Uluru / Ayres Rock Tour

Friday 31st May 2013.



Overview of 3 Day Rock Tour.

This three day tour gives  enough time to explore the highlights of central Australia with plenty of wonderful experiences to take home. During the tour we visit Uluru (Ayers Rock), Kata Tjuta (The Olgas) and Kings Canyon in Wattarka National Park.

The tour involves hikes to spectacular lookouts, spotting some unique Australian wildlife and learning about the cultural significance of the land to the Anangu people. The red sands, blue skies and amazing sunsets in central Australia offer an unforgettable experience for every visitor.

The Indigenous culture is very much alive in Central Australia. Your experienced and knowledgeable guide will give you an insight into the Anangu people’s rich culture and ancient history in the region. 

The best way to experience the Australian outback is to sleep out under the stars around a campfire.

Overview of Final week in Australia.


Friday         31st May          Preparation for Alice Springs.


Saturday     1st June           Arrive in Alice Springs


Sunday        2nd June         3 day Rock Tour of Uluru, seeing one of the Natural wonders of
                                            the world Ayres Rock.


Tuesday       4th June          Arrive back to Alice Springs.


Wednesday  5th June          Arrive back in Sydney.


Thursday       6th June         Final Blog of Australia & 3 day Uluru Tour.


The time in Uluru is for me a time to reflect and enjoy the journey....Really looking forward to this, may get some time for Meditation in as well...

Matty
 

Training Day Mission Australia

Thursday 30th May 2013.

Cultural Values

Today I attended a Training Day with Mission Australia which looked at Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

Statement of Principles.

. The unique status of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the original owners and custodians of Australia's lands and waters. 

. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander spirituality, cultures, languages and heritage.

. The great diversity of cultural values, backgrounds, living situations and aspirations of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

. The rights of Indigenous Australians to self determination and equitable participation in the community.

This above if just some of the information covered today. During the course of watching video's and group discussions, it was hard to think how the people of Australia and the lost children had gone through some years ago. Today this still impacts individuals and family's throughout Australia.

 

Thanks to Mission Australia.

 

Matty. 

 

Vivid Sydney 2013.

Wednesday 29th May 2013

VIVID

Once per year Sydney is transformed into a spectacular canvas of light, music and ideas when Vivid Sydney takes over the city after dark.

Colouring the city with creativity and inspiration, Vivid Sydney highlights include the hugely popular immersive light installations and projections: performances from local and international musicians at Vivid LIVE at Sydney Opera House and the Vivid Ideas Exchange featuring public talks and debates from leading global creative thinkers.

 

 

Matty

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Night Outreach & Way2Home Neami

Tuesday 28th May 2013.


Clinic 180 & SWOP. (Night Outreach).

Clinic 180 is part of The Kirketon Road Centre (KRC) is a targeted Primary health care service with a team of nurses, doctors, counsellors and health educators who work together to meet the wide range of health, social welfare needs of young people, sex workers and people who inject drugs.

Clinic 180

. Needle syringe program.
. Condoms
. Open 7 days per week.
. Sexual health screening.
. HIV and Hep C testing, hep B testing and vaccination.
. First aid and wound care.
. Counselling and social work assistance.
. Drug and Alcohol assessment and referral.

Each night from 9 pm till 11.30 pm Clinic 180 go out on Outreach with a fully equipped van comprising of Nurses, counsellors & other clinical staff plus SWOP.

The main work I was doing was with SWOP on foot engaging with street worker's were possible (as we had to be aware these people were working).

One place we visited was a Safe House, this is a house for street worker's to use with there customer's. A lot of the work Clinic 180 do is that people within Sydney highly depend on, around Harm Reduction & HIV and engagement with Sex Worker's. (Great Service)



Wednesday 29th May 2013.

Way2Home Neami (Outreach Service)


Is an Outreach program focused on helping rough sleepers to move off the streets and into long term housing with support.

