Mental Health and the prison system: a policy concern

Mental health care is a significant policy challenge facing our prison systems in Australia. According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 1 in 3 people entering prison have a diagnosed mental illness; almost 2.5 times the rate of the general population. There is growing concern that people with an untreated mental illness are more likely to be imprisoned due to a lack of community-based care. There is also concern about the lack of quality of mental health care in prisons, and its implications for those making the transition back into the community. In this article, Stephen Hall, Leader Mission and Service, Baptistcare WA, outlines the need for better mental health services for the prison population. While the focus is on Western Australia, the issues raised here will resonate nationally, and internationally.

This article originally appeared on Stephen Hall's professional blog.

IssuesPower to Persuade6 August 2014prisons

Homelessness research and the influence of targeted policy

Is it more effective to target interventions at those most in need? Or should we 'act universally', addressing the basic welfare of all? When it comes to addressing the causes of inequality, there is growing evidence to suggest that universal approaches are more effective. Despite this, policymakers find a continuing appeal in targeted social programs, reserving social services for the most disadvantaged groups in society. In taking this road, are policymakers failing to address the root causes of disadvantage? In light of Homeless Persons' Week, Dr Pauline McLoughlin (@PJ_McLoughlin), from RMIT University, and Dr Gemma Carey (@gemcarey) from ANU explore how homelessness research in Australia must grapple with a strong current of highly targeted policy.

Social Policy Whisperer: Andrew Forrest and the Government's welfare nightmare

Years of research neglect have left the Abbott government ill prepared for the challenge of welfare reform. Its first budget disaster arose precisely because it did not understand the post financial crisis policy context. Its calls for economic heavy lifting have not been matched by distributional fairness. Having experienced a period of economic reform when the benefits went disproportionately to the rich, people now simply wont buy an economic reform program which is not also socially inclusive. The question is can the government learn quickly enough on the job to get its social policy agenda on track before the next election?

NDIS: a cause for social policy celebration or concern?

'Every Australian Counts' is the memorable mantra of the citizens' campaign for the NDIS. It speaks volumes about the public demand for a radical change in the delivery of disability care. The promise of the NDIS is to have an inclusive, person-centred care scheme, capable of redressing the 'lottery' of patchy support systems provided by State and Territory governments. As the first stages of implementation unfold, it is more important than ever that the NDIS is in a position to deliver true policy innovation.

In this article, our social policy expert Professor David Hayward, Dean of the RMIT School of Global, Urban and Social Studies, reflects on two vexed aspects of the NDIS - privatisation and funding uncertainty - that merit attention from policymakers and disability advocates.

Citizen power and the NDIS: putting us back on the road to social justice

There is a lot of rhetoric about putting civil society at the centre of policy decision-making. But policy actions over the past 40 years suggest that there is still a way to go in achieving this in practice. In the second of our NDIS-themed articles this week, Dr Simon Duffy (@simonjduffy) of The Centre for Welfare,

Policy and governance, IssuesPower to Persuade24 June 2014markets in public services, disability

A plane with half an engine? The NDIS needs to put people at its centre

It has taken many years for Australia to introduce a social insurance scheme to support the needs of people with a disability. One year on into the introduction of the NDIS in trial sites across Australia, a parliamentary inquiry has highlighted a number of implementation challenges. In ensuring that the needs of people with a disability and their families are met by this scheme, it is crucial that the key policy challenges facing the scheme are both recognised and addressed.

In the first of our NDIS themed articles this week, Claire Hjorth Watson, PhD Candidate at the University of Melbourne, reflects on the need to put people and care relationships at the centre of NDIS policy frameworks.

Policy and governance, IssuesPower to Persuade23 June 2014markets in public services, disability

What can we all agree on in the debate about racially insulting language?

In this legal perspective on the proposed changes to the Racial Discrimination Act, Rik Sutherland from St Vincent de Paul deconstructs the arguments on both sides and suggests a way to move beyond entrenched positions.

Advocacy, IssuesDr. Kathy Landvogt10 June 2014communication, indigenous issues

What do White House policy makers want from researchers?

How do we influence the decision-makers? Duncan Green, strategic adviser for Oxfam GB and author of ‘From Poverty to Power’, considers a recent study of US national security policymakers through a non-government organisation (NGO) lens. We thank him for his permission to republish his post here.

