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Developing
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Drug and Substance Abuse Therapeutic
Communities UN-INMA
Report to NCADA Written 1992. Lasted updated April 2014. INTRODUCTION
This
is a report of a 1992 Gathering in Far North Queensland Australia about
establishing therapeutic community among indigenous people. The
Aboriginal and Islander people who attended this gathering learned many
things about indigenous healing ways and indigenous therapeutic communities
for softening substance abuse and supporting people likely to be
incarcerated. As well, because of cross-cultural conflict set up by Anglo
attendees, the Aboriginal and Islanders also learnt a lot about dominant
culture ways of imposition and control. Soon in the report, all is not as it
first seems. While set up as a healing sharing, all manner of cross-cultural
and intra-cultural conflicts, misunderstandings and 'sticky mess' quickly
engulf everyone. Mob psychology, crowd manipulation, stampeding, power plays
and dominant/dominated cultural ruptures abound. And in all of this goo there
are many magic moments and scope for potent understandings about
intercultural healing. Even with all the conflict, the gathering continues
with the three themes. At the end of the page is material on the healing ways
of the Aboriginal elder Geoff Guest. This particular material is also
included as a separate page. Dr
Neville Yeomans who features in this Report is recognised as the pioneer
of Therapeutic Community in Australia as well as being recognised along
with three others at the Global level. The
nub of the misunderstanding merged from the very thing that had so attracted the NCADA funders to be
interested in funding this Gathering – that it was going to unfold
according to traditional Aboriginal and Islander Way. Core to this way is
using an open themes-based agenda.
The ATCA presumed that an open themes-based agenda was ‘not
correct’ and proceed to demand the cultural
imposition of the dominant system way, namely, using a predetermined time bound fixed agenda.
None of the ATCA people had any sense
whatsoever that they were endeavouring to impose their culture on Aboriginals
even though that was precisely what they were doing. Afterwards ATCA people wrote to NCADA people about,
‘the appalling organisation’. NCADA were very puzzled by the ATCA
position as the Gathering being based on an themes-based open agenda following Aboriginal culture was one of
the very aspects that had appealed to NCADA . The Healing Ways of Old Man - Geoff Guest
Cultural
Imposition is a central theme in this Report. It seems that the people
imposing their culture on others have little or no knowledge that they
are imposing. This
same theme of Cultural Imposition occurs in the following papers: Interfacing Complementary Ways Government and Facilitating
Grassroots Action Report from the Pikit War
Zone
-1-
DEVELOPING ABORIGINAL AND TORRES
STRAIT ISLANDER DRUG AND SUBSTANCE ABUSE THERAPEUTIC COMMUNITIES
ABSTRACT
A
partial history of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (ATSI) involvement
with Therapeutic Communities is briefly summarised along with the development
of the National Campaign Against Drug Abuse ( NCADA) funded ATSI Therapeutic
Community Forum held at Petford Aboriginal Training Farm and Clump Mountain
Youth Wilderness Camp in Far North Queensland Australia between 26 July
and 1 August 1992. Happenings and learnings at the Forum are outlined.
Requested therapy and mediation trainer trainings for ATSI people by a
predominately ATSI training group is set out together with a proposed training
agenda and a brief outline of the proposed multi-levelled course process and
content. A micro-process analysis of Geoff Guest's therapy processes is
discussed along with it's relevance for the development of a team of ATSI
Therapeutic Community Practitioner Trainers. The Forum funding document is
included to provide briefing material about the aims of the ATSI Therapeutic
Community Project. Excerpts from the book 'Fraser House' provide detailed
descriptions of the structures and processes used within a Therapeutic
Community that accepted virtually all of the ATSI people from the NSW Mental
Health system over thirty years ago. Refer Fraser House in the paper Communal Ways for Healing
the World and Wounded Healers
- Wounded Group a paper on sociomedicine. -2-
SECTION
DEVELOPING ABORIGINAL AND TORRES
STRAIT ISLANDER DRUG AND SUBSTANCE ABUSE THERAPEUTIC COMMUNITIES
ORIGINS
The
idea of an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (ATSI) initiative into
exploring therapeutic communities can be traced back over thirty years to
Australia's first mental health therapeutic community based at Fraser House
in the North Ryde Psychiatric Centre in Sydney, Australia. Fraser house
accepted virtually every aboriginal person in the NSW mental health system in
the early 1960's (refer to 'Fraser House' a book by Dr. Neville Yeomans and
Professor Alfred Clark. Appendix B of this report contains a segment of the book
'Fraser House' that was written by the psychiatric nurses of Fraser House and
outlines the unique structure and processes used there. Following
the experience as the founding Director and prime innovator of Fraser House,
Dr. Neville Yeomans (a non ATSI person) has had Terry Widders, an ATSI person
of Bundjalung origins, as a co-mentor.
