1 00:00:00,080 --> 00:00:03,920 Speaker 1: And joining me on the line right now is a mum, Chantelle, 2 00:00:04,040 --> 00:00:07,280 Speaker 1: who is going through I believe, quite a difficult situation 3 00:00:08,039 --> 00:00:12,080 Speaker 1: with her young fellow. Good morning to you, Chantelle, Good 4 00:00:12,080 --> 00:00:12,760 Speaker 1: morning Katie. 5 00:00:12,760 --> 00:00:13,240 Speaker 2: How are you? 6 00:00:13,320 --> 00:00:15,680 Speaker 1: Yeah, really good? Thank you so much for your time 7 00:00:15,720 --> 00:00:19,800 Speaker 1: this morning. Now you'd emailed me and this is something 8 00:00:19,800 --> 00:00:23,800 Speaker 1: you've never done before being in contact with the radio station. 9 00:00:23,880 --> 00:00:26,720 Speaker 1: But you're really like you're quite exasperated at the moment 10 00:00:27,680 --> 00:00:31,680 Speaker 1: and in need of some support. Talk me through some 11 00:00:31,840 --> 00:00:32,720 Speaker 1: of your situation. 12 00:00:34,680 --> 00:00:36,880 Speaker 2: Well you quote right there, Katies, and to be fair, 13 00:00:36,920 --> 00:00:44,000 Speaker 2: it's exhausting. Yeah. So I relocated from Melbourne January of 14 00:00:44,000 --> 00:00:47,160 Speaker 2: this year because I have an older disabled son. Yep, 15 00:00:48,040 --> 00:00:50,280 Speaker 2: I have family up here in the Northern Territory who 16 00:00:50,640 --> 00:00:53,240 Speaker 2: you know, we're kind enough, you know, obviously were family. 17 00:00:53,280 --> 00:00:57,520 Speaker 2: You need to help me look after him. But I 18 00:00:57,520 --> 00:00:59,800 Speaker 2: suppose I have another child who's with the one will 19 00:00:59,800 --> 00:01:04,800 Speaker 2: talk about his eleven. He's on autistic and he's got 20 00:01:05,240 --> 00:01:08,200 Speaker 2: quite a few other sort of acronyms ADHD O D 21 00:01:08,319 --> 00:01:11,679 Speaker 2: D that type of stuff. Who probably haven't handled the 22 00:01:11,800 --> 00:01:16,440 Speaker 2: interstate change so well, you know, And I've found since 23 00:01:16,560 --> 00:01:19,560 Speaker 2: moving where we had a really quitt supportive network, moving 24 00:01:19,600 --> 00:01:21,679 Speaker 2: to dial when it was very, very hard to access 25 00:01:21,720 --> 00:01:25,680 Speaker 2: services up here in the Northern Territory. He is an 26 00:01:25,760 --> 00:01:29,640 Speaker 2: NDIS participant, and we've been on waitlists for you know, 27 00:01:29,720 --> 00:01:33,240 Speaker 2: for an ot for behavior specialist, for speech breathesst all 28 00:01:33,319 --> 00:01:36,880 Speaker 2: of these people for some time. We did manage to 29 00:01:36,880 --> 00:01:39,280 Speaker 2: get in to see a pediatrician who did a medication 30 00:01:39,520 --> 00:01:42,040 Speaker 2: change to try and help curb some of the behaviors 31 00:01:42,040 --> 00:01:46,880 Speaker 2: he was experiencing from the change. Unfortunately, that medication didn't 32 00:01:46,880 --> 00:01:49,200 Speaker 2: do what it was needed to do and sent him 33 00:01:49,320 --> 00:01:53,760 Speaker 2: sort of the other way. He become quite violent. He's 34 00:01:53,760 --> 00:01:58,040 Speaker 2: sent home from school multiple times, he's been suspended. You know, 35 00:01:58,080 --> 00:02:00,840 Speaker 2: we're trying to work with this specialist of that specialist 36 00:02:00,840 --> 00:02:03,920 Speaker 2: tack stuff, and in the end last week he actually 37 00:02:03,960 --> 00:02:08,440 Speaker 2: tried to kill me. So you know, he was just 38 00:02:08,520 --> 00:02:11,520 Speaker 2: