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| IMPORTANT INFORMATION YOU MUST READ BEFORE CONTINUING 4S is the Schizophrenia Sufferer's Self-Support Group of Canberra, ACT, Australia. The creator of this site is not an expert in any area, certainly not in Mental Health. This site, 4s.4mg.com, is NOT specifically designed to assist with suicide prevention - the main idea behind the site is to provide, in good faith, information which promotes education, understanding and support for people with Mental Illness, especially Schizophrenia, in Australia and within the Asia-Pacific region. The site has been made available for free from Freeservers.com, something for which the creator is very grateful. The creator of this site can not be responsible for the content of any other sites on the Internet. Viewers of Internet sites are urged to exercise caution when viewing Internet based information to ensure they understand the commercial or otherwise nature of some sites, the possible damaging effects of transmitting computer viruses, and the laws that govern viewing Internet based information in thier own jurisdiction and the jurisdiction from whence the information originated. ______ Welcome to 4s.4mg.com ______ THE  ONLINE RESOURCES DIRECTORYAn Internet Directory of Australasian Mental Health Services & Information for Consumers & Supporters You are the     visitor to our site since November 2000. Hope you find what you're after...Optimised for INTERNET EXPLORER & IBM- may not look so good from Netscape or Macs. |
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THE LIST BELOW OUTLINES THE MAIN SOURCES OF INFORMATION ON SCHIZOPHRENIA IN AUSTRALIA... IT IS JUST THE BEGINNING of the Australian Sites within 4s.4mg.com... USE THE BLACK BAR ABOVE to navigate the whole site... This welcome page also has information below about 4S, and about this site... For information on international sites to do with Schizophrenia, see http://surfer.s5.com 'theSCHIZOPHRENIAsurfer' - another website from the creator of the 4S Website... KEY:[H] - Indicates a homepage; [GO!] Indicates a link to specific information within a website; ***** The use of five asterisks indicates the Editor believes this site to be of high quality. Schizophrenia Support Groups[H] Australian Infant, Child, Adolescent & Family MH Association... [GO!] AICAFMHA Project for Children of Parents with MI... [H] ARAFMI Association of Relatives And Friends of the Mentally Ill - NSW... [H] SA... [H] WA... [H] TAS... [H] VIC ARAFEMI... [H] Disability Support Pensioners Australia [GO!] Psychiatric Committee... [H] NNAAMI VIC - National Network of Adult & Adolescent Children who have a Mentally Ill parent... [H] Richmond Fellowships Asia Pacific Forum... [H] ACT... [H] VIC... [GO!] Victoria Lodge... [H] SANE Australia... [GO!] Stigma Watch... [GO!] Consumer/Carer Writings... [GO!] Consumer Art... [H] Factsheets... [H] Schizophrenia Carers Page... [H] Schizophrenia Fellowship NATIONAL... [H] ACT... [H] NSW... [H] VIC... [H] SA... [H] SA... [H] VIC Psychiatric Disability Support... Schizophrenia Research[H] Australasian Society for Psychiatric Research... [H] WA Centre for Clinical Research in Neuropsychiatry... [H] Centre for the Mind... [H] E. Cunningham Dax Psychiatric Art... [H] EPPIC - Early Psychosis Prevention & Intervention Centre... [H] Victorian Molecular Schizophrenia Division of the Mental Health Research Institute... [GO!] Applied Schizophrenia Division... [GO!] Brain Dynamics Research Laboratory... [GO!] Psychotropic Drug Advisory Service... [H] Neuroscience Society... [H] NISAD - Neuroscience Institute of Schizophrenia & Allied Disorders... [H] Queensland Centre for Schizophrenia Research... Early Psychosis Intervention[H] Auseinet - Early Intervention Network... [H] EPPIC Early Psychosis Prevention & Intervention Centre [H] National Early Psychosis Project... Schizophrenia Resources & Information[H] Australian Transcultural MH Network... [H] COPAS - Community Oriented Paediatric and Adolecsent Services... [H] Cundle Australian Medical Index... [GO!] Medical Homepages Directory... [GO!] WWW. Psychiatry Resources... [GO!] Psychiatrists Email Addresses... [H] [GO!] MSN Australia Search on 'Schizophrenia Australia'... [H] NSW Institute of Psychiatry... [H] [GO!] Mental Health & Psychiatry Internet Resources - Adelaide Uni... [GO!] Organisations Listing... [H] RANZCP - Royal Australian & New Zealand College of