Flourish Magazine - Summer 2020

FLOURISH ISSUE NO. 9

SUMMER 2020

8 OUR COMMUNITY UNITES TO CELEBRATE 100 YEARS IN THIS ISSUE:

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Inspiring speakers address aged care conference

One woman’s story of mental health recovery

Social enterprise café takes out top award

Whyalla visit cements commitment to the region

Community generosity fuels our Christmas Appeal

“ At the heart of everything we do are the people we support.”

CEO LIBBY CRAFT, 2020

WELCOME

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elcome to the first edition of Flourish for 2020.

be awarded the Mental Health Coalition of South Australia’s Lived Experience Award in the organisation category during Mental Health Week. The award recognises our engagement of people with lived experience in service planning and delivery – something we believe is extremely important to ensure services are able to truly connect with people.

Turn to page 7 to find out more about the award, along with the events we took part in for Mental Health Week.

The past few months have been incredibly busy as we commemorated our organisation’s 100 years of support to South Australians.

In this edition, we share some of the highlights from our Centenary, including events we staged at UnitingSA sites across metropolitan and regional South Australia.

At the heart of everything we do are the people we support. To this end, we are incredibly grateful to have several people we have supported share their stories with us for this edition of Flourish.

Our colourful photo on the cover captures the pinnacle event on our Centenary calendar – a huge birthday party at Alberton Oval, where we celebrated with hundreds of members of our community.

On page 6, Karen speaks about the way our Individual Psychosocial Rehabilitation and Support Service (IPRSS) has helped her overcome isolation and aided her recovery journey.

Our Centenary truly has been a remarkable time of reflection, celebration and looking to our future.

On page 11, Pip and Todd share with us their story from living in a Supported Residential Facility to now renting their own house.

Another amazing milestone for our organisation was the 30th anniversary of Ethnic Link Services, which supports older people from refugee and migrant backgrounds. We were privileged to have the occasion marked with a special reception at Government House, hosted by His Excellency the Honourable Hieu Van Le AC, Governor of South Australia. You can read all about it on page 5.

Outcomes such as these are a wonderful reminder of why we do what we do.

We look forward to bringing you many more stories throughout the year, as we pursue our vision for a ‘compassionate, respectful and just community in which all people participate and flourish’.

In this edition, we also focus on our Mental Health Services and, in particular, our Lived Experience Workforce. We were honoured to UNITINGSA

Libby Craft Chief Executive Officer 2

FLOURISH MAGAZINE | ISSUE NO. 9 | 2020

IN THIS ISSUE

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Ethnic Link Services marks 30 years of support for older migrants and refugees

Pip and Todd share their inspiring story of a housing ‘miracle’

Hakim Oerton shares his unlikely path to become a Pastoral Practitioner in aged care

UPCOMING DATES January

February

March

1 New Year’s Day

13 Anniversary of Apology to

19 National Close the Gap Day

Stolen Generations

25 Chinese New Year 28 School year begins

20 International Day

20 World Day of Social Justice

of Happiness

25 Pancake Day

21 Harmony Day

UNITING SA ANNUAL PROFILE

14,704

1,083

98

2,773

5,538

PEOPLE SUPPORTED

EMPLOYEES

VOLUNTEERS

PEOPLE CARED FOR ACROSS AGED CARE

OCCASIONS OF EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE

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FLOURISH MAGAZINE | ISSUE NO. 9 | 2020

AGED CARE CONFERENCE SUCCESS

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ignity, respect and choice for the older people we support were the threads that weaved our 9th annual Aged Care Conference together in November.

Hosted by the vibrant Anne “Willsy” Wills OAM, more than 150 staff from across UnitingSA gathered to hear thought-provoking presentations around the theme ‘The New Age: Live the Life I Choose’.

Attendees heard from two guest speakers, sponsors and one another about how to provide high-quality care that is personal, effective and safe to ensure the older people we walk alongside can live their best possible life.

Another conference highlight was the first-hand insights shared from our aged care workforce about the activities, events and projects initiated across our sites during the year to ensure residents and consumers live a meaningful life.