you know, you're try and do all the parental things, 39 00:02:11,520 --> 00:02:15,840 Speaker 2: no raising children, putting boundaries in place, but this particular episode, 40 00:02:16,520 --> 00:02:19,000 Speaker 2: he actually got hold of a knife, and if it 41 00:02:19,160 --> 00:02:23,000 Speaker 2: wasn't for my stepfather at the time, who was here thankfully, 42 00:02:23,400 --> 00:02:27,080 Speaker 2: who wrestled him to the ground, i'd probably have a 43 00:02:27,120 --> 00:02:30,680 Speaker 2: knife through me right now. So obviously the police were 44 00:02:30,720 --> 00:02:33,160 Speaker 2: called and we did go to the hospital and we 45 00:02:33,160 --> 00:02:36,520 Speaker 2: were sent straight home basically saying there's nothing they can do. 46 00:02:36,639 --> 00:02:40,560 Speaker 2: He's a mental health person. We can't change his medications. 47 00:02:40,600 --> 00:02:44,120 Speaker 2: We don't know him type stuff. So we came home 48 00:02:44,160 --> 00:02:46,079 Speaker 2: at about midnight, and then the next night we have 49 00:02:46,200 --> 00:02:48,440 Speaker 2: to call the police skin because this time he went 50 00:02:48,480 --> 00:02:51,120 Speaker 2: outside and he picked up the garden axe that was 51 00:02:51,120 --> 00:02:52,799 Speaker 2: trying to kill me with the garden acts. 52 00:02:53,280 --> 00:02:58,440 Speaker 1: And until you can't get so my mind's blowing right 53 00:02:58,480 --> 00:03:01,920 Speaker 1: now because on thinking to myself, when you're in a 54 00:03:02,000 --> 00:03:06,440 Speaker 1: dangerous situation like that, I would have thought that there'd 55 00:03:06,480 --> 00:03:09,120 Speaker 1: be some kind of mental health support that you're able 56 00:03:09,200 --> 00:03:14,360 Speaker 1: to get in, like some immediate emergency support. 57 00:03:15,280 --> 00:03:18,320 Speaker 2: And this not so, wouldn't We had to call the 58 00:03:18,320 --> 00:03:21,160 Speaker 2: police again, you know, second time within twenty four hours. 59 00:03:21,440 --> 00:03:24,000 Speaker 2: Thankfully it was the same police officers that game the 60 00:03:24,080 --> 00:03:26,799 Speaker 2: tea before. I actually heard them on the phone to 61 00:03:27,440 --> 00:03:30,440 Speaker 2: territory family put in a referral in following up saying, 62 00:03:30,560 --> 00:03:32,720 Speaker 2: you know this family, we've got other children in the 63 00:03:32,760 --> 00:03:36,000 Speaker 2: house who are at risk here. You know, we need 64 00:03:36,040 --> 00:03:39,560 Speaker 2: an emergency situation. I consented to him being taken away 65 00:03:40,320 --> 00:03:44,400 Speaker 2: because I just needed that break. Anyway, we couldn't really 66 00:03:44,400 --> 00:03:47,880 Speaker 2: get an answer, so the police called the paramedics and 67 00:03:47,920 --> 00:03:51,280 Speaker 2: we got escorted up to the hospital where this time 68 00:03:51,320 --> 00:03:54,560 Speaker 2: they did admit us. The mental health team did come 69 00:03:54,600 --> 00:03:57,280 Speaker 2: and see us, and they did get him off the medication. 70 00:03:57,480 --> 00:03:59,960 Speaker 2: They said he should never have been prescribed this particular 71 00:04:00,080 --> 00:04:03,200 Speaker 2: medication is star too young. But then we were sent 72 00:04:03,280 --> 00:04:05,800 Speaker 2: home again and I'm like, who's we have just taken 73 00:04:05,880 --> 00:04:08,880 Speaker 2: him off this medication. We're withdrawing from it pretty much 74 00:04:08,920 --> 00:04:12,160 Speaker 2: like an anattict withdrawing. Who's helping us at home? He's 75 00:04:12,160 --> 00:04:15,720 Speaker 2: monitoring us at home, you know, to work through these changes. 