Psychiatrists... [GO!] Resources... [GO!] Policies & Statements... [GO!] Resource Library... [H] VIC Psychiatric Database... [H] Victorian Trans-Cultural Psychiatry Unit... Australian Mental Health Support On The Web... [H] Alzheimers... [H] Alcohol... [H] Bipolar... [H] Aboriginal Deaths in Custody... [H] Depression... [H] Dissasociative Disorders... [H] MH Dual Diagnosis... [H] Eating Disorders... [H] Grief... [H] Australian Mental Health Consumers Network... [H] MHCA - Mental Health Council Australia... [H] Obsessive Compulsive Disorder... [H] Panic/Anxiety... [H] Relationships Australia... [H] Survivors of child abuse... [H] Trauma... [GO!] Women With Disabilities... [H] Young Men's Information... Australian Mental Health NEWS... [H] [GO!] ABC Health Report... [H] [GO!] Australasian Society for Psychiatric Research... [H] [GO!] Australian Neuroscience Society... [H] [GO!] ATMHN Newsletter... [H] [GO!] Council of Social Services... [H] Depression Initiative... [H] [GO!] Depressionet... [H] DICE NEWS... [H] [GO!] EPPIC Newsletter... [H] [GO!] Disability Information VIC... [H] [GO!] Health Issues Centre... [H] [GO!] MH Co-ordinating Council Newsletter... [H] [GO!] MHCA Newsletter... [H] MH Services Conference... [H][GO!] QLD Centre for Schizophrenia Research... [H] [GO!] RANZCP Newsletter... [H] [GO!] NSW Schizophrenia Fellowship... [GO!] The Source for youth... [H] [GO!] Women With Disabilities organisation is under threat - read on... [H] World Congress on Inclusion - MELBOURNE 2002... Australian Mental Health & Related E-Discussion Groups[H] Depressionet... [H] [GO!] ***** EPPIC Discussion Groups... [H] [GO!] NSW Shizophrenia Fellowship... [H] Schizophrenia Carers Page Chat & Discussion... [H] [GO!] Dual Diagnosis Forum... [H] [GO!] OZ Carers Chatroom... [GO!] Eating Disorders Talk Friendship Page... [H] [GO!] National Early Psychosis Project Discussion Forums... [H] OZMAD is an Aussie consumer/survivor email group, beginning soon... [H] [GO!] SA Parenting FORUM... [H] [GO!] CHOICE Health Forums... [H] YAHOO Egroup for Aussie Youth... [H] [GO!] Auseinet - Early Intervention Network for MH Discussion/Email Groups... Mental Health Resources[H] [GO!] Medical Journal of Australia: Mental Health Information Centre... [H] Aust & NZ College of MH Nurses... [H] MH Information for Rural & Remote Australia... [H] MHCA: Mental Health Council of Australia - Peak Non-Govt Body... [GO!] MHCA Projects... [H] Mental Health Co-ordinating Council... [H] NACCHO - National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation... [H] [GO!] MSN Australia Search on 'Mental Health Australia'... [H] Primary Mental Health Care Australian Resource Centre... GOVERNMENT MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES - for non-government services, see the CONSUMERS & SUPPORTERS page[H] NATIONAL... [GO!] (A good rundown of what the National MH Strategy is all about - from WA Govt website)... [H] Mental Health & Wellbeing - C'th Govt Official Site... [GO!] What is Schizophrenia?... [GO!] National Mental Health Strategy... [GO!] Statement of Consumer Rights/Responsibilities... [GO!] Crisis & support Contacts... [GO!] MH & Palliative Care... [GO!] MH & Torture & Trauma... [GO!] Homeless Youth... [GO!] Commonwealth Rehabilitation Service... [GO!] Australian Institute of Health & Welfare - MH Information... [GO!] Relate - relationship skills for love, family, life... [GO!] Relate handbook & pamphlet... [GO!] Homeless Youth... [GO!] Steralisation of Women & Young Girls with a disability... [H] ACT... [GO!] Services Directory... ? NSW [GO!] NSW Health Dept... [GO!] Transcultural MH Centre - NSW... [GO!] NSW Multilingual Resources... [GO!] Macarthur Ambulatory Care Service - Acute Care in the Community... [GO!] Homecare - Independent Living - NSW... [GO!] NSW Health Legal Branch... [GO!] NSW Health Services INDEX... [GO!] Boarding House Team - NSW MH Services Accom... ? VIC... [H] QLD... [GO!] List of MH Services... [H] QLD Women's Health Network... [GO!] Help for Rural Caregivers of the MI... [GO!] Remote & Rural Women's MH... [GO!] Depression amongst women of NESB... [GO!] Laughter as medicine for women... ? SA... [GO!] Rural & Remote MH Service... ? WA...