Way 2Home makes contact with people who are living on the streets and offers support during every step as they help them move into dependent living. This group work closely with Way2Home homeless health outreach team, operated by St. Vincent's Hospital, made up of mental health, drug and alcohol specialists with links to a range of allied services.

Way2Home Snapshot

Gender Breakdown
Male / Female
56% of consumers receiving W2H services in NSW are male.

Age Range
48% are between 25 and 44 years, 46% of W2H consumers in NSW are between 45 and 65 years old. 6% of consumers have unknown age.

Housing
60% have been housed into permanent accommodation, 6% into transitional housing. Assertive outreach support is currently being provided to 34% of those who are currently sleeping rough.

This information was taken from 2012 Annual Report Neami for additional information visit www.homelessness.nsw.org.au


Enjoy Your Day Matty.
























 

Medically Supervised Injecting Centre & SWOP Sex Workers Outreach Project.

Monday 27th May 2013.

Supervised Injecting Centre.

The Sydney Medically Supervised Injecting Centre (MSIC) recognises drug addiction is a chronic, relapsing condition. MSIC does not support or promote drug use - rather it prevents death and injury from overdose and connects people to health services so they may have the opportunity for rehabilitation.

MSIC was borne out of the 1999 NSW Drug Summit and opened it doors to the community, under trial conditions, in May 2001.

After almost a decade, in October 2010, the NSW Government passed legislation to lift  MSIC's trial status.

As of  November 2010, MSIC no longer requires legislation to be passed every four years to operate and can function like any other health service.

MSIC remains the only supervised injecting facility in Australia and, indeed. the only one in the Southern Hemisphere.

Due to confidently more information to follow in report.



SWOP. Sex Workers Outreach Project.

SWOP provides sexual health information and support to people who engage in sex work.

SWOP are the leading sex worker organisation in NSW for HIV, STI and Hepatitis C education and prevention. Within SWOP is a variety of health promotion programs and provide outreach to sex industry workplaces. SWOP also works with sex industry owners and operators to encourage the acceptance and maintenance of safe sex practices, and other forms of workplace health and safety.

SWOP is a large important project of ACON.

Key Facts.

SWOP offers free and confidential service open to all people who engage in the sex industry. These include.

1. safe sex "workers packs" with condoms. gloves, dams and lube.
2. HIV, Hep C, STIs and sexual health information.
3. health and workplace safety information.
4. safer injecting equipment.
5. information on laws and legislation.
6. confidential counselling and support.
7. employment information.
8. internet and computer access.
9. printed services & sex worker magazines.
10. reference library.
11 referrals to a wide range of services. 
12. outreach to sex industry workers.
13. bulk condom, lube, dam & sponge sales.

Team Members within SWOP.

SWOP provides more than just health information. There is a wide-reaching team of specialists and sex industry peers. This includes female, male and transgender outreach workers, a multicultural team supporting sex workers from non-English speaking background, a counsellor, and an Aboriginal and Torres Strait islander outreach worker. All team members outreach to both metro and regional NSW.

Today was spent looking in detail at Profile - Community - Engagement within Male Sex Work.

Due to confidentially more information to follow in report. 

 

Tomorrow night Outreach.

 

Matty.

 

Service Visits Week Three & Bondi Beach

Sunday 26th May 2013.

Monday            Safe Injecting Centre
                         S.W.O.P   Sex Work Outreach Project.


Tuesday           S.W.O.P    Sex Work Outreach Project.


Wednesday      Way2Home  (Awaiting Confirmation).


Thursday           Mission Australia (Training).


Friday                Preparation for Uluru Tour, See Blog for details.



Bondi Beach Photos.

My experience of Bondi was a slow walk along the cliffs followed by a gentle stroll along Bondi Beach.

My spirit felt alive.  Matty  May 2013 Bondi Beach.



 

Blue Mountains National Park

Saturday 25th May 2013.

Blue Mountains.