Terry is a candidate for MA (Honours) at the University of New South Wales
and has more recently been lecturing in Aboriginal History at Macquarie
University. -3-
SECTION
A Terry's
specialty is 'cultural modelling'. This is a process which enables fine
distinctions to be made as to how members of a culture express themselves
culturally, and more specifically, express themselves verbally and
nonverbally. Terry is extremely fluent in the Japanese indigenous Ainu
expression, the Han Chinese expression, and the Indonesian expression. He is
currently mastering the French expression. Terry
and Neville have worked extensively over the past 15 years providing
therapeutic community skills to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (ATSI)
groups. Refer the timeline in Communal Ways for Healing
the World. From
the 1970's Neville has worked with ATSI peoples in setting up a string of
Therapeutic Community Houses in Mackay and Cairns in NE Australia. In 1990
Neville and three ATSI co-facilitators (Maureen Watson, Phillip Bayles and
Listell Jackson) ran a therapeutic community mediation training skills
workshop at Lake Tinaroo on the Atherton Tablelands in NE Australia. ATSI
people from the Cairns District, Mount Isa and a group of ATSI women from
Milingimbi attended. In
the 1980's Dr. Neville Yeoman became the consulting psychiatrist and advisor
to Petford, an ATSI therapeutic community operating for over 15 years
providing food, accommodation, support, healing opportunities and vocational
skills to destitute, homeless, and disadvantaged ATSI and other youth. Often
these youth had been in trouble with authorities and had been participating
in alcohol and other substance abuse. In
1992 Dr. Neville Yeomans presented Petford, at his own expense, at the NGO
'Rio Earth Summit' in Brazil, and as a platform speaker at that gathering,
introduced Petford to the world. -4-
SECTION
A THE ATSI THERAPEUTIC COMMUNITY
FORUM
The
idea of having an ATSI Therapeutic Community Forum at Petford was a natural
extension of this ATSI involvement in therapeutic communities over the past
thirty years. In January 1992, discussions took place at Petford Aboriginal
Training Farm in far north Queensland between Geoff Guest, the Aboriginal
Director and founder of Petford, Neville Yeomans, Psychiatrist and advisor to
Petford, and Les Spencer, a Melbourne based Behavioural Scientist and long
time work associate of Neville Yeomans. This was the first time Les had met
Geoff Guest. The
evolving idea was that funding would be sought to allow ATSI people, and
specifically the needy youth of Petford and Clump, as well as other
unemployed ATSI people, to come together to begin a process of exploring the
therapeutic community concept and to develop ways in which this concept can
be used to address a range of major issues for ATSI peoples. These issues
include, alcohol and other substance abuse and specifically the major issue
of the very addictive practice of petrol sniffing - something that quickly
causes irreparable brain damage. Other
issues are the development of ATSI administered and controlled therapeutic
communities as alternatives, in appropriate cases, to prisons and mental
hospitals or as community re-entry half-way places for these institutions. Another
issue was the use of the therapeutic community model as a model for ATSI
community development. -5-
SECTION
A THE CONTINUING CHALLENGE
The
relationship between ATSI peoples and Europeans has been marked by more than
a 200 year history of difficulties and misunderstandings. The
ATSI THERAPEUTIC COMMUNITY FORUM - as a gathering of ATSI and 'European'
people - was no exception. As
this report unfolds it will become increasingly apparent that Les Spencer
looms large in everything that transpired, both during the Forum, and in the
weeks leading up to the Forum. He became a focal point for all of the varied
and multiple agendas, power-plays, suspicions, confusions, angers, stampeding
and scapegoating - a weird, bizarre and useful role. Such a role has often
been recorded from antiquity on. BEGINNINGS
From
January through 7 July 1992 there were many phone calls between the following
people who were ultimately to become the members of the Forum Management
Committee:
-6-
SECTION
A During
these phone discussions, the Forum was developing as an Aboriginal and Torres
Strait Islander initiative by the respective Boards of Petford Aboriginal
Training Farm and Clump Mountain Youth Wilderness Program, in association
with Inma Black Mountain. During these discussions both Les Spencer and
Neville Yeomans repeatedly reminded discussants of the appropriateness of
young people being present at all parts of the gathering. Les
Spencer had the role of finding funding for the proposed Forum. The Forum
concept evolved further during discussions between the above management
committee and the concept was encapsulated in written drafts by Les. The
drafts that formed the NCADA fund application process were sent to Petford
and Clump for discussion and approval by their respective Aboriginal Boards
prior to being sent to NCADA. Les understood that submission documents,
including the Forum budget, was discussed and approved by the Aboriginal
Boards of Petford and Clump. The
Fund application in it's final form (Appendix A) was approved by NCADA and
expressly states that the Forum was an ATSI initiative of the three
participating Groups. The Forum was under a management committee. The names
of the members of this management committee were listed in the Forum funding
application to NCADA. Geofff Guest signed the NCADA Funding Grant papers on
behalf of the Forum Management Committee. The three ATSI groups of Petford,
Clump Mountain and INMA Black Mountain were fully involved with all aspects
of initiating the Forum. Stemming
from the NCADA fund guidelines requiring a 'nominated contact person', Les
Spencer was designated for that role and titled 'Project Coordinator'. -7-
SECTION
A Les'
three roles were agreed in discussions and enshrined in the Final NCADA
Funding Submission - which in turn was, to Les' knowledge, agreed too by the
Boards of Petford and Clump - namely:
Les
is a behavioural scientist with majors in psychology and sociology. Les'
psychology honours research project was on many of the therapeutic
micro-processes used by Geofff Guest with the Petford youth. Les has also
completed a training directors' course run by LIMRA of Hartford USA and has
held national and state responsibilities as a training manager in the private
sector. As such, he is well placed to prepare reports and competency based
educational resource material. During
none of discussions between Les and the rest of the management committee was
it discussed, let alone agreed, that Les was also to play the pivotal roles
of 'Project Director' or 'Program Director'. Les has had many years
experience in running experiential workshops and conferences for
multinational companies and certainly had the background to carry out both of
these roles. -8-
SECTION
A However,
had this expanded role been suggested at the time Les was preparing the Forum
Funding Submission, Les would definitely have declined for the following
reasons. Les:
It
is understood that ATSI control of both the initiative and the Forum process
was totally understood and endorsed by NCADA. The
subject of control is picked up again later in this report. -9-
SECTION
A THE JULY 10 PRELIMINARY MEETING
The
Funding application expressly stated that there would be a preliminary
meeting on July 10 1992. This
was characterised in the Fund Application as a 'briefing meeting'. Further,
this section of the Application reaffirms Les' role as a 'coordinator of
participants', and not that of 'Project Director' or ''Program Director'.
