Leading up to White Wreath Day - In Remembrance of All Victims of Suicide May 29 this year White Wreath was very busy following a shocking murder on the Gold Coast by a mentally ill man. I featured in the Gold Coast Bulletin (see further along in newsletter) and also on Channel Nine News. The Issues of effective front line assessment and the fact that the only safe place people can go to now when they need a medium or long term bed is the prison system, were all canvassed.

The important issue that when people are suicidal, self harming, violent and homicidal they need immediate admission for their safety and the safety of the public. At the moment these people are turned away with the throw away title of Personality Disordered, therefore not mentally ill.

The psychiatric professions are still chanting the 1983 mantra, "The mentally ill are not dangerous"…. "We can't predict dangerousness". This is factually incorrect. The hard scientific evidence is that a significant number of severely mentally ill people are neurologically programmed to kill themselves and others. This is why we are demanding that anyone who turns up for assessment anywhere in the system, mental health, general health, criminal justice, social welfare, family court must have a neurological assessment. We thank the Gold Coast Bulletin and Channel Nine for covering issues which frequently media, politicians, administrator's right down to doctors and nurses avoid discussing.

Fanita Clark
CEO