Sixty kilometres west of Sydney, Blue Mountains National Park conserves a an area rich in history, wildlife and world famous scenery. The landscape is part of the traditional country of Aboriginal people.

The sandstone which forms the mountains plateau's upper crust was formed from sandy sediments deposited by a giant river system over a period of about 250 million years ago.

The sandy soil of the plateau tops is infertile. Low heaths cover the most exposed places, but in protected pockets and valleys lush vegetation grows. In the main valleys there are tall open forests and patches of rainforest.


The Legend Of The Three Sisters.

According To Gundungurra Dreaming, three beautiful sisters named Meehni, Wimlah and Gunnedoo once lived with the Gundungurra people in the Jamison Valley.

The maidens were in love with three brothers from the neighbouring nation of the Dharruk people, but marriage was forbidden by tribal law.

The brothers were warriors and decided to take the maidens by force. Tribal war forced the Kuraadjuri (clever man) of the Gundungurra people to turn the sisters into stone. He intended to restore them after the danger had passed and the war had ended. Unfortunately, the Kuradjuri (clever man) was killed in battle and to this day nobody has been able to break the spell and turn the Three Sisters back to their natural form.

This is one of a number of versions of the legend.


Cultural Connections

Aboriginal people began living in the Blue Mountains perhaps up to 2,000 years ago. The Blue Mountains is rich in axe grinding grooves, rock engravings and charcoal and ochre drawing.

The mountains themselves were only sparsely settled until the opening of the Great Western Railway in 1868 led to development of tourism. Reserves to protect the scenic and natural values of the area began in the 1890's and Blue Mountains National Park was declared in 1959.

Photos from Blue Mountains

 

 

Aboriginal Centre Blue Mountains

 

Matty.

 

WHOs MTAR

Thursday 23rd May 2013.

MTAR - Methadone to Abstinence Residential

MTAR uses the Therapeutic Community model of drug treatment to assist to reduce off methadone (and other prescribed opioid substitution),while learning the skills necessary to live drug free.

MTAR provides

1. Transport to and from dosing clinic Methadone no cost.
2. Safe and secure environment.
3. Staffing 24 hours a day.
4. Voluntary 4 to 6 month residential program.
5. Aftercare support.
6. Separate living accommodation for male and female.
7. Access to legal, welfare housing and employment services.
8. Living, social & communication skills development.
9. Stress management program.
10. Leisure activities.
11. Self esteem building.
12. HIV/HCV and other infectious disease.
13. Access to outside activities such as Tate, Counselling & Mutual Aid Support Groups NA, AA,CA

Overview Of Day: As I was walking towards WHOs I soon realised the size of the grounds and the number of Residentials the service provides.

I was met in reception by Lyn Roberts Manager MTAR with a smile and then provided to walk through MTAR. The community was fairly busy as people were just coming out of  morning meeting.

I was introduced to the community and staff team, as I was only here for 1 day it was important to get a feel for the community. First thing this morning I went with peers to collect daily doses of methadone, this is done outside of WHOs in a prescribing service.

Upon returning to MTAR I was shown were policy's are kept and if any free time I could read through them. By this time in was lunch..I must say the food was excellent.

Early afternoon was spent in Hep C group, it was clear to see that members of the community were getting a lot from this, and the way the group was taught.

As with most residentials the rest of the day was spent in Community groups, the main focus was on peers looking at there behaviours. It was good to see the community supporting one another at the end of each group.

By this time the day was ending for myself, I had a final chat to Lyn and said my good byes to staff and the community.

Before I left I took time to walk around the grounds to reflect and capture the experience of MTAR.

As I looked up a sign said "Don't leave before the miracle happens"

 

 

 

This experience and welcoming from the staff team and community at MTAR I will never forget Matty.














 

Mission Australia - Fairlight Centre & Service Visits Manly.

Wednesday 22nd May 2013.

Overview of 3 services in Manly.