While the expression 'organiser' is used, this term, from the tenor of the
whole section, relates expressly to the follow-up briefing of the board
members of The Australian Therapeutic Community Association (ATCA) and the
Keyline-Permaculture people, and in his capacity within the three roles
stated previously. The
application stated that there would be a meeting of the management committee
to 'get a preliminary overview of the issues involved'. In phone discussions
between Les and the other management committee members prior to 10 July 1992
it was arranged that the processes and activities that would be used during
the Forum would be talked through and arranged during the 10 July 1992 preliminary
meeting. Gerald
Appo of Clump Mountain stated that he would be bringing about ten people -
and if possible, some board members - to the preliminary meeting to be held
at Petford. Gerald requested that money be made available for this
preliminary meeting to cover:
-10
- SECTION
A Because
of considerable concern by Charlie Blatch and Joe Lamberti (both non-ATSI
people) of The Australia Therapeutic Community Association (ATCA) about the
role of ATCA during the Forum, it was organised that Charlie and Joe would
also attend the preliminary meeting. Notwithstanding
that it was organised 14 days prior that the preliminary meeting would be at
Petford on the 10 July 1992, of the Northern Queensland members of the
management committee, only Neville Yeomans (non-ATSI) was available to meet
on the 10 July. The best we could get was that Geoff Guest (ATSI) of Petford
would be available on the 12 July 1992. Cec Mawdesley (non-ATSI) of Petford
would be available in the morning and late afternoon of July 12. As it turned
out Geoff was only available to meet with Joe, Charlie and Les for broken
parts of the day on the 12 July. Geoff was understandably 'on call' in
respect of the ongoing life at Petford. The Clump Mountain Group (10 ATSI
people) advised that they were not attending the preliminary meeting at all.
It was arranged for Les, Charlie and Joe to see Neville at his house in
Yungaburra for a few hours and to briefly see Mareja and her INMA associate
Rowena at Rowena's house down in Cairns. The
following emerged from the 'preliminary meeting(s)':
-11-
SECTION
A This
was decided (in the absence of the Clump Mountain group) for the following
reasons:
The
focus of Forum process would be the actual demonstration of the 'change
processes' used by therapeutic communities to help people stop drug and
substance abuse. This also made the presence of resident youth imperative. It
was reaffirmed that the Forum was not a conference and not a 'talk-fest'. The
focus was to be:
It
was affirmed that the process would be loosely structured to maximise the
scope for people to take responsibility for their own sharing and learning. 12-
SECTION
A In
keeping with the flavour of the two previous affirmations, the ATCA member's
role was to demonstrate how healing takes place within their respective
Therapeutic Communities. Theirs was a duel role -'trainer training' and
'actual demonstration of healing processes'. When the occasion presented itself,
they were to actually work with someone. For
example, some ATSI person may want to personally experience working with a
facilitator who would use a therapy process with that ATSI person on a
personal issue like 'controlling anger' or 'improving self esteem''. In this
way ATSI people would get first-hand experience of the power of specific
therapeutic processes. There
was going to be an open agenda that would take a similar format each day. The
major and the first event of each day of the Forum, commencing at 6:30 AM,
would be participants joining in Geoff Guest's 'therapy session with the
Petford youth'. This session is held every day of the year at Petford, from
shortly after 6:00 AM till 7:00 AM. This
session would provide participants with an opportunity to experience the
non-obvious subtlety of Geoff Guest's successful approach to behaviour change
with ATSI youth. Virtually all of the extensive behaviour change in Petford
youth in their (typically three months) stay can be traced to these morning sessions.
-13
- SECTION
A Each
day after breakfast, the open agenda would be concurrent activities and
process in the following areas. Major
themes:
Sub
themes:
The
process and content of the above open agenda would evolve from the evolving
rapport and personal responsibility of all participants. The
process would essentially evolve from 'what was recognised as being valuable
to the ATSI people'; that is, if some person or process was 'not appropriate'
then this would be demonstrated by people leaving the process or not turning
up in the first place. In
essence, people would be 'on-show', and an invite to come back to participate
in an October 1992 training would be a function of how one's contribution to
process was received. -14-
SECTION
The
above overview of Forum process complies with the project aims and objectives
mentioned on the first page of the Funding Application namely: The
Project Aims and Objectives are: To
provide a forum for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders to explore setting
up, administrating and conducting Therapeutic Communities to help people stop
alcohol and other substance abuse. The
above process was discussed by Geoff Guest (Petford), Joe Lamberti (ATCA),
Charlie Blatch (ATCA), and Les Spencer at Petford, and by Charlie, Joe,
Neville and Les Spencer at Neville Yeomans' place in Yungaburra, and with
Mareja Bin Juda of Inma Black Mountain, Rowena (also of Inma Black Mountain),
Joe, Charlie and Les at Rowena's place in Cairns. Joe and Charlie did not
meet Gerald Appo (Clump Mountain) or visit Clump. The
above Forum process was also discussed with NCADA prior to the funding being
granted. The open agenda process allowed for the 'unfolding' of events'
during the Forum rather than having some fixed or arbitrary agenda 'ordering'
when, what and how people were to behave. This
follows the spirit of the UNESCO model as reported in The International Peace
Research Newsletter in June 1992 about UNESCO's 26th General Conference: The
greater politicization of UNESCO through the election of the Executive board
by Governments, is being balanced by the creation of an 'Ad Hoc Forum of
Reflection', as was proposed by Germany and France, and which will be
composed of eighteen highly eminent intellectuals from various regions of the
world' (our italics). -15
- SECTION
Notwithstanding
the foregoing, during the ''preliminary meeting' discussions, Joe and Charlie
of ATCA continually expressed a desire that there be a written and formal
agenda for the Forum. In
turn, Les and Neville continually stressed to Charlie and Joe the open nature
of the agenda and that the focus was on establishing rapport between the