[H] Health Providers Directory... [GO!] Mental Health Services Directory... [GO!] A Strategic Plan for MH Services in the Southwest Corridor... [GO!] State directions in MH - this document gives an overview of MH in the Southwest corridor... [GO!] The North Metropolitan MH Service... [GO!] Central West Mental Health Service... [GO!] Coastal & Wheatbelt Public Health Unit MH Services... [GO!] MH Statistics from mid-1990's... [GO!] The Board of Visitors System... [GO!] Selby Centre closes down... [GO!] Museum of MH at Graylands Hospital... [GO!] MH Assistance after Cyclone Vance - Exmouth region... [GO!] (A good rundown of what the National MH Strategy is all about - from WA Govt website)... [H] TAS... [H] Directory of Services... [H] NT... CENTRELINK[H] Centrelink [GO!] Guide to services [GO!] Crisis Services [GO!] Disability/Illness Services [GO!] Medications Concessions [GO!] Carer Support [GO!] Parent or Guardian Support [GO!] Overcomming Barriers to Study or Work [GO!] Services for Workplace Assistance [GO!] Is your job in jeopardy due to your disability? [GO!] Accommodation Support [GO!] RYIS - Rural Youth Information Services [GO!] RYIS Outlets [GO!] Youth Allowance [H] [GO!] Youth Allowance Interim Report - Assesment of Youth Allowance since 1998 [GO!] Information in your language Here is what the major political parties in Australia say about Mental HealthPLEASE NOTE THAT NOT ALL PARTIES HAVE FORMED POLICIES AHEAD OF THE ELECTION. These policies may be updated ahead of the 2001 election. For a full listing of political parties in Australia see. For the Federal Coalition Governments' policies you should go to the Governments' Mental Health Website. [H] DEMOCRATS [GO!] MH Policy [GO!] Sen. Lyn Allison on services for Psychotic Illnesses [GO!] SEARCH of Democrats website using 'mental' [GO!] Carers Policy [GO!] People with Disabilities Policy [GO!] Social Security Policy [H] GREENS [GO!] Health Policy [H] LABOR [GO!] The ALP Platform 2000 (policy in PDF Format) [H] LIBERAL [GO!] Michael Woolridge's page on policy stands. PLEASE NOTE: also see the Governments' Mental Health Website. [H] NATIONAL [GO!] Health Policy [GO!] Australians with Disabilties Policy [GO!] Social Welfare Policy [H] ONE NATION [GO!] QLD State Election Policies [H] NT COUNTRY LIBERAL PARTY [GO!] Health & community Health Policies [H] CHRISTIAN DEMOCTRATS [GO!] Health Policy [GO!] Housing & Aged Care Policy |
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BRIEFLY, WHAT IS 4S? 4S is the Schizophrenia Sufferer's Self-Support Group of Canberra, ACT, Australia. 4S began operating in the mid-1980's, was closely associated with the Schizophrenia Fellowship, and offers an opportunity for people with Mental Illness, particularly Schizophrenia, to gather informally for a friendly get-together, and offer each other support with any difficulties individuals may be having. 4S meets for freindly get-togethers on the first Saturday of each month, each month publishes 'The 4S Broke & Bored Noticeboard' which lists low cost, easily accessible and supportive activities around Canberra for people with Mental Illness, and hosts this website, 4s.4mg.com, which aims to link people with Mental Illness and thier supporters in Australia and the Asia-Pacific region with the services and information available in the region. 4s.4mg.com contents... 1. WELCOME TO 4S>BR> main mental health links in Australia, including information on the 4S group of Canberra 2. CONSUMERS AND SUPPORTERS MH consumer groups, individuals, carers, and support organisations 3. AUSTRALIA-WIDE SERVICES information on government & non-government services covering a wide range of needs 4. AUSTRALIAN EARLY INTERVENTION & YOUTH early psychosis, suicide prevention, youth resources, inspiration 5. AUSTRALIAN INDIGENOUS & TRANSCULTURAL deaths in custody, reconciliation, transcultural MH and supports 6. AUSTRALIAN LEGAL & ADVOCACY legislation, human rights, police & corrective services, crime prevention 7. AUSTRALIAN PROFESSIONAL & RESEARCH medications, professional medical bodies, universities, researchers 8. WELLBEING self-help, fitness & MI, related health issues & psychoses 9. CANBERRA SERVICES a page designed to assist with rehab and support for people with MI in the ACT 10. CANBERRA REGION SERVICES services available outside Canberra for people with MH issues 11. ASIA-PACIFIC MENTAL HEALTH services & organisations for people with MH issues in nations in our region KEY: [H] indicates a link to a sites' Homepage [GO!] indicates a link to the specific information mentioned ***** The use of five asterisks indicates the Editor believes this information is of good quality 4s.4mg.com is made available by Freeservers.com. Freeservers have an easy to