Issues, Creating using evidencePower to Persuade6 June 2014research, housing and homelessness

Beyond the Budget:What would a fairer tax and transfer system look like?

Last Friday Paul Smyth encouraged us to think beyond individual policies to begin reimagining the future of the wage earners welfare state. Below Jackie Brady, Acting Executive Director, Catholic Social Services Australia, also calls on social policy advocates to look at the big picture of reform – this time, the tax system. Jackie questions the logic and morality of applying concepts of ‘deservingness’ to the transfer side of the tax system, but not the taxation side.

Issues, Finance and economicsDr. Gemma Carey30 May 2014social inequalities, tax reform

There's more to influence than offering practical solutions

Don Arthur writes for the group blog Club Troppo, His work has also been published in the Australian Review of Public Affairs, the Centre for Independent Studies’ Policy magazine, and by the Evatt Foundation. An earlier version of this post appeared at Club Troppo.

Issues, Finance and economicsJohn Kelly28 May 2014social inequalities, tax reform

Social Policy Whisperer: Criticism isn't enough, where do we go from here? Reactions to the response to the budget

We've seen widespread criticism of the budget (some of it on this blog!), particularly around cuts to social policy and the (potential) removal of the safety net. While critique is important, Prof. Paul Smyth from the University of Melbourne draws our attention to the lack of feasible alternatives put forth in post-budget commentary. In particular, Paul urges us to think wider than individual social policies to begin to (re)image what the Australian welfare state should look like for this century.

Doing the Heavy Lifting: Federal budget targets those who can least afford it

Previous blog posts have reflected on the severity of the Federal Budget cuts. One of the groups that will be disproportionately impacted is single mothers and their children, with cuts to payments as well as other supports.

In this post*, Tenar Dwyer from the Council for Single Mothers and their Children responds to the budget from her organisations perspective.

Men and mens' services working to end mens' violence against women

It is vital that men be involved and work with women's organisations to end violence against women. It is important, however, that in doing so they recognise the importance of not 'colonising' this space.

This blog post, by Rodney Vlais from No To Violence, discusses the importance of working in a truly collaborative way to end violence against women.

Budget 2014: the pursuit of small government

The Federal budget has been controversial and divisive. Sold as a measure to manage a ‘budget crisis’ , Joe Hockey’s first budget will come as a hard blow for many disadvantaged, low income and vulnerable Australians. But beneath the rhetoric and justifications, we can see a familiar political goal. In this comprehensive article below, Professor David Hayward (RMIT University) delves into the underlying story shaping the 2014/15 budget:

Wrapping up an unbalanced budget

In part two of our budget wrap-up, the CEO of VCOSS and the team at Good Shepherd Social Policy and Research Unit sum up the key societal costs and implications of the Federal budget:

Out of balance: Tanya Corrie, Kathy Landvogt, Susan Maury and Denis Sheehan, Good Shepherd Youth & Family Service

Vulnerable Victorians not the main focus in the state government budget

The 2014 Victorian Budget was announced last week. Like its Commonwealth counterpart, both budgets have been preceded by extensive pre-release of information, and much speculation. In the lead up to Treasurer Joe Hockey's announcement of the national budget, Denis Fitzgerald (Executive Director, Catholic Social Services Victoria) takes stock of what is happening in Victoria:

Two steps forward, one step back: young people transitioning from out of home care

Young people leaving state care are one of the most vulnerable groups in Australia. We know that care leavers frequently transition from out of home care with few of the financial, emotional and social supports they need. Many face significant challenges in accessing housing and jobs, and pursuing educational opportunities.

Following recent out-of-home care policy reforms, such as the Victorian Government Five Year Plan, it is timely to consider this often overlooked aspect of our care systems. Reflecting on more than 15 years of research, Associate Professor Philip Mendes (Director of the Social Inclusion and Social Policy Research Unit (SISPRU) at Monash University) writes about the challenges and signs of change for leaving care policy in Australia:

Causes of fuel poverty rarely discussed, often confused and never uniform

In the lead up to the federal budget, Gavin Dufty (Manager of Policy and Research, St Vincent de Paul Society, Victoria) and Erwin Jackson (Deputy CEO, The Climate Institute) write on an often overlooked aspect of poverty:

What future for welfare?

Issues, Social Policy WhispererProfessor Paul Smyth1 May 2014social welfare, professor paul smyth

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