NDIA Accountability Project

Family experience with mental illness and privacy laws

Submission to the Inquiry into the National Disability Insurance Scheme Bill 2012

From: To: Community Affairs, Committee (SEN); Subject: Submission to the Inquiry into the National Disability Insurance Scheme Bill 2012 Date: Friday, 21 December 2012 8:23:30 PM

Please consider this email a formal submission by me to the Senate Standing Committee on Community Affairs Inquiry into the National Disability Insurance Scheme Bill 2012.

The current disability system has many problems that need to be addressed.

A member is very independent and quite intelligent, but in some matters uninformed comparatively, so despite being medical, volunteering for over 25 years in various mental illness areas,with knowledge gained from that, the present system allows ill person supremacy, with carers largely side lined even in desperate circumstances. This enabled schizo-affective disorder with anorexia / bulimia to almost kill the patient, despite well supported, informed comment for over one year by the family carers to the psychiatrist. Basically I mean that carefully scrutinised and well informed carers are at present virtually powerless to help a sick person unless that person agrees, despite other outsiders seeing the problem. Privacy Laws need very careful scrutiny and revision.

The main features of the NDIS that will make a difference to the community are:

  • More opportunities to participate in the community,
  • Increased ability to coordinate services to suit the “whole” person/family,
  • People with disability/family will influence the types of support and services offered

The most important services for the NDIS to provide are:

  • Education support (technology/services/equipment),
  • Life-skills,
  • Support for families and carers

I support the introduction of the NDIS.

Having been medical and had 2 family members with mental illness, I have voluntarily worked for 25 + years to help, yet even I and my late wife (a nurse in drug & alcohol rehab) were excluded by present privacy laws often. In my volunteer role I made it a priority to learn about the system and had help from a well thought of rehabilitation provider, Mental Illness Fellowship Victoria.

I agree for my submission to be made public

Regards, Dr Alex Wood