Simon Katterl

My mother has previously been involuntarily detained in an SMHRU, the Queensland equivalent of a SECU. I know because she was put there partly as a result of endangering me.

Billing non-short-term involuntary detainees is among the biggest cunt moves I can imagine.

Positive move from the Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission to highlight the issues with charging people compulsorily detained within SECU's.

Has been happening for at least 11 years, but credit where due.

mailchi.mp/mhwc/changes...

‘He begged not to die’: partner of man who died after being restrained by police joins calls to change mental health response Taite Collins filmed his partner Collin Burling being restrained by officers at their public housing block in Sydney’s Waterloo

“I can’t breath,”

www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...

The 'Trump effect' could mean an alliance shift that excludes the US When Canada and Australia experienced similar election results, the impact of the Trump effect became clearer, along with its potential to shift future alliances.

When did unrestrained neoliberalism become centre-left?
www.abc.net.au/news/2025-07...

Albanese under pressure from Greens over human rights act - CathNews Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is facing pressure from the Greens to take advantage of his parliamentary majority to implement a human rights act, which has drawn criticism for galvanising judicial a...

How can you be a professor of constitutional law and talk such shit like this? What an absurd statement for professor Craven to make?

How can Craven legitimately state that superannuation and defence would be impacted by the judiciary? Complete nonsense.

cathnews.com/2025/07/14/a...

Treasury advises Labor to consider higher taxes and a new housing target A series of subheadings accidentally sent to the ABC by Treasury reveals extensive detail about its frank advice to the re-elected Albanese government.

My suspicion/hope is that they're not completely devastated that this got out because it gives a permission structure to explore tax reform.

Possibly optimistic thinking, but if they didn't want this they could have severely frustrated the FOI process.
www.abc.net.au/news/2025-07...

Just days after Elon Musk's AI chatbot praised Hitler and called itself "MechaHitler", Australia's lead advisor on fighting antisemitism praised Musk's platform X's use of AI to "root out hate" 😵‍💫

www.crikey.com.au/20...

Mental health patient 'sedated' and waiting for days in emergency department A Queensland GP is calling for urgent action after his patient waited for several days in the emergency department and says he had to be sedated, a claim hospital bosses dispute.

There are profound issues in Queensland's mental health system. But this isn't solved by more bricks and beds. Community based and peer-led supports are needed, including as a response to severe distress.

www.abc.net.au/news/2025-06...

A good read “Governments can bolster mental health by removing barriers to well-being, such as fostering vibrant communities, promoting economic security, and, as economist Dr. Kelsey O’Connor’s research suggests, ensuring robust social safety nets” Its why a *strong healthy Democracy is so crucial

Why we should all be acting on “Languishing” — Simon Katterl Consulting Have you ever had a stage of your life that feels as if you are lost and unable to draw wellbeing? It may or may not have been diagnosed as a mental health issue, but it doesn’t change how hard this p...

Ever felt stuck in a low-grade funk? My latest interview with
Dr Matt Iasiello dives deep into #languishing, its impacts and how we can address it.

www.simonkatterlconsulting.com/writing/why-...

Everyone watching international law right now.

It’s time for an own-motion inquiry — Simon Katterl Consulting The coming weeks reflect an inflection point in the trajectory of Victoria’s mental health system. While the Royal Commission into Victoria’s Mental Health System offered a glimmer of hope – despite ...

Now is the time for the Victorian Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission to establish an inquiry into the government's mishandling of the mental health reforms.

www.simonkatterlconsulting.com/writing/its-...

It’s time for an own-motion inquiry — Simon Katterl Consulting The coming weeks reflect an inflection point in the trajectory of Victoria’s mental health system. While the Royal Commission into Victoria’s Mental Health System offered a glimmer of hope – despite ...

It is absurd! My thoughts here: www.simonkatterlconsulting.com/writing/its-...

Mental health watchdog muzzled by ‘drastic’ budget cuts Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission chair Treasure Jennings says the funding cuts leave the commission unable to do the work it was established to do.

If you or someone you know relies on robust mental health support in Victoria, this is critical.

The very body meant to oversee our mental health system is having its powers removed.

What does this mean for Victorians facing mental distress & suicide?
www.theage.com.au/politics/vic...

Snippet from my interview on Nine with Steph Anderson about how the hospitality industry wants accountability and cultural change. Full package on 6pm bulletin tonight and story online at The Age.

more crime in america

Were the Greens consulted and provided the opportunity to be included?

Both the United States and the United Kingdom are reviewing the AUKUS agreement.

In light of this, and the consequential nature of the agreement, it's vital that our Parliament do the same.

The crossbench will push to ensure scrutiny is applied. Australians expect nothing less.

Thousands of Australians receiving ECT without consent every year Last year, more than 1,700 orders for involuntary electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) were approved by tribunals in Australia. Advocacy groups say clinicians need to be better informed.

Worth a read: This ABC News piece explores the nuanced discussion around consent for electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) as a treatment for depression.

An important topic for anyone interested in mental healthcare.
www.abc.net.au/news/2025-06...

Yeah it just seems so pervasive across the industry to be honest hey 😥 I don't think the existing guidelines are adequate

110%

"ABC's treatment of this important issue has indeed silenced the collective voice of mental health consumers. The National Mental Health Consumer Alliance — the national peak body for people with lived experience of mental health challenges — was not contacted for comment.’"

“...the system is heavily reliant on the use of biomedical responses to distress, and there are high rates of coercion and resulting #trauma from the system. Families are left in a perpetual state of hypervigilance...Underfunding...is not the primary structural cause” Medicalising distress is flawed

Shining a light, but missing the mark: Four Corners’ latest mental health reporting — Simon Katterl Consulting On June 2, Australians watched the Four Corners episode, ‘Emergency: The Long Wait For Help’. The program highlighted a known issue: the mental health system is failing its users. This coverage, howev...

How last night's Four Corners missed the mark and where we need to go on mental health reform.

We won't get progressive mental health reform by evidence-free reporting and the exclusion of people with lived experience.

Here: www.simonkatterlconsulting.com/writing/pql5...

I hope so. Though I know that many critical voices about the failures in the system have reached out. I worry that there will be cherrypicking of lived experience voices to reinforce the dominant narrative of more funding for the status quo, despite there being limited evidence that it will work.

The stories from inside a health system crisis these doctors want you to hear Doctors and nurses see people in crisis being turned away, patients discharged before it is safe, and interminable wait times boil over into life-threatening violence.

Disability, race, religion...if the ABC was doing a story centring on these topics, it would incl the voices of people w lived experience - particularly rep bodies.

I don't understand how this story hasn't got any representation of people w lived exp.
www.abc.net.au/news/2025-06...

National corruption watchdog mishandled complaint against commissioner The agency tasked with policing corruption failed to follow its own rules — wrongly dismissing a complaint about one of its commissioners and breaching a legal duty to report such matters to its overs...

National corruption watchdog mishandled complaint against commissioner www.abc.net.au/news/2025-05...

Australia's tax system is currently geared to help the very richest avoid paying tax.

That means everyone else has to pay more to ensure we have the things we need.

Mmm sounds horrible 😔. Messaged you privately.

If you know someone who has made a complaint about public mental health services and wishes to speak to a story about the lack of action, please feel free to introduce them to me.