A big thank you goes to our generous conference sponsors who enabled us to stage this event: Fulham Funerals, Highgate Healthcare, BUNZL, CATER CARE, Caroma, Leecare Solutions, Complete Office Supplies, Dominant, Flavour Creations, Mölnlycke Health Care, PFD Food Services, Reward

Hospitality, Healthy Care Services, South Pacific Laundry, Belmore Nurses, Distinctive Funerals and HESTA. Many of these sponsors have been supporting us for several years, by either providing a delicious lunch, donating raffle prizes, hosting information stalls or delivering enlightening presentations about their important work.

We look forward to working with you again next year to bring our 10th Aged Care Conference to life!

Dementia Alliance International CEO and Co-founder Kate Swaffer delivered the keynote address, sharing her inspiring journey with early onset dementia. She also outlined her incredible advocacy work, which focusses on empowering people living with dementia and improving their quality of life through engagement with their community.

The second guest speaker was Ilsa Hampton, CEO of Meaningful Ageing Australia, who shared valuable advice about supporting the spiritual needs of older Australians in the context of the new Aged Care Standards.

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FLOURISH MAGAZINE | ISSUE NO. 9 | 2020

clients and supporters at Government House on October 29.

UnitingSA’s Aged Care Executive Manager, Sue Krake, said Ethnic Link Services had been a trailblazer in addressing the unique challenges faced by older migrants and refugees.

“For three decades, our team of specialist bilingual, bicultural staff have walked alongside multicultural communities, bridging critical language and cultural divides,” Ms Krake said.

“We work to ensure people from non-English speaking backgrounds can access the support they need to live independent and meaningful lives.

“Using a service model unique to South Australia, our team of multilingual workers connect older people from diverse cultures with mainstream services and break down social isolation.

MARKING 30 YEARS OF SPECIALIST SUPPORT

“But perhaps most poignantly, they ensure the cultural customs that bring so much meaning to their clients’ lives are respected, upheld and celebrated.”

Ms Krake said Ethnic Link Services continued to have a profound impact on the lives of many older South Australians from non-English speaking countries.

“Today our specialist team support people from 45 different cultural and linguistic backgrounds and over 50 countries of birth.”

MS KRAKE

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thnic Link Services has celebrated a very special anniversary, marking 30 years of support for older South Australians from refugee and migrant backgrounds.

Since 1989, the state-wide program has been helping older people from diverse cultures to overcome service barriers and lead full and independent lives.

To mark the milestone, His Excellency the Honourable Hieu Van Le AC, Governor of SA, and Mrs Le hosted a reception for Ethnic Link Services staff,

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“Some of their communities are well-established, having been part of our social fabric for many decades, while others are small and emerging groups who have more recently called Australia home.

“I would like to thank everyone who has worked for Ethnic Link Services in the past, and those working here now, for providing such an inclusive and caring service.”

FLOURISH MAGAZINE | ISSUE NO. 9 | 2020

“I never felt any pressure or any shame to lift up to any expectations as such,” she says.

“In the program you are accepted to be where you are at that point in time.”

Over the months, she started to feel motivation creeping back into her life in areas such as personal care and getting out of the house.

“It would have been after a year or so that the fog lifted and I started feeling connected again to the outside world,” she says.

“I started to care about what I looked like again and over time started to set goals.”

One of those goals was volunteering and once Karen got the idea in her mind, she went for it.

She connected with the Para Hills Community Hub, which runs a range of services including a seniors’ centre.

Combining her previous experience working in pubs with her love of words, Karen accepted a role calling bingo every Thursday.

She even created her own unique calls, including ‘Buckle up Buckaroo – 72,’ in recognition of the year seatbelts were mandated Australia-wide and ‘Home watching Flix – 56,’ owing to the year mainstream television came to Australia.

As Karen developed her confidence, she took on more responsibility at the hub and in addition to bingo, now serves coffees, helps with fundraising activities and teaches English as a Second Language (ESL) to students at the centre next door.

KAREN’S JOURNEY OF RECOVERY

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eing referred to UnitingSA’s Mental Health Services was nothing like Karen expected.

Aged 53 at the time, she thought she would only receive token support.

“It didn’t occur to me they would help someone in their 50s, that they would actually bother with someone my age,” she says.

“I honestly thought that someone would just pop around and have a cup of tea every couple of months.

“That they would just come and pat me on the head to make sure I didn’t collect too many cats.

