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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2003 Week 3 Hansard (12 March) . . Page.. 901 ..
MS TUCKER (continuing):
transport overwhelming, creating difficulties for her in keeping scheduled appointments.
Upon discharge from Calvary Hospital, Gillian was assigned a mental health worker from her local community centre. She attends some appointments, which focus on the acute aspects of her illness and her compliance with her medication regime and tend not to touch on aspects of her life more broadly. Her caseworker forms the opinion that, as she is taking her medication and her mood has stabilised, she is managing quite well.
However, when a Lesley's Place worker visits Gillian at home, they find no edible food in the house, food rotting in the fridge, dirty dishes covering the benches, unopened mail piled up, dirty washing scattered through the house and no clean clothes. The curtains are drawn shut, the lights are off, the house is filled with cigarette smoke and the ashtrays are overflowing. Gillian spends most of her time like this in front of the television.
Here is another case.
Shannon is a 19-year-old woman from Ethiopia who came to Australia on a sponsored visa for two years to reside with her sister. However, the accommodation became unsuitable when Shannon's sister married soon after Shannon's arrival. She then became both physically and verbally abusive towards Shannon.
Shannon spoke almost no English, did not know anyone else in the country and rarely left the house. Eventually, the continuing violence resulted in the neighbours calling the police. Shannon's only option then was to access crisis accommodation with Toora Women Inc. Shannon presented to the service with no apparent drug or alcohol issues and was later referred to a Heira house. Heira is the organisation's domestic violence service.
Heira workers, in conjunction with the Migrant Resource Centre, assisted Shannon in applying for a residential visa in order for her to continue to reside in Australia. Shannon's initial application was refused. However, a successful appeal of this decision enabled Shannon to stay in the country. Workers at Heira worked intensively with Shannon for several months. Almost all communication needed to be done through the telephone interpreting service. They assisted her in appealing Centrelink's initial decision that she was ineligible for any benefits.
Shannon left Heira after nine months to live in private rental share accommodation. This was the first time in her life she had not lived with her family. Soon after, things took a turn for the worse. She discovered she was pregnant and had a termination. Not long after, Shannon attempted suicide by drinking cleaning products. She was evicted from her accommodation and admitted to the local psychiatric ward for a week.
Shannon returned to the refuge for a short period of time but was asked to leave due to serious security breaches that compromised the safety of other residents. Shannon returned to the Toora house, where she stayed for a short time before leaving on her own terms. She had become increasingly unmanageable and even violent and was exhibiting behaviour consistent with post-traumatic stress disorder.
She was unable to obtain private or public housing. Shannon was now homeless and unsupported, with her serious mental health issues. With support, Shannon had been
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