participants of two cultures and the demonstrating of the healing
change-processes used within the ATCA board members' respective therapeutic
communities. It was also stressed by Les and Neville, that if the members of
the ATCA board (all non-ATSI) were not comfortable with this role for any
reason, then perhaps they had operating staff within their therapeutic
communities who were more comfortable with 'an unstructured hands-on role
within an open agenda'. The
ATCA board were using the day before the Forum for their annual general
meeting (AGM) at a location 90 minutes drive from Petford. Obviously, they
wanted all of their board members to attend the ATCA AGM and the Forum. Before
Joe and Charlie left to brief their board members about their proposed Forum
role, Charlie reconfirmed to Les that the board would attend. TRAVEL ARRANGEMENTS
Between
3 - 6 July 1992 Les had the agreement of all ATCA board members in respect of
dates and times of arrival and departure. All members knew that these dates
could NOT be altered within 14 days of travel because ATCA tickets were on
Apex class fares. These bookings were made around 3 - 6 July 1992 but no
payment was made at that time. -16-
SECTION
At
that time it was also arranged that ATCA members were returning from the
Forum on Sunday 2 August (with some returning on Saturday 1 August). As at 8
July 1992 the arrangement was that ATCA members would attend the Forum for
five days - Monday through to Friday. Immediately
after Joe and Charlie left the preliminary meetings and after Charlie had
confirmed that they would be attending, Les arranged payment of the ATCA
member's travel. This locked ATCA members into departing on Sunday 2 August
as arranged. The timing of payment was crucial to ensure that fares were on
the cheaper Apex class. Shortly
after the Apex fares were in place Charlie rang to say that ATCA was giving a
commitment to stay at the Forum only until Wednesday and that thereafter
members would make individual decisions as to how long they stayed. At
this point Les reaffirmed firstly that Apex fares can not be changed except
by moving to a higher fare structure, and secondly that any additional outlay
resulting from change in departure time would not be at the Forum's expense.
This arrangement was agreed to by Charlie Blatch, the President of ATCA. This
had been expressly stated by Les when the original arrangements had been made
around 3 - 6 July 1992. Any openness about this could have incurred the local
ATSI groups in a cost over-run of a couple of thousand dollars - something
that Les wanted to ensure would in no way happen. One
ATCA member Ms Klassen found that she had to return on Wednesday because of
unavoidable staffing shortages and an extra return flight at Apex rates was
arranged within the Forum travel budget. -17-
SECTION
Meridian
Travel, the travel agent that Les was using, said that the return leg of Ms
Klassen's original ticket would have to be forfeited. However Les decided to
approach Australian Airline directly in an attempt to conserve the value of
the ticket. Les advised the Airline that the Forum was funded by NCADA for
ATSI people and asked whether they would break their normal Apex fare rules
so the Forum would not forfeit the original return fare. They
agreed to do this on the basis that Ms Klassen's ticket be re-logged back
into their booking system for use at a later date. The date 28 October was
given by Les - two days after the end of the proposed ATSI Therapeutic
Community October Training Gathering. This would allow the date of this
ticket to be changed again in the future, and if necessary, for someone other
than Ms Klassen to be able to use it. The control of the ticket remained with
the Forum organisers. Australian Airlines stressed that this was NOT their
normal practice and that they were making a PR gesture for the Forum's
benefit. FORUM BANK ACCOUNT SIGNATORIES
Les
was given the task by Geoff and Cec of organising the signatories of the
Forum bank account. They were:
There
was a proviso that any three were to sign. -18-
SECTION
ADVISING CLUMP MOUNTAIN OF CHANGES
Les
travelled down to Clump Mountain with the papers for Gerald to be a bank
signatory. Les
explained the reasons (mentioned on page 11) for the Forum being held at
Petford. Gerald expressed extreme disappointment. He stated that assurances
and undertakings had been given to Clump's volunteers and other workers,
local business suppliers (caterers and equipment hirers) as well as to the
Clump Board that the event at Clump was taking place, and that a lot of work
had already gone into this. Les
proposed that the Forum could move down to Clump on Friday afternoon. This
would overcome some of the issues previously raised and still mean that the
Forum time spent at Clump was unaltered (originally 'in Sunday night - out
after lunch on Tuesday'; this being changed to 'in Friday afternoon - out
Sunday lunchtime'). Gerald
agreed to this but expressed concern that this would mean that the Forum
would be held over six and a half days and that Petford's time had been
increased (refer page 22). He was also concerned that Clump Mountain was not
involved in these discussions and decisions. Gerald
asked for the agenda that Petford was using and Les outlined the open agenda
process mentioned above (refer pages 11-14). Gerald said that the Clump
segment would be conducted under their own agenda. This
revised proposal (namely, to still go to Clump - only at the end of the week
instead of at the beginning) was discussed and agreed to by the rest of the
Management Committee. -19-
SECTION
ACTION PRIOR TO THE FORUM
Les
elected to stay at Petford after the Preliminary meeting. This saved a second
return flight from Melbourne just prior to the Forum. It also meant that all
travel arrangements relating to all other participants could be made from
Petford. At the same time it committed Les to forego other personal business
and other activities he had in Melbourne. In
addition to the time spent teeing up travel arrangements, during 12 - 29 July
1992 at Geoff Guest's Petford Aboriginal Training Farm, Les:
-20-
SECTION
Geoff
expressed continual concern that there were many other funding submissions
and other Government Submissions to be written for Petford that should have
been prepared months previously by the Petford Administrator Cec Mawdesley (non-ATSI).
During
this time Geoff Guest often referred to breaking one of Les' legs so he
wouldn't leave; Les was doing so much useful work in such a short time. ATTENDANCE RATIOS
Les
was able to get almost all of the initial invitees to the Forum on the Apex
fare basis. This was partly due to NCADA taking every step to speed clearance
of the grant directly to the Forum's bank account. This was excellent
service. Obtaining
Apex fares had freed up a number of thousand dollars in the travel budget.