“I had no idea it would be so intensive and rehabilitative and so tailored to my specific needs.”

Karen was spiralling when she first made contact with UnitingSA’s Individual Psychosocial Rehabilitation and Support Service (IPRSS) five years ago.

She had reached a point where she no longer cared about herself or having a connection with others.

“I wouldn’t have thought of myself as depressive as such but my life was very up and down and I did lots of risky things,” she explains.

“Once you disconnect you can go downhill quite easily.

“Things had gotten dire and I stopped paying bills and became very isolated.”

IPRSS workers started visiting Karen twice each week at her home in Pooraka.

“Initially they helped me survive,” she says.

“They helped me to apply for the Disability Support Pension and to set up practical things like direct debit to pay bills.

“They were there for me to talk to and they would advocate for me.”

“What makes it so enjoyable is that they really want to learn English,” she says.

“I’ve also just started volunteering at the Salvation Army op-shop.

“Now that I’m doing all this volunteering, I am no longer with IPRSS. “I’m helping other people and I don’t feel like a client anymore.”

Despite having graduated from IPRSS, Karen still has regular visits from UnitingSA support worker Gayle, who helps her remain motivated and keep a sense of structure in her life.

Karen says her time with Gayle, along with the support of other workers over the years, has been instrumental to her mental health recovery.

“It’s hard when you’ve always been the same to know what constitutes mental illness to the point where you can receive help for it,” she explains.

“This was my first real foray into the mental health system.

“Through this experience, I worked out that the system does look after 50 year old women.

“It has helped me come back to life again.”

Karen says one of the first things she noticed about her support workers was there was never any judgement.

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FLOURISH MAGAZINE | ISSUE NO. 9 | 2020

KAREN

PUTTING LIVED EXPERIENCE FRONT AND CENTRE

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nitingSA’s commitment to putting a lived experience workforce at the centre of service delivery was officially recognised during Mental Health Week.

We were honoured to be awarded the Mental Health Coalition of South Australia’s (MHCSA) Lived Experience Award in the organisation category during the Lunch in the Square event at Victoria Square/Tarntanyangga.

Lived experience workers use their own mental health journey to support others from a place of understanding.

When announcing the award, MHCSA Executive Director Geoff Harris said it recognised our engagement of people with lived experience in service planning and delivery since 1996.

He commended UnitingSA for recruiting and maintaining a lived experience workforce, employing the state’s first permanent Consumer Consultant and providing a variety of lived experience positions.

Our work contributing to a wide range of sector-wide lived experience initiatives including a community radio program, workforce standards and guidelines, and a telephone support service, was also cited as being behind the award.

UnitingSA Mental Health Services Coordinator Kez Robelin says the award has validated the considerable work being undertake in the lived experience space.

Kez is part of the UnitingSA team working on the NDIS Peer Support Pilot, which is supporting people who have transitioned to the NDIS using a 100 per cent lived experience workforce.

“On behalf of the NDIS Peer Support Pilot, winning the lived experience organisational award has given us clarification of our practice, ethics and purpose each day.”

“We will continue to look inwards to ensure that connection is key in every encounter.”

Also during Lunch in the Square, our team hosted an activity encouraging people to take a tea bag and write a note to someone inviting them to reconnect for a ‘cuppa and a chat’.

To top off a great Mental Health Week, we hosted a chill-out tent at the Festival of Now in Light Square/Wauwi.

This was a quiet spot where people could take a mindful moment, do some self-reflection, chat to our Support Workers and even get pampered with some beautiful products kindly donated by LUSH Australia.

The Festival of Now showcases how creativity is used in the healing journey and, as always, was a true collaboration and celebration of positive mental health.

KEZ

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FLOURISH MAGAZINE | ISSUE NO. 9 | 2020

OUR BIGGEST BIRTHDAY PARTY YET

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fter months in the making, our Centenary Birthday Party on October 19 was a huge success, with colour, diversity and a whole lot of smiles.

More than 700 community members, staff, clients and supporters gathered at Alberton Oval to commemorate 100 years of service to South Australians.

An official welcome was delivered

by SA Minister for Child Protection, Rachel Sanderson, followed by three hours packed with free activities, food and entertainment.

Guests were among the first to view Mental Health Services Coordinator Robert Habel’s incredible ‘100 years, 100 paintings’ art display, which has taken him around South Australia to source inspiration from UnitingSA services far and wide.

