The Birth and Upbringing of the Richmond

SHARING THE JOURNEY CATE PATTISON RICHMOND WELLBEING 1975-2015 Sharing the Journey tells the story of the Richmond Fellowship, now Richmond Wellbeing, in Western Australia from 1975 to 2015. Focussing on recovery within a therapeutic environment, the Richmond Fellowship have walked alongside people experiencing mental distress in Perth for forty years. In the last decade, it has also become a progressive thought leader and advocate for consumer-centered mental health recovery. This history is told against the backdrop of developments in social sentiment and public policies around mental health over this time. CATE PATTISON CATE ISBN 978-0-9944289-0-5 THE STORY OF THE RICHMOND FELLOWSHIP OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA, NOW RICHMOND WELLBEING 1975-2015 9 780994 428905 Sharing the Journey The story of the Richmond Fellowship, now Richmond Wellbeing, in Western Australia. 1975 - 2015 CATE PATTISON The issue for mental health is that it is complex. It really overlaps with well-being. Everyone has their own mental health.” Dr Nathan Gibson First published in 2015 by Richmond Wellbeing 29 Manning Road, Cannington, Western Australia, 6107 Schizophrenia is a medical term This book is copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose ... it’s not anything to do with the of private study, research, criticism or review, as permitted under the Copyright Act 1968, no part may be reproduced by any process symptoms that the person, mind without written permission. Enquiries should be made to the publisher. and body have to deal with.” Copyright © Richmond Wellbeing Pattison, Cate, author. Keith Wilson Sharing the Journey : The Story of the Richmond Fellowship of Western Australia, now Richmond Wellbeing, 1975-2015 / by Cate Pattison. 9780994428905 (paperback) I suppose most of all, it’s a Includes bibliographical references and index. belief in the possibilities of the Subject suggestions: people Richmond Wellbeing Richmond Wellbeing Mental Health Services - Western Australia - History serve. That it’s not ‘looking after Produced by Flametree Creative, Perth poor unfortunates’. It’s actually Designed by Flametree Creative, Perth giving people an opportunity to While the author has exercised every care to present accurate data throughout the content of this book, no responsibility is implied or grow and develop and become accepted for any inaccuracies which may occur through verbatim reproduction of quotations, either verbal or written, of contributions the people they can be.” to this publication. Every effort has been made to obtain permission to publish copyright material; if for any reason a request has not been received, the copyright holder should contact the publisher. Dr Rachel Perkins OBE 3 Foreword Thus in 1959 Lancaster Lodge in Richmond, daughter) of the support needed for the Surrey, became the first establishment to pioneer establishment of a Richmond Fellowship Charity. a therapeutic community outside the mental From that point onwards the warmth of hospital. Within a year of its launch – such was Foreword Perth and its people enveloped us. Invaluable the reception from the public and the Psychiatric hospitality and support was received, especially profession at the time – the local government from Bill and Jan Couche who, some 25 years offered a grant for a second unit and, within later, renewed their hospitality for our second THE BIRTH AND UPBRINGING OF a few years, the Richmond Fellowship was daughter, being her a ‘home away from home’ training staff, setting up similar communities in THE RICHMOND FELLOWSHIP IN and enabled her (despite her low confidence) many parts of the UK, and receiving invitations to explore Australia, and meet with my old friend to establish its work and trademark in other WESTERN AUSTRALIA. Elisabeth Tow in Sydney, and Shirley Smith and countries. The outcome was a tour providing others in Perth. Amongst those who gave us lectures to the American Schools of Psychiatry, invaluable advice and support was John Casson; and the establishment of a number of projects generous, supportive and loyal – the kind of in the USA and invitations from Australia, New person you never forget. Then there was David Zealand and other countries to establish the RF Shearer and later George Smith, who did a lot in their state or country. for the cause, but forbade me to bring a bottle of use the word upbringing instead of ward were enabled to meet, so share information In 1973 a round-the-world tour was arranged wine to his home! These are some of the many development, as I know how much time, about themselves and discuss the hospital regime I for my whole family: my husband George, our two individuals – too many to mention – who gave thought, hard labour and soul searching has gone and, at times, to assume responsibility for some children Natasha and Anna Marie, and myself. encouragement and contributed to the thinking into the development, maintenance, problem- aspects