Some ATCA members were asked if they could find appropriate ATSI people to
bring with them (unemployed ATSI people with a strong desire to help their
people - refer page 4). The idea was to get a six to one indigenous to
non-indigenous ratio of attendees (to be in keeping with attendance ratios
for indigenous gatherings suggested at the recent 'Rio' NGO Earth Summit in
Rio De Janiero, Brazil that Dr. Neville Yeomans had attended). Eric
Felgate from ATCA in South Australia arranged for one of his Christian outreach
workers, a non-ATSI person, to bring 6 ATSI men with him. -21-
SECTION
In
keeping with the above ratio, the idea was to keep the attendance of non-ATSI
people to a bare minimum. Les had misunderstood from conversations with
Health, Housing and Community Services (HHCS) people in Perth that Pat Nunn,
a person originally from the Transvaal in Africa and a HHCS worker from
Kalgoolie, was a black African. Even when Pat said she was 'not aboriginal'
Les still assumed that she was a black African. When James Pitts (ATCA
Sydney) and his son (both black Americans cancelled, Les asked Charlie to try
and find ATSI people to use these tickets. Charlie was unsuccessful in doing
this and recommended an 'ATSI looking person' who had lived for a time in an
Aboriginal community. One extra ticket became available in South Australia.
Les asked Eric Felgate to find a suitable ATSI person. Eric could not find
one and brought a non-ATSI person. Les
had tried to get additional funding for an ATSI group to video the Forum but
was unsuccessful in the time available. Neville's son Quan (part Vietnamese)
was staying with Neville and had a video camera. He was invited to the Forum
and took a video record. Because
of some of the events that occurred during 8 - 26 July while Les was at
Petford, Les invited a non-ATSI person skilled in psychological crisis
intervention to be on hand during the Forum. Cec
Mawdesley, the administrator of Petford, is also non-ATSI. The above events
resulted in 20 attendees at the Forum being non-ATSI. As it turned out, the
resultant ratio of Non ATSI to ATSI had powerful consequence on outcomes
during the Forum. (Even Robinson Crusoe, alone on his island but for his
servant Friday, had brought all of his 'cultural baggage' with him and that
European baggage totally coloured his relations with Friday.) -22-
SECTION
CONCERN ABOUT MAKING A PROFIT
Les
found it difficult to get firm figures as to how many ATSI people would
attend from the local region. Numbers changed continually. The food and
accommodation budget was worked out on 60 participants for 5 days at $60:00
per day, that is, $18,000. Some
days after setting up the bank signature, Gerald Appo of Clump Mountain sent
to Petford a budget of over $8,000 (including $500 approximately for travel).
Based on 15 meals and five nights at Petford and 6 meals and 2 nights at
Clump the Forum food and accommodation budget of $18,000 (a figure known to
Gerald) was split (after discussions between Geoff, Gerald, Cec, Neville and
Les) approximately in the following way, $12,750 to Petford and $5,250 to
Clump. At
one stage the number of likely attendees reached 84. This news brought great
concern from Gerald Appo of Clump Mountain. Notwithstanding the national
implications for ATSI people of having people from around the country
exploring the therapeutic community concept, and that the Forum project may
be considered a 'continuing project for funding' by NCADA (the funding body),
Clump had taken the view that they were looking to turn a profit on the
Forum. Having increased numbers eroding their profit margin was for Gerald
Appo of Clump, disturbing in the extreme (refer page 18). He suggested that
some people be told that they could not come. Because of firstly, people
staying for broken periods and secondly, cancellations, the numbers of
attendees hovered around 70. -23-
SECTION
FURTHER TRAVEL ARRANGEMENTS
Within
three days of the Forum, but for a few hundred dollars, all of the Travel
budget was committed There
was enough in the travel budget for one return trip for Les Spencer in order
to fine-tune the competency-based educational resource package. As well, a
further un-used return ticket in the name of Pitts (James Pitt's son) was
kindly arranged by Australian Airlines to be transferred to a future booking in
October (the same as for Ms Klassen's ticket mentioned previously) James
Pitts is an American Negro from Detroit who is the ATCA board member from
Sydney. Had this action not been taken, this un-used Apex fare would also
have been forfeited. DISCONTENT REGARDING TRAVEL
A
few days before the Forum was to start, Les was advised that 6 ATSI people
from Mareja's family area on the Northern Peninsula wanted to attend the
Forum. Apparently Mareja had sent information to that area a month earlier.
Possibly, news had just reached this group that six people were attending the
Forum from a neighbouring community. Les
told Mareja that he was uncertain as to whether this new group could attend,
as the only source of possible travel money at this late stage would be if
other people cancelled. The word came back that there was great concern about
Les' ''lack of capacity to organise anything as he was 'indecisive''. A few
days later a few places became available via cancellations so that some of
Mareja's people could come. The outcome of these travel arrangements is
discussed later in this report. -24-
SECTION
A
number of other ATSI people cancelled travelling on their Apex fares. Again,
after a direct approach by Les, Australia Airlines broke their rules and allowed
new people to travel on these Apex tickets and, as a further consideration,
allowed times of departure and return to be altered with no fare increase.