Today was about visiting a service in Manly - Fairlight Centre which is one of many of Mission Australia services. I was met at Manly Wharf by Kevin Kingsbeer Team Leader of this service in Manly. Prior to the visit of the Fairlight I was shown around a number of services within Manly.


Manly Community Centre.

Manly Community Centre - is a community based, non-profit, non-government organisation that has served the community since 197. The centre operates under the direction of a voluntary Management Committee, and is staffed by a team compromising of a manager, welfare workers and trained volunteers.

As well as providing free community information and referral, the Centre offers a range of community strengthening programme through projects and services that focus on capacity building, inclusion and reducing disadvantage.

Mission Statement - Our mission is to be welcoming, accepting, supportive and inclusive by providing a meeting place and focal point highlighting community needs.


RUSH - Needle & Syringe Program.

RUSH provides a confidential, non-judgemental service for people who inject drugs and steroids, in accordance with NSW Health Guidelines.

Services

1, One-to-one sessions with staff.
2. Information and practical tips on safer using and staying healthy.
3. Health education around Blood Born Viruses.(Hep B & C as well as HIV/AIDS
4.Assitance in accessing: Detoxification, Rehabilitation, Drug & Alcohol Counselling. Hepatitis C Treatment / Liver Clinics. Methadone & Buprenorphine programs, steroid information, Accommodation services.


Salvation Army,

The Salvation Army provides support within the community in Manly.

Services

1. Community services.
2. Youth support.
3. Recovery services.
4.Employment services.
5. Emergency services
6. Rural & Outback support.
7. Court & Prison services plus a lot more support services are offered here.



The main purpose Fairlight Centre.


Fairlight Centre offers accommodation and support for homeless, mental health, alcohol or drug dependant men aged 18 and over, with their recovery and transition into mainstream society.

Fairlight Centre is a welcoming, non-institutional environment where clients dignity and privacy is respected. The Centres support work closely with local agencies to access specialist services if required.

Residents are offered the opportunity to participate in case management to develop individual intervention plans. Plans are designed to respond to each residents health, housing, education, employment, recreational, transition and life skills needs.

The Fairlight Centre Offers three accommodation options depending on each individual clients needs.

. Complex Care Unit (CCU)
. Hostel
. Transitional Housing

CCU

The CCU clients are provided with accommodation, meals, shower and laundry washing on a night to night basis. Fairlight Centre also provides some fresh clothing when available.

CCU clients are given the opportunity to address their issues with referral to appropriate services. Clients can be assessed for transition into the living skills program and to receive case management.

Hostel

Hostel residents are able to stay at Fairlight Centre for three months. To be eligible for entry into the hostel clients need to be detoxed and not currently in active substance use.

Meals are provided and residents are required to participate in the daily living skills program. Residents are required to pay $250 a fortnight and to remain two weeks in advance. Residents are also encouraged to participate in case management.

Transitional Housing

Fairlight has presently very limited vacancies in low support accommodation. Residents here are able to stay for 12 to 18 months.

Entry into Transitional housing is made available to those that have achieved and maintained some stability in their lives. In most cases residents are studying or working. Residents are engaged in one on one case management.


The Fairlight Centre is the only crisis accommodation service for homeless men on the Northern Beaches and provides a supportive relaxed space where clients can face issues such as alcohol or drug dependency, gambling addiction, mental health illness and other health concerns.

 

 

 

 

The Fairlight Centre is a very warm place with a homely feel.

 

Matty.



 

Missionbeat & Service Visits.

Tuesday 21st May 2013.

Today was about service visits within Mission Australia. Most of the day I was with Daniel Strickland Service Manager - Homeless Support Services Missionbeat.


The Liverpool Centre.

The Liverpool Centre is for single homeless men who are 18 years and overt for those who are first time homeless or moving through their initial crisis.

Key Components.