of their common life. The response We started work visiting the East Coast homes we and resource-spotting, enabling firm foundations solving and safe guarding of the mission in of staff was then required to be on a similar had established in the USA, then went to the West for the RF work to be laid. Western Australia. egalitarian basis, placing value on each person Coast to undertake a short appeals campaign. and contribution, and changing ward practices as Of course there was – as usual – a frantic In the 1950s in the UK and somewhat later in Having taken a long overdue week’s holiday in far as was considered sensible and acceptable to amount to achieve in a very limited period. the USA and Australia, governments woke up Honolulu and Fiji, we travelled to New Zealand the overall regime. Obtaining firm undertakings of support from to the fact that some mental hospital patients to start laying the seeds for the RF projects in representatives of the various key institutions responded positively to more humane treatment The emergence of this innovative thinking Australasia. From a hectic few days’ work in (Government, the University, the Council of and new medications, and that the tradition of and practice chimed in with my own experience. the North and South Islands, Brisbane, NSW, Churches, the Superintendent of the mental ‘warehousing’ was attracting public scrutiny and, For a period of two years I had worked at Melbourne, travelling en route through Adelaide, hospital and the press). Not to mention at times, public attack. However, the only new the Amsterdam Paedologisch Institute with (where my husband’s grandfather had established individuals with the interest and ability to help (and rarely used) solution from the voluntary/ a group of adolescent boys, on the basis of the Bank of Adelaide), we finally arrived in Perth. in the realisation of the mission, and from whom private sector in Australia was to place patients in maximum democracy with shared planning and On arrival, we found that the person Board members might be recruited, possessing boarding houses, which in themselves were often responsibilities – a regime which produced very responsible for arranging our Australian time-table that essential combination of insight, good dispiriting. In the UK, the government approach positive results for the boys in terms of maturation, had omitted the send the details of our arrival to sense, genuine passion, vigour and loyalty. The was to create multiple mini-institutions, staffed happiness, self-confidence and aspirations to our host, the Anglican Archbishop; hence, we ability to contribute funds or to raise them would by hospital nurses, so that the basic necessities be considered trustworthy and responsible. were exiled to a small unwelcoming hotel, a few not constitute an impediment! could be provided whilst continuing to exercise Subsequently, whilst studying for a B.D. in the hundred yards away. The following morning we supervision and control, and whilst preserving the UK, I had been following the debates on the In contrast to a number of other embryo went to pay our compliments to the Archbishop. status quo with regard to authoritarian attitudes. Mental Health Bill in the Houses of Parliament, Affiliates, the Perth Committee took the ‘bull by On approaching him, our three year old daughter, and decided that the only way of convincing the horns’ and, displaying commitment and the However, in a few hospitals in the UK - pointing to his protruding stomach, exclaimed, the powers that be was to set up a pilot scheme ability to grasp the concepts of the Therapeutic especially the Henderson and the Cassel, the “My my – you have a tummy“, and on entering the in the wider community. Such a project would Community, they utilised their creativity and ideas put forward by the psychoanalyst W.R. Bion rather neat and impersonal drawing room said, need to deploy the principles of democracy wisdom to establish within a few years a and others were beginning to be put to the test. “you can’t have many friends!” We left his Grace and of respect for each person, whatever their specifically impressive healing ‘asylum’. Sally For example, the occupants of a mental health not long after, assured (despite our outspoken presenting problems. Sinclair, who had trained and worked in the 4 5 Sharing the Journey UKRF, and Michael Rowdon who was selected to whilst expecting full commitment. In general, my train in the UK for work in Perth were (I believe) experience has been that I must not put a foot the first practitioners – and it was Michael who wrong – yet in Perth, I found I was able to make nearly killed me in 1977 by setting up a 24/7 mistakes, to admit hardship and stress, and to Acknowledgements schedule of TV and professional engagements! acknowledge the suffering that goes with the negative projections so often directed at those Many people say that the acceptance in in leadership roles.

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