The Mudra Dance Academy, along with Bill Doble and his jazz band from the Elder Conservatorium of Music, were a big hit with the crowd.

Other highlights of the day included boomerang throwing lessons with Jack Buckskin, footy skills, a jumping castle,

kids races, craft, succulent planting, sausage sizzle and birthday cake.

The crowd also loved the free coffee and hot chocolate provided from the Hutt St Centre’s cart, which gave out about 500 cups – a record for their team!

None of it would have been possible without the support of our staff, volunteers and event partners.

Thank you to the sponsors listed below.

A big thanks also goes to our other event partners SUEZ, CMI Toyota, Compliant Fire Services, Belmore Nurses, Butterfields and Shannahan Crash Repairs.

MAUGHAN THIEM Maughan Thiem is a family-owned and operated car dealership that has been servicing the South Australian community for 107 years. Starting in 1912 with a small shop on Flinders Street, it has now grown to six sites across South Australia with a workforce of over 220. Maughan Thiem generously donated a weekend in a Ford Mustang as a red-hot door prize. We are thankful to them for supporting our vision, and always keeping the local community front of mind.

PORT ADELAIDE FOOTBALL CLUB UnitingSA is grateful to have the Port Adelaide Football Club and their not-for-profit arm, Power Community Limited, as a key supporter of this event. We share their vision to drive social change through programs in our community that create education and employment outcomes. We thank Port Adelaide Football Club for providing Alberton Oval as an iconic venue for our celebrations and donating a signed Guernsey, which went home with one lucky attendee.

SA POWER NETWORKS EMPLOYEE FOUNDATION The Employee Foundation of SA Power Networks was established in 2006 and enables SA Power Networks employees, their families and friends to make a positive contribution to the lives of people in our community through volunteering, fundraising and donations of money, goods and services. The Employee Foundation has donated to UnitingSA’s fundraising appeals for many years, and we love seeing their friendly faces hosting BBQs at many of our events. Thank you for your support!

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FLOURISH MAGAZINE | ISSUE NO. 9 | 2020

CELEBRATING ACROSS THE STATE

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e travelled to sites across South Australia during the year to celebrate with all of our staff, volunteers and the people we support. It was an epic roadshow and such a wonderful way to mark 100 years with all of our supporters!

EPIC ROADSHOW START 21 MARCH

8 APRIL

HARMONY DAY CELEBRATION, WOODVILLE TOWN HALL

9 MAY SOUTH-EAST ROAD TRIP PART 3, BORDERTOWN

15 MAY HISTORICAL FORUM, PORT ADELAIDE UNITING CHURCH

24 JULY POLISH INDEPENDENCE DAY AT ST TERESA AGED CARE, WEST CROYDON

2 AUGUST WESTMINSTER VILLAGE AGED CARE AFTERNOON TEA, GRANGE

8 MAY

CENTENARY LAUNCH, PORT ADELAIDE UNITING CHURCH

8 MAY

SOUTH-EAST ROAD TRIP PART 2, KINGSTON

6 JUNE

SOUTH-EAST ROAD TRIP PART 1, MURRAY BRIDGE

12 JUNE

ETHNIC LINK SERVICES TRIPLE CELEBRATION, RENMARK

23 JULY

CORPORATE SERVICES MORNING TEA, UNITINGSA HEAD OFFICE, PORT ADELAIDE

9 JULY

WESLEY HOUSE AGED CARE AFTERNOON TEA, SEMAPHORE PARK

23 AUGUST

NAIDOC WEEK CELEBRATION, CHILD, YOUTH & FAMILY SERVICES, PORT ADELAIDE

24 AUGUST

SALA ART EXHIBITION OPENING, BLACK DIAMOND GALLERY, PORT ADELAIDE

UKRAINIAN INDEPENDENCE DAY, SEATON AGED CARE

14 APRIL BULGARIAN AFTERNOON TEA, SEATON AGED CARE

2 MAY EMPLOYMENT & TRAINING SUPPORT AFTERNOON TEA, ELIZABETH

25 JUNE CROATIAN INDEPENDENCE DAY, SEATON AGED CARE

27 JUNE HAWKSBURY GARDENS AGED CARE AFTERNOON TEA, SALISBURY NORTH

9 OCTOBER PARALOWIE HOUSE BBQ, PARALOWIE

22 EVENTS COMPLETED 21 NOVEMBER

25 OCTOBER

CENTENARY BBQ & BOARD MEETING, WHYALLA

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REGENCY GREEN AGED CARE AFTERNOON TEA, REGENCY PARK

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19 OCTOBER CENTENARY BIRTHDAY PARTY, ALBERTON OVAL

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CAFÉ’S CONTRIBUTION EARNS TOP HONOUR

