Julia's story*
“I am a sixty-six years old, a widow and a pensioner, but most importantly a mother.
My son is forty-two years old, is well educated and a citizen of Australia. He became involved with a drug dealer/user. He lost his job, and many other jobs thereafter. However, the drug dealer is financially secure and destroying families. Under the influence of drugs, my son had to sell our home. The house we built together. I couldn’t do anything as I wasn’t named on the Title."
"I have been “politely” abused by the Mental Health Triage, including sending me to a Psychologist as I was making too many phone calls asking to help my son.
They informed me that he is old enough and he can come and ask for help.
I have been “politely” abused by the Police. Only one older Police Officer stood up for me saying that anyone in their right mind can see my son needed urgent help.
The rest of them told me do not call us constantly, as long as your son is not self-harming or harming others, he is okay.
A staff member of the Chief of Psychiatry advised me to get advice separate from him, and then take him to court.
Consumer Affairs raised their voice at me as their view was, they were protecting the Real Estate Agent Commission from a mentally unstable individual. My son didn’t have the capacity to participate in a property settlement. The house was under mortgage and money was lost.
Myself as a sixty-six-year-old widow/pensioner has been forced to rent, and my son is homeless and still hallucinating.
That is what Mercy Mental Health Triage together with other professionals have done. My family have been destroyed.
Why is VCAT (nothing against them) involved with mentally ill people who have relatives looking after them? They should concentrate on those who have no relatives willing to care for them or have no relatives at all.
As appointed administrator of my mentally ill seventy-six-year-old sister-in-law, I am asking The Royal Commission to authorise paperwork for me, for protection from other relatives, who do not want to help my sister-in-law, until they smell some money when her final day comes. I am the only one who assists and cares for my sister-in-law.
Please help me to dismiss my sister-in-law’s case from VCAT.
The above explains two cases of mentally ill people.
Please help me to restore justice."
* Names and places have been changed to protect individuals.
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Family and friends supporting someone with mental health issues can call Tandem’s Support & Referral Line on 1800 314 325