Gratitude for this attention to service has been conveyed by Les Spencer to
the management of Australian Airlines. SIXTY MINUTES
Sometime
after the 12 July 1992 Geoff Guest organised for the TV's Sixty Minutes 'Mike
Munro' unit to film the healing work that Geoff and his wife Norma do with
the youth at Petford. It will be readily apparent that this reflects the very
high esteem which is placed on Geoff and Norma's work with ATSI youth. In
Les' view, Geoff's work (just prior to the Forum starting) with a new
arrival, prone to aggressive behaviour, was next door to sainthood. Apparently
26 - 28 July 1992 suited the TV group and enabled them to include shots of
the Petford youth at the Dimbulah Rodeo on Sunday 26 July. This meant that
apart from Geoff's early morning therapy session and late in the day, Geoff
was not in attendance at the Forum on the first two days. It is understood
that the TV filming did not focus in any way on the Forum. -25-
SECTION
THE FIRST DAY
Approximately
11 non-ATSI and 23 ATSI people arrived at Petford on Sunday 26 July 1992. Seven
ATCA members, all non-ATSI, arrived on Monday. A further four ATSI people
also arrived on Monday. Seven ATSI people arrived on Tuesday. This made 52
Forum attendees. Additionally there were approximately 20 Petford people.) NON-ATTENDANCE
Gerald
had advised two weeks earlier that no one associated with Clump would be
attending the five days of the Forum at Petford. The Clump people wanted to
be in the local town of Innisfail when the Prime Minister was there on the
Tuesday. On Wednesday they wanted to go fishing to minimise the amount they
had to spend on food for their segment of the Forum (refer page 22). On
Thursday and Friday all of their people would be setting up for their Forum
segment at Clump. A
Doctor had advised Mareja against taking her asthmatic son to Petford. Mareja
rang from Cairns to say that she wanted to drive a hire vehicle to Petford
each day and bring day visitors with her. This would have cost over $750 and
by this time the Forum travel budget was all allocated. Mareja was advised of
this. The
ATCA group had stayed in Atherton on Sunday night and continued their Board
meeting on Monday morning. They arrived at Petford just before midday on
Monday. This in effect lowered their committed time at the Forum to two and a
half days. -26-
SECTION
BEFORE BREAKFAST MONDAY
Participants
had been told that the Forum would start on Monday morning at 6:30 AM with
Geoff's regular therapy session with the Petford Youth. It is understood that
only Ken Yeomans (Keyline), Rob Crittendon (ACFOA), Les Spencer (making an
audio tape), Neville Yeomans and Quan Yeomans (making a video tape) attended.
Pat Nunn (HHCS - Kalgoolie) may have attended. No ATSI people attended. Les
had been tape recording Geoff's morning therapy session and had begun writing
up therapy micro-process descriptions of many of the countless therapy
processes that Geoff uses. Many of these therapeutic micro-processes have
been well documented in the therapy literature and have been used since
antiquity by indigenous and other healers. Section
B, page 62 of this report contains Forum educational resource material based
around transcripts of Geoff's therapeutic ATSI stories and his other therapy
work. The transcript in Section B, page 75 is accompanied by brief
descriptions of some of the therapy patterns, processes and behaviours being
used by Geoff. Similarities
between Geoff's therapy processes and those used by other noted therapists in
the psychotherapy literature are discussed in Section B of this report. By
identifying the patterns and processes used by Geoff, other people can
quickly learn to do what Geoff does so successfully. -27-
SECTION
As
mentioned, Les had commenced micro-analysis of the therapeutic patterns used
by Geoff, qualifications in this therapy micro-process area and is well able
to do this work, It was also intended to explore the possibilities with Geoff
of getting these morning segments published under a some heading like
'Stories of the Old Man' Les
has tertiary research qualifications in this therapy micro-process area and
is well able to do this work. It was also intended to explore the
possibilities with Geoff of getting these morning segments published under
some heading like 'Stories of the Old Man'. 'Old
Man' is Geoff's title on the Petford property and throughout the Northern
Peninsula area, It is a term of the highest respect due to a valued Elder, Neville
Yeoman's son Quan's made video tapes of Geoff's work for use as an aid to
enable trainees to study the subtle non-verbal work that Geoff does to
complement all of the processes he uses, Again, these non-verbal processes
are not obvious, With every respect, it is problematic whether Geoff himself
knows all that he does so well, He does it spontaneously and intuitively, Subsequent
to Geoff's morning therapy session, Rob Crittendon, a non-ATSI Director of
Evaluations for The Australian Council for Overseas Aid (ACFOA), and a
person, it is understood, who has tertiary studies in psychology, described
Geoff's therapy session as 'nothing but a few homilies!', To quote the gist
of Rob's view, 'Geoff's session was 'nothing but a joke! To call that therapy
is to deceive yourself!' (refer Section B, page 62-93) It
was, in retrospect, inappropriate to ask Rob to evaluate Petford as a Therapy
Community, Virtually none of the micro-processes and patterns used by Geoff
are obvious unless a person is trained to recognise them, That these
processes operate below awareness is a large part of their power. -28-
SECTION
AFTER BREAKFAST MONDAY
After
breakfast participants were told that there would be an initial gathering
under the trees near the front gate, About half the participants attended
this gathering, Geoff said that he wanted to ''pick peoples' brains' and that
they would also have time later on to pick his brains, He then left with the
sixty minute TV crew, The
front gate group was then told by Neville Yeomans that there would be at
least two groups that morning - a Keyline- Permaculture group and another
group for anyone interested in healing. The
South Australia Christian outreach worker had not joined the meeting near the
front gate, He had already commenced a healing session on the front lawn with
the 6 ATSI people he had brought, After
brief definitions of the terms 'Keyline' and 'Permaculture' and some
background comments the Keyline-Permaculture group moved across to an area at
the back of the farm outbuildings where Keyline-Permaculture could be used,
After morning tea, Roshelle Patton (ATSI), Robin Bailey (ATSI) and Rosemary
Morrow (Non ATSI) - all Permaculture people - worked with some ATSI people in
designing gardens for their local communities, The front-gate group continued
through to lunch time on this Keyline- Permaculture theme, This session
greatly expanded ATSI people's understandings. -29-
SECTION
Around
mid-morning, Les joined the Christian outreach worker's healing group and
demonstrated some mind-body therapy processes that are useful in working with
tension, anger, rage and increasing a person's emotional choice and
psychological and physical flexibility. Others joined this healing group
during this work. The
ATCA group arrived before lunch, spoke to a few non-ATSI people and moved
into a closed meeting. THE 'NON-ATSI' MEETING
After
lunch almost all Non ATSI people had a meeting. Rosemary Morrow (non-ATSI -
Permaculture) brought Roshelle Patton (ATSI -Permaculture) as the only ATSI
observer (Robin Bailey - ATSI Permaculture - may have attended). The
Christian outreach worker did not attend. He still had his 6 ATSI people
around him. Neville Yeomans and Les Spencer were asked to attend this
non-ATSI meeting. With the non-ATSI people in closed session other ATSI
people tended to disappear and lie on their beds. The
non-ATSI group was chaired by Joe Lamberti of ATCA. Joe commenced by saying
words to the effect that the meeting was called 'because there were many
unresolved issues'. -30-
SECTION
Pat
Nunn (HHCS - Kalgoolie) and Rosemary Morrow said that since arriving at
Petford they had formed the view that the Forum was Les and Neville's project
and that it never was an initiative of Petford, Clump and Inma Black
mountain. No one had turned up from Clump Mountain and Geoff Guest of Petford
was off with Sixty Minutes. Mareja Bin Juda of IMNA Black Mountain had also not
turned up. Some in the non-ATSI group said that Les and Neville were liars,
had deceived them and had them attend under false pretenses. Earlier in the
day, Rosemary Morrow had refused Les permission to tape anything she said. It
is understood that Pat Nunn's (non-ATSI) view that the Forum was not an ATSI
initiative was a reason why she did not give any feedback to the Forum about
her recent trip to the Indigenous People's Conference in Edmonton Canada or
provide any substantive contribution to healing sessions during the Forum,
something she had undertaken to do. The
non-ATSI view was that the absence of an agenda was a monumental oversight.