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ur Flourish on Coventry Café project in Salisbury Plains was awarded the Best Training or Engagement Initiative at the Playford Alive Local Heroes Awards.

With initial funding from the Department of State Development, the project was a collaboration between UnitingSA, the City of Playford, Barkuma and the Independent Institute of Food Processing.

The café is open to the public and provided a training ground for people with a disability to learn cooking and customer service skills, while obtaining a Certificate 3 in Food Production.

Across six months, it supported 14 people to learn important practical skills and open up employment pathways.

The Playford Alive Local Heroes Awards were announced at a special ceremony at the Stretton Centre on October 23.

A big congratulations to everyone involved in this important initiative!

“We wanted to ensure people could maintain important links to community, including shops and health care, without the need to drive.

Transforming aged care in the west

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ork is moving along at a rapid pace on our new aged care development in Adelaide’s West.

UnitingSA West Lakes will incorporate five storeys of residential aged care, retirement living, retail and office space on 6,600sqm of land fronting West Lakes Boulevard.

“UnitingSA West Lakes, at this iconic South Australian location, allows us to do all of this.”

UnitingSA West Lakes is part of the broader transformation of the former Football Park site, being undertaken

by Commercial & General.

Kennett Builders have been hard at work on site since the first sod was turned in August and construction is anticipated to be completed early 2021.

UnitingSA Chair Gael Fraser said the development would put aged care at the heart of the community.

“When planning the development, we wanted to move aged care out of the backstreets and into the vibrant hub of the community,” Ms Fraser said.

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Todd says the house, which is fitted with ramps, rails and other accessibility features, has been transformative for him.

“It was probably the best day of my life when I walked in here,” Todd says.

“There’s no yelling, no doors slamming, no being woken in the middle of the night.

“It’s lovely, it’s peaceful and we have great neighbours.

“It really is a dream.”

Pip says it is the simple things she is relishing – choosing her own meals, pottering in the garden, inviting friends over for lunch.

HOUSING ‘MIRACLE’ FOR PIP AND TODD

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aving their own house to call home is a dream Todd and his carer, Pip, never thought they would realise.

Having spent 15 years living in Supported Residential Facilities (SRFs), they grew used to the lack of privacy and constant noise that comes from living alongside 40 others.

When Todd’s health reached crisis point at the start of last year, it was the catalyst for change.

Todd suffers multiple health issues including diabetes, schizophrenia and advanced liver disease.

With the terrible reality that Todd may only have months to live, Pip was facing her own grim future – homelessness.

“Our biggest concern was that because Todd’s illness is terminal, when he passed I would be in a very vulnerable position,” Pip explains.

“Because I would lose the Carer Allowance I would then be on Newstart,

which wouldn’t be enough to cover my costs of living in the SRF. “We didn’t know where I would have lived.”

Their support worker at UnitingSA, Jan Walters, says it was critical to find a solution.

“Pip would have definitely been homeless without a shadow of a doubt,” she says.

“We got in touch with UnitingSA’s Western Adelaide Homelessness Services and things snowballed from there.”

Homelessness Services case manager Jess Spehr worked quickly to find secure accommodation.

In a lucky break, everything aligned and they were soon visiting a newly vacant two-bedroom property in Findon.

The rest, as they say, is history.

Pip was assigned community housing and because she is Todd’s carer, he also moved in so that she could continue to provide ongoing support through his declining health.

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“I’ve always loved cooking but we weren’t able to in the SRF so that’s probably the biggest impact – I love having that choice of what to eat and when to cook.”

PIP

“Our friends also didn’t like to visit us at the SRF because there was nowhere private and with all the other people, it could be confronting.

“It’s such a nice change to be catching up with our friends now.”