76 00:04:16,200 --> 00:04:19,320 Speaker 2: And we basically said he's not twelve, he doesn't qualify 77 00:04:19,400 --> 00:04:23,120 Speaker 2: for mental health services up here in Northern Territory. He's 78 00:04:23,120 --> 00:04:29,400 Speaker 2: two months away from being twelve. And another calling, well, 79 00:04:29,400 --> 00:04:32,200 Speaker 2: it's absolutely mind bolving because I didn't actually get a 80 00:04:32,200 --> 00:04:35,000 Speaker 2: call from Cam's yesterday. He said they declined to their 81 00:04:35,040 --> 00:04:40,479 Speaker 2: way FARERL Why because they said it's medication based, it's 82 00:04:40,520 --> 00:04:41,640 Speaker 2: not behavioral based. 83 00:04:42,600 --> 00:04:44,960 Speaker 1: What are parents meant to do? What are you meant 84 00:04:44,960 --> 00:04:45,320 Speaker 1: to do? 85 00:04:46,440 --> 00:04:49,240 Speaker 2: Well? I was given the twenty four hour mental health 86 00:04:50,160 --> 00:04:52,240 Speaker 2: phone number to call for advice, and I said, to 87 00:04:52,320 --> 00:04:54,400 Speaker 2: be quite frank, I said, if so much, child's coming 88 00:04:54,440 --> 00:04:56,640 Speaker 2: at me wanting to kill me again, I ain't calling 89 00:04:56,680 --> 00:04:59,120 Speaker 2: the twenty four hour health line. I'm going to be 90 00:04:59,160 --> 00:04:59,839 Speaker 2: calling the police. 91 00:05:00,520 --> 00:05:06,760 Speaker 1: Yeah, Sean, tell you this is what this is exactly 92 00:05:07,040 --> 00:05:09,760 Speaker 1: what do you do? And do you know what? Really? Sadly, 93 00:05:11,120 --> 00:05:13,680 Speaker 1: this is not the first time that I've heard a 94 00:05:13,720 --> 00:05:17,440 Speaker 1: situation like this. I've heard similar but for a child, 95 00:05:17,600 --> 00:05:21,360 Speaker 1: a young person that's much older, still under the age 96 00:05:21,360 --> 00:05:24,960 Speaker 1: of eighteen, but much older. And if we can't help 97 00:05:25,000 --> 00:05:27,440 Speaker 1: our young people, and if we're not able to help 98 00:05:27,480 --> 00:05:30,960 Speaker 1: them early on, early in the piece, when your young 99 00:05:30,960 --> 00:05:33,400 Speaker 1: fellow's got a mum and a family that clearly love 100 00:05:33,520 --> 00:05:36,960 Speaker 1: him and want to help him, you know, like, how 101 00:05:37,080 --> 00:05:40,359 Speaker 1: how are we not able to help people like you 102 00:05:40,440 --> 00:05:45,240 Speaker 1: at this point? I just I'm so perplexed, And it 103 00:05:45,320 --> 00:05:45,880 Speaker 1: absolutely is. 104 00:05:45,920 --> 00:05:48,000 Speaker 2: And you make a valid point there, and that's actually 105 00:05:48,000 --> 00:05:50,400 Speaker 2: one of the reasons I was given. He's not a 106 00:05:50,520 --> 00:05:53,880 Speaker 2: child in the foster care system, he's not a DHS child. 107 00:05:53,920 --> 00:05:56,680 Speaker 2: He actually has, you know, a family that loves him 108 00:05:56,680 --> 00:05:58,400 Speaker 2: and wants to help him. So he's not just in 109 00:05:58,400 --> 00:05:59,159 Speaker 2: the right boxes. 110 00:06:00,120 --> 00:06:03,400 Speaker 1: So because he's not a foster child, and because he's 111 00:06:03,400 --> 00:06:05,640 Speaker 1: got a mom that loves him. He can't get help. 112 00:06:05,720 --> 00:06:08,000 Speaker 1: He can't get support. That's unbelievable. 