A LONG WAY FROM OK
R U OK? No I'm not, but that doesn't seem to matter.
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I have been living with mental illness for almost 15 years and recently tried to take my life. It was a Friday night.
I ended up being bed-bound for three days. I called my GP on the Monday and took the first available appointment with any doctor. The earliest appointment was Friday.
The doctor I saw was attentive, deeply concerned and at my request wrote and sent an urgent referral to Mental Health for me to see a psychiatrist. Again, I would have to wait until Monday to call.
When I called Mental Health, I was on hold for 17 minutes, long enough for the call to trigger their phone to ring again.
Again I was asked why I called and was again put on hold for several minutes before being told they had not received a referral and I had called the wrong number and perhaps my referral had been sent to the psychiatrist's private practice.
Fortunately they gave me the right number and told me to try calling it after 12pm. I did so and was greeted by an answering machine that asked me to call after 12pm (I called at 12.10pm) . I tried again later and my call was looped back to the first office I called. They were able to transfer my call and this time it was answered. Unfortunately my referral was not received there either and we decided that I needed to contact the GP clinic to ensure it had been sent.
The staff at the clinic confirmed that it had been sent (to the first Mental health office I called) , and it was indeed marked as urgent.
The Mental Health emergency line called me back the next day to triage me. I was pleased to be getting somewhere. After taking my details I was told that I would be contacted within three days. That was 10 days ago. They haven't called.
What good is there in encouraging people in crisis to seek help when it is so difficult to access? How can someone in a mentally fragile or suicidal state be expected to cope with being forced to play phone tag with a variety of agencies?
We R NOT OK.
NAME AND ADDRESS WITHHELD
JUDICIARY BEST PLACED
WHEN it comes to sentencing criminal offenders, there is a public perception that our judiciary is ‘out of touch’, imposing punitive, lenient judgements. Ken Nuggin of Wodonga (The Border Mail letters, September 21) is of the opinion that it is time to make magistrates responsible for ‘slap on the wrist punishments’.
Sentencing is not just about ‘handing out tough punishment’. Rather, the law mandates magistrates and judges take into account an extensive list of factors.
Legislation requires our judiciary to take a holistic approach and in addition to proportional punishment, they must also consider how best to deter future offences, rehabilitate the offender and protect the community. This legislation is made by the Parliament, through elected representatives.
Every criminal case is different as to its set of facts and circumstances. With their familiarity of the law and informed daily experience with offenders and victims of crime, our judiciary are in the best position to determine and deliver appropriate sentences.
Ordering offenders to pay compensation is not a consideration prescribed by the legislation in all cases, only a select few.
Every criminal case is different. With their familiarity of the law and informed daily experience with offenders and victims, our judiciary are in the best position to determine and deliver appropriate sentences.
Danny Frigerio
President, North East Law Association
CLARIFICATION
The Marilyn Monroe exhibition launch at Murray Arts Museum Albury, The Border Mail October 2, was slated as its sole southern hemisphere appearance – its Brazilian showing took place in Sao Paolo, in the northern hemisphere.