For Todd, as well as the freedom that comes with living independently, he has found comfort in knowing his dedicated carer has somewhere to live after he is gone.

“I am just so relieved knowing that after spending all these years supporting me, she now has somewhere safe to be.”

The pair want to thank “a bucket load of people” for coming together to support them, including staff at UnitingSA, Unity Housing, the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, SRF Health Assessment Team and Sunnydale Supportive Care.

In Todd’s words: “It really is a miracle.”

FLOURISH MAGAZINE | ISSUE NO. 9 | 2020

FUN FACTS Favourite colour?

Blue Favourite animal?

Magpie Favourite food?

Spicy Asian Which three people, living or dead, would you invite to a dinner party?

Robin Williams, Richard Rohr and Noor Inayat Khan

A CHAT WITH HAKIM OERTON

What three items would you want if you were stranded on a desert island?

A boat, fuel and a compass

As a Pastoral Practitioner at Regency Green Multicultural Aged Care, Hakim Oerton plays a crucial role supporting residents and staff.

We sat down to talk about some of the pivotal personal, professional and spiritual experiences in his life that have brought him here.

Q: How do you explain your role as a Pastoral Practitioner in aged care?

A: Basically, my work is to help people find connection, meaning and purpose.

To help them with questions such as ‘What’s my life been about?’ and ‘What’s ahead of me?’ or ‘How can I make sense of my experience here and now?’ It is also a ‘traveling with’, seeing the other in their wholeness, being a witness as people journey through a significant period in their life.

Q: What are some of the ways you do this?

A: When somebody comes to live at Regency Green one aim is to find out as much information as possible about where they find peace, where they find connection, what matters to them. I try to build a repertoire of knowledge about the individual so I know how I can be

useful to them when they are less functional. I find out what they did in their life so that I can sit beside them and remind them when they can hear but can’t speak. Another way I connect with people here is through music. I find out what sort of music they grew up with because that is what will move them.

Q: Can you give a recent example of your work supporting a resident?

A: One of the residents I had known for a year and a half died a couple of months ago. She was a strong woman who had escaped from Pol Pot and brought her children and relatives with her to Australia. She was a great communicator in both English and Burmese but when her time came to an end, she had dementia. The first thing she lost was balance and then language. We had conversations as

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she was losing her English but we knew each other well enough that I could fill in the gaps. I was with her a few days before she died and she was in palliative care and I asked myself, ‘How can I connect with this woman?’

When I first met her she had photos of Buddha and photos of Jesus but towards the end of her life, it was just Buddha. I started playing her some music from Burma and some Buddhist chants and she was not really focused but when I started singing along to one of them, she stopped and gave eye contact. She stayed that way – so focused. I kept singing and singing and even when the music was off, I kept chanting. She hadn’t slept for about 24 hours but she was actually nodding off. The next day I came back and she was much brighter and was actually drinking water by herself. She had her daughter and sister with her.

They didn’t know how to talk to her and were sitting in silence. I reminded them, ‘She can’t speak but she can hear.’ I encouraged them to tell stories about what she was like as a sister and as a mother. They started talking about who this woman was to them, while she listened and smiled. That’s when I knew my job was done. She died a few days later.

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Q: As well as individual support for residents, what other services do you provide?

A: I support staff in the same way I support residents – by seeing individuals who comes to work as whole people with a unique life story and the same needs for meaning, purpose and connection. I also conduct a worship service here most Wednesdays for the Christian residents. For weeks I’ve been focusing on connection to each other and this morning for the first time people greeted each other as they walked in. We had a woman from Africa who speaks Amharic and a Chinese woman who only speaks Mandarin and they were talking to each other. Neither understood a word but there was this beautiful connection.

Q: You mentioned you deliver a worship service but you aren’t Christian yourself. Can you tell me about your religious background?

to traditional psychiatry because I could see the medical model wasn’t working. I started reading; Reich, Jung, Fromm, Erickson, Carl Rogers – and because I was reading rather widely I came across some Sufi teaching stories. I had this incredible sense of yearning. I felt like we had really lost something and within a couple of weeks I met somebody who was seeing a Sufi teacher. That’s been my path for about 35 years now.

Q: Can you tell me more about what it means to be a Sufi?