113 00:06:08,480 --> 00:06:10,360 Speaker 2: That was one of the reasons I've given. It's not 114 00:06:10,480 --> 00:06:13,640 Speaker 2: like he's an abandoned child or you know, he's in 115 00:06:13,680 --> 00:06:16,480 Speaker 2: the foster care system and needs that support, because he's 116 00:06:16,480 --> 00:06:18,800 Speaker 2: got a loving family that are willing to help. But 117 00:06:19,200 --> 00:06:22,279 Speaker 2: this loving family can't find the help to help him. 118 00:06:23,000 --> 00:06:26,599 Speaker 1: Chantelle, I'm devastated for you that you are in that situation. 119 00:06:26,720 --> 00:06:30,440 Speaker 1: And look, we you're the second the second family that's 120 00:06:30,480 --> 00:06:32,800 Speaker 1: been in contact with me in the last twenty four hours. 121 00:06:32,839 --> 00:06:38,400 Speaker 1: Different situations, but situations where there is absolutely assistance required. 122 00:06:38,480 --> 00:06:41,520 Speaker 1: So look, I can't promise anything, but what I'm going 123 00:06:41,560 --> 00:06:46,080 Speaker 1: to do with your approval is pass on your details 124 00:06:46,120 --> 00:06:48,919 Speaker 1: to the minister. I know she's new in that job, 125 00:06:49,240 --> 00:06:53,479 Speaker 1: but see what assistance or what information we might be 126 00:06:53,520 --> 00:06:54,800 Speaker 1: able to get. 127 00:06:55,400 --> 00:06:58,000 Speaker 2: I would really be very appreciative of that because I 128 00:06:58,040 --> 00:07:01,200 Speaker 2: don't seem to be getting any where, and people want 129 00:07:01,240 --> 00:07:03,640 Speaker 2: to help, like THEO wanted to help, the hospital wanted 130 00:07:03,680 --> 00:07:08,040 Speaker 2: to help. It's just like we, you know, please for great, 131 00:07:08,040 --> 00:07:11,920 Speaker 2: the hospital staff for great, everyone's great, but the end 132 00:07:11,920 --> 00:07:14,480 Speaker 2: result is there's no help for a child who's eleven 133 00:07:14,640 --> 00:07:15,560 Speaker 2: and needs help. 134 00:07:16,520 --> 00:07:19,320 Speaker 1: Oh, chantelle, let us see what we can do. I've 135 00:07:19,360 --> 00:07:22,080 Speaker 1: got an eleven year old boy. I can't imagine how 136 00:07:22,280 --> 00:07:26,000 Speaker 1: you're feeling at the moment, So let us at least 137 00:07:26,040 --> 00:07:28,440 Speaker 1: try and get in contact with the Minister's office. I 138 00:07:28,520 --> 00:07:32,440 Speaker 1: don't know if it will help, but I know I 139 00:07:32,520 --> 00:07:36,040 Speaker 1: know that the Minister for Territory Families, Robin Carl is 140 00:07:36,640 --> 00:07:40,120 Speaker 1: a bloody hard worker and she's not the type of 141 00:07:40,120 --> 00:07:43,400 Speaker 1: woman who would ignore something like this, So we will 142 00:07:43,400 --> 00:07:47,200 Speaker 1: certainly do our best to try and get you in 143 00:07:47,240 --> 00:07:48,600 Speaker 1: contact with the right people. 144 00:07:49,640 --> 00:07:51,760 Speaker 2: I really appreciate that. Thank you so much. 145 00:07:51,880 --> 00:07:53,760 Speaker 1: Thank you for having a chat with me this morning. 146 00:07:53,760 --> 00:07:56,280 Speaker 1: I know it's not easy to come on here and 147 00:07:56,360 --> 00:07:59,280 Speaker 1: talk about something like this, to be so open and 148 00:07:59,360 --> 00:08:02,440 Speaker 1: honest about it. I really appreciate you having a chat 149 00:08:02,480 --> 00:08:04,280 Speaker 1: with me and making me aware of the situation. 150 00:08:05,480 --> 00:08:06,560 Speaker 2: Yeah, thank you for your time. 151 00:08:07,080 --> 00:08:09,160 Speaker 1: Being appreciative, no worries at all.