use, FREE Web hosting service. Here are two other sites which have used Freeservers and are resources for Schizophrenia [H] Schizophrenic Literature - information, great links page [H] The British Columbia Schizophrenia Society. If you want to host your own web page, and do it at the lowest possible cost, I can recommend Freeservers. I checked out some of the other free web page hosting services, however Freeservers has been by far the best I have come across to date. I hope to have a page on this website which will give information about how individuals can create thier own webpage, but this will be comming later in 2001. SITE STATISTICS: 132 hits - March 1st, 2001 |
 ABOUT 4S MEMBERSHIP The only requirements for members are that either they or a close friend or relative have had the personal experience of Schizophrenia and that their name and address goes on to the mailing list. People not on the mailing list are still welcome to come along to meetings. There are no requirements once people join the mailing list, infact they don't even have to turn up to meetings if they don't want to. People can't join up freinds or relatives - only the person who makes contact with 4S goes on to the mailing list (some people don't want to receive unsolicited information). SO, HOW DO I JOIN 4S? To join, simply contact the really helpful people at the Mental Health Foundation in Phillip, ACT, on Freecall phone: 0500 806 500 or by using the email address for the 4S Contact Person listed below (if no email listed, just call the MH Foundation). Once you are on the Mailing list you will recieve regular updates on 4S Get-Togethers. MAILOUTS 4S has a quarterly mailout (February, May, August, and November) or mailouts are as required. Due to monetary constraints, mailouts are only to people in the Canberra region. If people don't really need the mailouts, please let the Contact Person know, as this will save money. THE 4S BROKE & BORED NOTICEBOARD Currently I am trialling a 4S Newsletter called 'The 4S Broke & Bored Noticeboard'. 4S has not had a newsletter in the past. Mailouts were trialled in 1997 or 98, by the previous Co-ordinator & myself as a way of getting people to come along to meetings, by increasing awareness of the group. The plan worked for a short period of time. However, it is clear that the real 'pull' factor bringing people to meetings is whether someone they know is going to come to the meeting, and not whether they recieve notification of a meeting. Even offering free food at meetings is not getting people to come along. Instead of simply sending out a flyer telling people of the next meeting, the idea with a newsletter was to give people who would not be comming along to meetings information on activities in the Canberra region that were low cost and easily accessible, as well as supportive for people with Mental Health issues. This is what the 'Broke & Bored Noticebored' attempts to do. There has been no feedback from anyone recieving the newsletter about its usefullness, and as such it may not last many more months. The trial will end late this year unless a few people indicate it is useful, and anyone is interested in giving me a hand with it. GET-TOGETHERS 4S has always met on the first Saturday of each month. Currently the meetings begin at 3pm, and finish whenever people are ready to go - 5pm is a good time to finish. As the Co-ordinator, I will be there for at least half an hour, until 3.30pm. IF I am late, please wait for me as someone WILL be there before 3.30pm. PEOPLE SHOULD ALLWAYS CHECK BEFORE ATTENDING MEETINGS with the MH Foundation about the time and location of meetings, because the venues and times are not allways the same. There will be a quarterly meeting at which people may be able to bring some food, or at which food may be available. These quarterly meetings are March, June, September, and December, to coincide with Easter, and Christmas. All members are at least encouraged to attend these quarterly meetings because there will hopefully be discussion of any important matters, and there maybe an opportunity to get some FREE tucker!. Get-togethers are informal, and are social gatherings, rather than formal meetings. At Get-togethers, people can do pretty much what they like, the important thing is that they and others enjoy themselves, and people get to know new people and meet old friends. People at 4S have sometimes organised other get-togethers to watch movies, go