A: To be a Sufi is to have a pure heart and union with God. Most of us would fall far short of that ideal and refer to being on a Sufi path. We seekers strive to see the face of God wherever we look, to live with awareness of the presence of God, and to live with love and kindness. There is also that sense of peace and joy that comes as a result of prayer, silence and contemplation.

A: I am Aussie born and grew up in a nominally Presbyterian family.

My parents used to give us two threepences – one for the plate and one for the bus – and send us off to Sunday School while they stayed home. I explored Christian youth groups when I was an early teen but didn’t really find anything there.

That’s when I decided I was an atheist.

I loved the intellectual arguments and that sort of stuff. I then came to the horrible realisation that believing there is no God is the same as believing there is a God, in that it is an assertion that has no basis in provable fact.

So then I became an agnostic.

A: No. The core of my training and experience is that we come from the same source and are bound for the same goal. Prophets or mystics have existed in most cultures and traditions and give similar teachings, coloured by their context. And central to these are faith in something bigger than oneself and how to live a good life in community. The teachings of Jesus have many of these qualities. My work is to support people in their faith, whatever name for God or the source of life they use.

Q: From an agnostic 40 years ago through to a Pastoral Practitioner today, when did the change occur?

Q: A personal tragedy 20 years ago transformed your life. Can you tell me about that?

A: Hospital trained as a psychiatric nurse, I have worked in many places including prisons, methadone units, drug and alcohol centres. Religious delusions were fairly common: ‘I am Jesus, I am God, the Lord speaks through me’ and so on. I had read enough of the Bible to know what I was hearing coming out of the mouths of psychotic individuals was not so different to what came out of the mouths of prophets, who we revere today. So I’ve restrained Jesus, held him down and injected him with antipsychotics. I developed a curiosity around what was happening. It took me to an area of exploring alternatives

A: I was living in the Blue Mountains with my then wife and four children and our house burnt down. I was driving home from work when the phone rang and I was told, ‘Your house is on fire and one of your daughters is missing. Get home as soon as you can.’

My daughters, aged 2 and 4, died.

It took me two years to fall apart completely because I tried to continue as though things were the same.

They weren’t. I developed quite a severe depressive illness and I was out of work for at least a decade.

I learnt a lot about being dysfunctional and what that feels like.

Q: Is it difficult as a Sufi to lead Christian services?

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Q: What was the turning point to come out of that depression?

A: It’s interesting because after a while you get sick of not working and ask, ‘What next? How can I find meaning and purpose and be useful?’

That’s when I started a lot of voluntary work. I volunteered at the SA Writers’ Centre and at a hospital. I got involved with an organisation that was just forming at that time, called Mindshare, and started supporting people with a mental illness who were trying to write. I started a men’s group in Mount Barker. And then I heard from my sister-in-law that she was involved in this thing called Clinical Pastoral Education. That’s basically been my journey since. I undertook training and then met UnitingSA Minister Les Underwood and that’s what has led me to be a Pastoral Practitioner here, now.

Q: This role seems to bring together all your experiences – personal, professional and spiritual. Is that how you see it?

A: When I look back, I was always more pastoral than my psychiatric nurse peers. As Pastoral Practitioner at Regency Green I am part of a team that shares the joys and sorrows of uniquely lived experiences in a diverse population of residents and staff.

This is reflected by the flags outside, the diversity of language, the possibility and reality of communication beyond language. I feel like I have been given a huge opportunity. I have ended up in a place where my life experiences together with the role allow me to be myself more. I feel like I’m fulfilling my purpose.

Q: If you had one bit of advice for people, what would it be?

A: Explore the science of mindfulness.

Learn how your thoughts and feelings influence your health and functioning in the world. Learn how to take charge of the vehicles your soul or consciousness calls home for now.

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COMMITTED TO SUPPORT GROWING REGION

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taff and clients from across UnitingSA programs in Whyalla, Kadina and Port Pirie gathered in November to mark 100 years of service to South Australia, including three decades of local support.

The UnitingSA Board and leadership team travelled to Whyalla to join the celebrations and meet with key community stakeholders to identify how the organisation can support the region’s future needs.

Our local services include Wesley Social Enterprises (WSE), which offers meaningful employment for those with a disability, Ethnic Link Services, which supports older migrants to live independently, the Joan Gibbons Hub, which offers an inclusive space for community activities, as well as diverse community mental health programs.

