack of and access to mental health facilities and support services in regional N.S.W. (specifically Tamworth and surrounds) for our youth. 

I am writing to you on behalf of my deceased son William Rawsthorne who took his life on 14 October 2020.  My son's last message via a text message to his mentor at Challenge Tamworth just moments before he took his life was:

"I have been constantly let down by the system, and funding needed hasn't been available to me and making people jump through a million hoops to get support isn't the answer."

William's lived experiences of accessing our social support services have been less than ideal and resulted in him being abused by the very system entrusted to keep him safe and support him and his family in their time of need.   Sadly, the much-needed support never came.  Instead, there was much judgement, lack of understanding, trauma, anger which led to William being removed from my care from aged 9 to 12 for 3 years.

On 09.04.2021 I reached out to my local M.P. - to discuss the lack of resources and to highlight the issues our youth are experiencing due to the lack of mental health services in our area.  I aimed to use my lived experience to illustrate the pain and trauma many young people and their families endure. Unfortunately, again, I was met with disinterest and lip service whilst being shown the door.  Minister, I hope you will take the time to read this letter, reflect and then call for a Royal Commission into mental health and community service (specifically the Department of Community Services) in N.S.W and ensure that all recommendations are implemented.  Enough is Enough, no more lives to be lost due to systemic neglect and abuse.

The following is a summary of our lived experience of accessing social support and health services within the rural town of Tamworth:

I was a single parent who has survived the trauma of domestic violence.  I set up and ran a cleaning company in the local Tamworth area to support my family as I could not work for an employer due to past family violence trauma.  I am sure that you can understand that children are impacted by their lived experience of domestic violence even though you think you are shielding them from it.

William started showing signs of mental health issues from 7 years of age.  The behaviours ranged from him being angry then moving to rage very quickly, frequent episodes of aggression, wanting to run out in front of cars, self-harm, verbal threats of wanting to kill himself, frequent physical and verbal violence towards his siblings, myself, teachers and damage to property.

I was constantly called to the school to pick William up due to his behaviours, and on many occasions, the school called the police and William was handcuffed and brought home. In addition, for William to continue to access his right to education, the school insisted that he be medicated; he was only 7 years of age. 

I turned to the Department of Community Services (DOCS) for support and assistance; however, William was removed from my care.  I note that I was told by DOCS personnel that for William to receive the supports he needed, I had to sign my parental rights over to them, I refused.   During William's time in "care" (I use this turn very loosely, as it was more trauma and systemic neglect and abuse), he had 8 case managers and was shuffled to 16 different placements over three years.  When each occasion when the care placement broke down my son always came home. The many appointments with doctors/psychologists/dieticians I had before William was placed in care weren't kept.

After three years of court proceedings (wastage of scarce resources both for DOCS and myself), William was returned to my care with court orders which outlined specific supports for William and my family. Unfortunately, on Williams return home, it was clear that his mental health had deteriorated immensely, and his episodes had intensified, and the support outlined in the court orders were never implemented. 

I continued to follow up with DOCS to act on the court orders; however, these many requests fell on deaf ears and were placed in the too hard basket.  This then led to many calls being made to Tamworth police station to come and detain William until he had calmed down, or in extreme cases, charges were laid, and A.V.O.'s were taken out to protect family members.  To support William at home, I resorted to asking my son Joseph (diagnosed with Asperger and aged 16 years) to move out of the family home to reduce triggers for William. Unfortunately, William's mental health continued to decline, which resulted in frequent suspensions from school.

DOCS finally came to the table with the M.S.T. (Multi-Systemic Therapy) program run by Life Without Barriers. This program did seem to be working for William at the time but only ran for 40 weeks, and once it finished, William had to exit to program. I pleaded with DOCS & Life Without Barriers to extend William's placement on the program, yet the many requests made were denied.  The denial of this program resulted in William's mental health spiralling to the depths of depression and extreme anxiety he lived with daily.

 In 2018. DOCS spoke to William (now 15 years old) about organising a care leavers package that he was eligible for from the department.  The purpose of this care leavers package was to assist William to live independently.  Whilst this wasn't the ideal option for William, we were willing to give it a go.  William and I would frequently contact DOCS regarding the care leaves package they had offered. However, nothing ever was organised for William.  Just after William had turned 16 years of age, he approached DOCS to follow up on the funding and was told he was no longer eligible as he was now 16 years of age and that DOCS no longer was responsible for supporting him. Once again, another example of child systemic neglect and abuse.   During this period, I had applied to access the N.D.I.S. program. I was rejected on two occasions as they claimed a mental health disability did not meet the N.D.I.S. eligibility requirements.   

Yet again, William experienced abandonment and tried his best to deal with his mental health on his own, but nothing was improving. Finally, after struggling to access support services, William believed that life as he had experienced it wasn't worth living, and he took his life on 14/10/2020, shattering the lives of all who knew him. 

Sadly, William's and our family's lived experiences with social support services are very common. So I ask you, Minister, how many more young people and their families need to be neglected, abused by the very systems supposed to support and safeguard them. 

William was a young man who saw and experienced many injustices throughout his short life.  I am, more than ever, on a mission to make his last wishes heard and make a difference for other young people struggling with mental health.  One such initiative is setting up a not-for-profit organisation called "Will.I.Am Legacy" in tribute to William and a Will-I-Am" Facebook page aimed to support youth, and their families raise awareness of suicide prevention.  To date I have met with many people in our region to raise awareness about mental health, and many have told me of similar experiences of neglect and abuse.  The SYSTEMIC NEGLECT and ABUSE must stop. This is the reason I am asking you to be brave and take a real stand for our community and call for Royal Commissions into the Department of Community Services (specifically care and protection) and N.S.W. mental health services (specifically for youth). 

Suicide is genuine and has taken more lives than the current COVID-19 pandemic in Australia.  Suicide is a grave issue and becoming increasingly pertinent for our youth. However, without facilities and funding from the government to help young people and their families struggling with mental health issues, they just become another statistic, and another family left heartbroken.

Minister, thank you for taking the time to read my letter, and I am trusting you to be brave and courageous and ensure that the systemic neglect and abuses are stops for children, youth, and their families.  Please know that I am willing to meet with you at your earliest convenience to discuss your action plan.         

Will-I-Am Legacy    Contact the author of the petition