1. 24 hour supported accommodation.
2. Client driven case management.
3. 14 bed facility available for up to 3 months, depending on individual needs.
4. All meals.
5. Laundry facilities.
6. Showers.
7. Opportunity to move to independent living.
8. Advocacy.
9. Referral.
10. Empowerment of client.
11. Disability skills,
12. Living skills.




Mission Australia Centre (MAC)

The Cooinda Centre provides a range of allied health services, education programs and complimentary wellbeing activities to help homeless and at-risk individuals in the Sydney area to participate socially and economically in the community.

Service Activities

1. Health.
2. Education.
3. Other community services.
4. Community.

Outcomes

Completion of university accredited courses, full time university placements, improved computer skills, decrease in addictive behaviours, improved overall physical and emotional wellbeing, increased self esteem and confidence, reconnection with family, enhancement of social interaction and establishment of community support networks through a broader re-engagement with society.



Creative Youth Initiatives

Empowering Youth.

Creative youth initiatives (CIY) provides free accredited music and art programs for young people aged between 16-25 years using creative expression as a tool for positive change in their lives. Located within Sydney's Surrey Hills. CYI adopts a Strengths Based Approach and aims to engage with young people who are facing many and varied challenges in their lives by focusing on their strengths rather than negative labels.

This was all within the Mission Australia Centre (MAC).


The Camperdown Project.

The Comman Ground model provides long-term, stable accommodation together with on-sit support services for homeless people. Linking support with long term accommodation has been found to be the best way to help people get their lives back on track.

Common Ground projects are already being running in New York City and in some other Australian states.

The Camperdown project - This six storey building as a number of options for accommodation, 104 self-contained studios, one and two bedroom apartments, plus space for on site - support services on the ground floor. Tenants will be mix of previously homeless and people and workers on low incomes.

Support - Services will focus on providing the appropriate support for previously homeless people to be able to maintain their tenancy and integrate back into the community and into employment.

                                                            Missionbeat

                                                            Mission Australia Centre
                                                             

 

Camperdown Project

 

 

Really interesting day...Matty.

                                           

 

                                                 


























 

Mission Australia.

Monday 20th May 2013.

Missionbeat

Missionbeat is an iconic Sydney service that has been operating for 30 years. Missionbeat provides care and compassion to people in distress, as well as transport for homeless people to those places where their immediate needs can be met - safe accommodation food, medical attention and other intervention and support options.

On The Beat

Missionbeat began in 1979 after the repeal of the Summary Offences Act allowed for an alternative to the arrest of intoxicated people and their placement in police cells in response Mission Australia established Missionbeat and suggested the setting up of proclaimed places - sobering up units where people could receive medical attention, clean clothes, a shower, food and a bed.

 Since then Missionbeat has patrolled Sydney's inner city streets - seven days a week, 365 days a year - working in close collaboration with other homeless services, to help break the cycle of homelessness.

 Missionbeat's committed and dedicated staff meet individuals and families at their greatest point of need offering hope, support and encouragement and help to access the appropriate services. Missionbeat forms an important link in an holistic approach to fighting homelessness.

 

Out with Missionbeat.

 

Coastal Sydney Tenancy Support Service.

 

 

The Coastal Tenancy Support Service (CSATSS) aims to reduce the number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the coastal Sydney region who are vulnerable to homelessness and rental stress, through prevention, early intervention and support.

 

 

Support Offered.

 

1. Negotiating with landlord.

2.Preparation for the consumer, trader and tenancy tribunal.

3.Moveing into long - term tenancy.

4. Essential household furniture.

5. Financial assistance.

6, Working with you to maintain your tenancy.

 

 

 

First day at work with Mission Australia.

 

Great Day Matty.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 





 

 

 

 

Week Two

Sunday 19th May 2013

 Today preparing for the on-coming week at work.  I've just been relaxing doing some ironing and some me time.

Overview of  week Two.


Monday:             Mission Australia       Missionbeat (Outreach).