Board Chair Gael Fraser said UnitingSA was dedicated to supporting Whyalla’s most vulnerable people, particularly amid the region’s forecast population boom.

Whyalla’s population is expected to quadruple over the next 10 to 20 years,

with the planned expansion of the local steelworks.

“This will inevitably increase demand for a broad cross section of critical community support services,” Ms Fraser said.

“As we look to the future, we will continue to adapt our service profile in response to the changing needs of the Whyalla community.

“We will strive to build and expand programs, alongside key stakeholders, to address unmet need and support people who require services.

“While we cannot predict the future, helping people to navigate the NDIS and access mental health services and community aged care will likely be among our top priorities.”

During the two-day visit to the region, UnitingSA board members and leaders also visited HMAS Whyalla, where WSE supported employees are working on the iconic vessel’s restoration.

“This is an example of our ability to take on new work that provides meaningful employment opportunities to local people living with a disability,” Ms Fraser said.

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“We want to keep exploring local opportunities to ensure we can continue to expand our services to cater for people moving to the region who need additional support.”

Whyalla resident and WSE Supervisor Monica Fernandez said the team was proud to contribute to the preservation of this much-loved tourist attraction.

“This is an excellent outcome for the community and for our supported employees, who have been able to hone new skills and contribute to such a significant civic project,” Ms Fernandez said.

“The team couldn’t be prouder.”

MONICA

Ms Fernandez is among more than 30 local UnitingSA staff currently supporting almost 250 people across Whyalla and the greater northern region.

FLOURISH MAGAZINE | ISSUE NO. 9 | 2020

COMMUNITY GIVING AT CHRISTMAS

Boost for social and affordable housing

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nitingSA Housing is the first tier-two housing provider in Australia to be awarded a low interest loan through the National Housing Finance and Investment Corporation (NHFIC).

The 10-year loan will enable us to fast-track several social housing developments, including the planned construction of nine two-storey townhouses in Kurralta Park, designed for single parents and small families.

The $7 million NHFIC loan also boosts UnitingSA’s strategic initiative to develop 120 new social and affordable homes during the next 10 years to help meet the growing need for housing, particularly for South Australians on low to moderate incomes.

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e were so inspired by the generosity of the local community in supporting our 2019 Christmas Appeal.

Hundreds of children’s gifts and non-perishable food items were donated by individuals, schools, businesses and community groups in a true display of what Christmas is all about.

Westminster School students (pictured) were among our biggest donors, collecting more than 1000 items of food and 250 gifts. An incredible effort!

Financial donations to our appeal also allowed us to distribute more than $16,000 worth of grocery vouchers to people experiencing financial distress.

We are forever grateful for the ongoing support of our community, who really help to bring a smile to people during the festive season.

Every gift, no matter how large or small, creates positive change in the lives of the people we support.

UnitingSA CEO Libby Craft says the funding will have a significant and positive impact on the provision of further low-cost housing for South Australians.

Did you know?

Providing emergency assistance to people experiencing homelessness and financial hardship during the festive season has been a priority for our organisation since our formative years.

In 1936, we launched one of our first Christmas Appeals, which aimed to collect 500 new sheets for families of the Port.

More than 80 years on, this need for assistance has not waivered.

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“We are delighted to have secured the NHFIC funding and are very proud that UnitingSA Housing is the first tier-two provider to receive it.

It recognises our strong track record in delivering high quality housing projects – a record we’re really keen to build on,” Ms Craft said.

“We believe it is a fundamental right of all people to have access to safe, secure, affordable and accessible housing, and the decline of available community housing is an enormous challenge.

“The NHFIC loan enables us to fast-track our housing growth plans, including our wonderful development at Kurralta Park, and ensure greater access to affordable and quality housing for our community.”

FLOURISH MAGAZINE | ISSUE NO. 9 | 2020

70 Dale Street • PO Box 3032, Port Adelaide, SA 5015 P. (08) 8440 2200 E. unitingsa@unitingsa.com.au W. unitingsa.com.au @unitingsa Photography Catherine Leo at cathleo.com.au Editorial enquiries or feedback: (08) 8200 9213 © Copyright 2020 UnitingSA