to lunch, etc if there is enough interest. WHO CAN COME TO GET-TOGETHERS? There are no real stipulations on who can or can't come. Essentially, the Get-togethers are so that people with Schizophrenia, who might be isolated, or simply need something to do, can have a regular activity. The Get-togethers are useful for people to meet others with a similar experience. People can bring a friend or relative to Get-togethers if they like. 4S PROMOTIONAL ACTIVITIES For the past few years there have been regular mailouts. On one occassion I was able to help someone from interstate who had recieved a mailout from the Smith Family. This person rang me in a distressed state using the contact phone number on the flyer. In this case I took the person to Canberra Hospital (ie Woden) however the triage service sent the person away, and I listed the person as missing with the police... BUT, at least the flyer gave the person a point of contact - so it is something that could be continued. A poster was created in 1999, detailing some things about 4S. In colour, using an inkjet printer, it is on display in health centres, and a few other places in Canberra. There is no evidence of it's effectiveness, however I am beginning to think that a new 'gee-whiz' colour poster may be the most cost effective, low maintenance way to promote 4S, at least to advertise the 4S Website. The 'Broke & Bored Noticeboard' is dropped off at Mental Health Centres around Canberra each month - it usually joins other magazines on a coffee table. I also send the newsletter to a few different people each month, such as psychiatrists, health care workers, or even politicians (once the Chief Ministers, office replied to a flyer saying that Kate was unable to attend a Saturday meeting, but she thanked us for inviting her!!) The 4S Website, 4s.4mg.com, will be submitted to several Schizophrenia related websites during 2001. This has already met with a positive response, being listed with the Schizophrenia Carers Website. Just this listing alone has increased traffic to the website dramatically... Hopefully the site will be used by people across Australia and the Asia-Pacific region, otherwise it will have been pretty useless putting it together! At the moment the site is not formatted correctly to be submitted to any search engines, however, I will try to get it into the Open Directory Project, as this is one of the top listings in the world, and the directory I use to find anything & everything. 4S' CURRENT FINANCIAL SITUATION 4S has no money of it's own, and as such does not exactly exist (except in the minds of those who support it I suppose!!). There are no substantial assets (except for a few plastic forks & knives, and a few files of past information). 4S is grateful for the financial support it receives (for mailouts, and food for parties,etc) from The Canberra Shizophrenia Fellowship among others. Throughout 1999, 2000, and into 2001, I, Paul Norden, as the Co-ordinator of 4S, have been bankrolling 4S (ie: paying for mailouts, paying for web access, etc). I do this for several reasons. First, I can not see any justification in asking anyone for money to operate 4S when so few people turn up to meetings, and there has yet been no positive feedback from anyone recieveing the mailouts as to thier usefullness. Secondly, only a small group of regulars are comming to meetings each month, and there is no real reason to ask for money for the meetings as there are no large overheads. Thirdly, now that the website is up and running, it can act as a FREE resource for everyone in 4S which can assist people in accessing services, obtaining information, etc, and this may infact be a better way for myself, as Co-ordinator, to assist the group. Clearly, money will have to be found from somewhere to keep the group running, but only if there are substantial overheads, like a regular mailout. Presently, there is no plan to seek funding from any agency. Doing this could increase my workload in relation to 4S, as well, it could create a problem with the informal manner in which 4S currently operates (ie: funding may come attached with all sorts of provisos). THIS INFORMATION HAS BEEN PROVIDED BY THE 4S CO-ORDINATOR FOR THE 4S WEBSITE, 4s.4mg.com Yours faithfully Paul Norden 4S Co-ordinator 20th February, 2001. PLEASE NOTE: A SECTION EXPLAINING THIS WEBSITE FURTHER WILL BE ATTACHED TO THIS PAGE SOON |
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