Virtual all agreed that Les and Neville, as 'Program Organizers' were
hopelessly incompetent. Rob Crittendon (ACFOA) said that words to the effect
that 'Les' incompetence as a 'project director' knew no end'' - also, that
Rob's lack of adequate briefing by Les and Neville had compromised his
position, that he wanted to leave that night and that he would go directly to
Canberra and take every step he could to get the Forum Funds frozen. (Rob was
the person who said Geoff's therapy was a joke.) Neville had sent briefing
material to Rob. Rob had also received a copy of the Forum Application for
Funding Document from Les. Les had also briefed Rob prior 25 July 1992 on the
proposed loose structuring of an open agenda. -31-
SECTION
The
mood of the non-ATSI group was that they had to have a formal agenda. The
Non-ATSI people were in a bind because the local ATSI people were apparently
saying, or implying by their behaviour, that the Forum was not 'their show',
This apparently suggested that no ATSI person was going to 'come up with a
formal agenda', As
well, ''the incompetent Les and Neville' seemed to show no interest in a
formal agenda, During this group discussion, Les and Neville repeatedly
stated that there WAS an agenda - that it was an open agenda as per the
process that had been communicated to everyone of them prior to their
arrival, (The
'open agenda process' is outlined on pages 11 to 14 of this report, During
discussions prior to the Forum, prospective non-ATSI attendees had repeatedly
asked for a formal agenda and had had the proposed open agenda format
outlined to them, Conversations
about the open-agenda format that Les and Neville had had with non-ATSI
people prior to the Forum had tended to finish with a silence or a topic
change on the part of the non-ATSI participants, When this happened, Les and
Neville had mistakenly assumed it meant participants had finally accepted the
open-agenda format,) Another
theme that was continually brought up by the non-ATSI people during the
Monday afternoon non-ATSI meeting was that a formal agenda would 'let them
know what was going on', Again the question was raised 'Are we supposed to be
training trainers' or 'healing', Both Les and Neville replied words to the
effect 'Both those things and other things as well, There has already been
many things going on simultaneously and everyone can have an input in what is
going on and can add to what is going on; there are multiple agendas.' -32-
SECTION
The
non-ATSI people continued to be very disturbed by this 'looseness'. They
wanted the typical Western-rational 'solid foundation', They wanted 'certain'
things happening at 'certain' times, The
ATCA group implied they had an ATCA agenda and that this could be slotted
into a formal Forum agenda, However, it seemed that the only way to get a
formal agenda was for the non-ATSI people to make one up for themselves.
There was a major reluctance by non-ATSI people to devise a formal Forum
agenda. Presumably they were conscious of being members of the 'distant
dominant culture'. ATCA members and others expressed a major concern about 'taking
over' the Forum, The last thing they wanted to do was to be seen to be
setting and controlling the 'agenda' and taking over on Geoff's property,
This very issue highlights the link between 'agenda' and 'control'. A case
could be made for 'control, but not obvious control' via use of 'agendas', as
being high on the non-ATSI hidden agenda' (all the more reason for an
open-agenda). The
meeting broke up just before tea with this impasse. The non-ATSI people were
very unsettled indeed. Throughout
this meeting Mary Alcorn of the ATCA group stood out as a mediator and
conciliator, She took every opportunity to resolve issues that could lead to
the successful continuance of the Forum Process. -33-
SECTION
TRAVEL ISSUES
Prior
to coming to Petford Joe Lamberti of ATCA Victoria had tried unsuccessfully
to change his Apex ticket to return on the Wednesday. Joe had planned a
meeting in Victoria for the Thursday as soon as the ATCA Forum commitment had
been reduced to three days Joe ended up having to pay some hundreds of
dollars personally because, in Joe's case, the airline stuck to it's rule
that Apex fares can't be changed It
is understood that Joe had billed ATCA for the extra fare money because 'he
was attending the ATCA board meeting' Charlie and Joe sought reimbursement
from the Forum funds for the extra money paid by Joe. Les told them that no
payment would be made as the Forum travel budget was totally used up Charlie
and Joe of ATCA, and Rob Crittendon (ACFOA - 'Geoff's therapy's a joke') made
comments to the effect that there seemed to have been irresponsibility in
budget matters and sought to have access to all documents This action must be
seen in the context of the ATCA group and Rob Crittendon knowing that they
would have to personally find about $600 each to get back home before the
next weekend and that they wanted to get extra cash from somewhere in the
Forum budget or out of the local ATSI organisations so they would not be
personally out of pocket. -34-
SECTION
AFTER TEA MONDAY NIGHT
After
tea on Monday night the ATCA group had a closed meeting. Les was then told
that most of the ATCA people and Rob Crittendon wanted to leave that night.
