In this episode Dr Sandie Cornish speaks with Sr Myree Harris rsj OAM about homelessness, mental ill-health and disability. Myree is a Josephite Sister who has worked for over thirty years with people experiencing homelessness and mental ill-health. She is the Coordinator of the Gethsemane Community which provides secure housing in a family-like setting for women and men with mental ill-health and intellectual disability who have been homeless. Myree was part of the working group that prepared the 'Do Not be Afraid' Mental Illness and Outreach Guidelines for Parishes on behalf of the Australian Catholic Disability Council.
To Live Life to the Full: Mental health in Australia today is the Social Justice Sunday Statement of the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference for 2020. You can access a print version here.
The Statement encourages faith communities, governments and each one of us, to make mental health a priority. It is a timely message in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic is affecting many members of our parishes, schools and communities. Understanding mental health will help us to be aware of those who need our support. The Statement encourages us all to reject stigmatisation, to work for the transformation of social determinants of mental ill-health, and to call for policies and service provision that meets the needs of the poorest and most marginalised members of our community.