Tuesday:            Mission Australia       Service Visits.
                            Sydney                      Medically Supervised Injecting Centre (visit)


Wednesday:       Mission Australia      Fairlight Centre


Thursday:           Who's MTAR            Methadone To Abstinence Residential.


Friday:                I.T / Preparation for following week.


To here more follow Blog during the week and upon return read report once complete.

Matty

    

Visit to Manly.....Rideing the Wave.

Saturday 18th May 2013

Day off in Manly

Manly is one of Australia's most loved, most frequently visited scenic sea-side tourist destinations.

World famous, 2.4 kilometre (1.5-mile) Pacific beach and stunning harbour views, Manly offers a wide variety of other incomparable, exciting attractions and activities for people of all ages. It is home to the Manly Freshwater World Surfing Reserve, one of only three in the world.

Surrounded by the Pacific Ocean and spectacular Harbour. Manly sits on a beautiful peninsula, seven nautical miles north-east of Sydney.

Overview.

Today was about taking some time out of the City and a time to reflect so far.

This morning I was up nice and early. Rather than walk I decided to catch the train from Central Station to Circular Quay. Once there I caught the ferry which takes about 30 minutes costing £10 return (well worth it).

With being on the ferry I seen Sydney Harbour & The Opera House the view was amazing. As I got on the ferry seats were all taken, however I seen one right at the front ( something off titanic....) there I sat.

Once at Manly I took a stroll around the shops before heading to the beach. The view was unbelievable. I decided to relax and sit back to take it all in (went for a dip)

During the course of the day I spent a good view hours there. This is something I would recommend to anyone who decides to visit Sydney.

             

 

Opera House

 

 

Preparing to SURF.....

 

 Finding The Balance...

 

Job Well Done

 

Me & The Crew

 

City of Sydney

 

Matty

 

WISH & The Wayside Chapel

Friday 17th May 2013

WISH -  Integrated Services Hub

WISH - All the services you need in one place at the same time for service users to access.

Services you can access at WISH.

1. Make housing application or check on the status of an existing application.
2. Referrals to homeliness accommodation and other services.
3. Medical assessments and referrals to dental and other health services.
4. Legal advice and advocacy.
5. Assistance to address fines.
6. Apply for medical card or other identification.
7. Find out about benefits and assistance to fill forms out.
8. Help to negotiate appeal decisions.
9. Help for probation and parole related issues.
10. Information on education course.
11. Assistance to find a job.
12. Assistance to purchase start up goods and services to help set up a new home.
13. Pet care and information.

Within Sydney all the main services were present for people to access at one point. This is held once per month. On average from WISH 100 outcomes are made on the day. Communication between services was the key.

 

 

 

The Wayside Chapel

 

The Wayside Chapel location Kings Cross.

 

Facts

 

Each year thousands of people visit Wayside for assistance in gaining access to essential health, welfare and related services.

 

In the past year alone, Wayside has provided, amongst other services 8,089 community meals, 7,572 changes of clothing, 8,475 one-to-one support sessions, 2,453 referrals to services and agencies and 653 activities for young people and visitors with long term mental health issues.

 

Overall 89,500 visits were made to the Café which provides low cost food. 74,000 instances of support were provided to people seeking assistance or just stopping for a chat.

 

 

Visit

 

Whilst walking through Kings Cross the Area was very busy with lots of activity of one thing and another.....

 

Upon visiting Wayside Chapel I got a sense of community, there was a lot of laughter taking place, others were sat chatting,

 

In the far corner people were sat quite, it seemed there were lost in the world around them and every day living.

 

On the ground floor is a Day Centre phone calls, one-to-one sessions, washing facilities  and besides  is a Café with meals served.

 

Within Wayside there are various programs (weekly timetable)  & various agencies attend to other support NEAMI Way 2 Home, Aboriginal Assertive Outreach, Youth Drop In.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This was One Service I would love to work in Matty.