They said that to stay on at Petford 'with such a disorganized agenda' would
compromise their organisation. The ATCA group showed an understandable first
commitment to their own organisation ATCA. A meeting was called that included
the ATCA group, Rob Crittendon ACFOA), Geoff Guest (director of Petford),
Neville Yeomans and Les Spencer. Those
wanting to leave that night wanted Geoff Guest to find money from the NCADA
budget to get them home again. Geoff's proper concern was that the Forum
budget was precisely allocated and committed. What these non-ATSI people were
asking, in effect, was for Petford to pay. It was put to the non-ATSI people
that if they wanted to go home early then they would have to pay personally.
Neville left this meeting to allow those wanting to go home to discuss things
privately. Mareja
Bin Juda (ATSI - Inma Black Mountain) had made her own way up to the
conference. Immediately Mareja heard that the bulk of the non-ATSI people
wanted to go home and have Geoff pay for their fares, Mareja entered the
meeting. Anyone there would agree that Mareja entered and filled the room
with dignity and presence She said words to the effect: 'What's
going on here! I understand that all of you 'experts' are going home! I have
brought my people a long way to learn from you guys!' -35-
SECTION
A The
reply was words to the effect 'There's
no agenda'. Mareja's
extremely loud reply was words to the effect: 'Well
let's all make a bloody agenda!' Those
wanting money to go home quickly reverted back to that issue Les
left the meeting before it was over and to his knowledge there was no
follow-up to Mareja's suggestion about making an agenda It is understood that
Mareja was furious with the non-ATSI people's behaviour and made her fury
known to the ATSI participants. TUESDAY BEFORE BREAKFAST
As
far as can be recollected, the only Forum participants to attend Geoff's
morning therapy session was Ken Yeomans, Mary Alcorn, Neville Yeoman, Pat
Nunn, Les Spencer (making an audio tape) and Quan Yeomans (making a video
tape). Again
no ATSI people attended. Overnight
no one had left Petford. -36-
SECTION
A Joe
Lamberti and Ms Klassen (both of ATCA) had decided to leave Petford. This had
the effect of having ATCA'S formal presence at the Forum cease. Other ATCA
members were staying 'as individuals' and not as 'ATCA'. Rob Crittendon
(ACFOA) had decided to go. He WAS to have received $180:00 a day for his
evaluation services during the Forum. Ms
Klassen and Joe already had tickets to fly back from Cairns on Wednesday and
Rob paid extra himself to get back to Canberra. Therefore money to get people
home ceased to be an issue for the time being. Charlie, Joe and Rob showed no
further interest in investigating the budget (refer page 33). AFTER BREAKFAST TUESDAY
After
breakfast Geoff and the Petford youth again departed with the 60 Minute TV
crew. Mareja called a full meeting of all participants. Virtually all
attended. Mareja sat in the middle and asked everyone to introduce
themselves. As
this was finishing Joe Lamberti (ATCA) joined the group. When Mareja started
on her next bit of process Joe, who had decided to return to Melbourne,
interrupted with, 'Some people here have a few issues that need resolving.'
Mary Alcorn (ATCA) said 'bloody hell' quietly to herself (Les was sitting
next to Mary and heard her say these words). Mary then said, 'Shut up Joe!'
Mareja continued with her process. This
group was the first time that many of the ATSI people had an opportunity to
speak and listen to non-ATSI people about healing and therapeutic
communities. -37-
SECTION
A FURTHER CONCERN ABOUT TRAVEL
Of
the 10 people coming from Mareja's area (the original 6, and the 4 new ones
mentioned previously on page 23) only 4 turned up. Les immediately arranged
for six more paid tickets (in the names of people advised by Mareja), to be
available within Australian Airline's computer system and to be picked up at
their local airport and advised Mareja of this. After
Mareja's Tuesday morning group finished, Mareja told Les that the original
tickets had been taken back for crediting to the local travel agent and that
the local Travel Agent couldn't issue new tickets because there was no money
for the new tickets. Each time Les was approached by Mareja, Les checked with
the travel agent Les was using who in turn assured Les that the new tickets
were paid for and were available to be picked up at the Australian Airways
counter at the local airport as previously advised. Les reaffirmed to Mareja
a number of times that all her people had to do was to go prior to the flight
and pick up their tickets. Mareja
kept saying 'They won't issue tickets without money' and became increasingly
irate towards Les, saying that he was totally incompetent. On one occasion
that Les was ringing Meridian to reaffirm that the tickets were available,
Meridian Travel, the agent Les was using, wanted the names of the people
whose tickets were in question. The names where required to enable Meridian
Travel to locate these people on Meridian's computer. Les did not have his
list of names with him, and rather than run 150 metres to the other office at
Petford, Les asked Rowena (Mareja's associate at INMA Black Mountain) for her
copy of the names in Mareja's presence. Mareja characterised Les action as,
'trying to place the blame for the 'mess' on Rowena'. Les was advised that
his utter incompetence would be reported at length to the local elders. -38-
SECTION
A Because
of Les' repeated calls, Meridian Travel rang to say that it was their
understanding that the confusion had been created because soon after the six
new people became involved, a 'Mareja' had contacted an Ansett travel agent
in her family's area and had this Ansett agent book six tickets on Ansett
Airlines and that this Ansett Travel agent would not issue Ansett tickets
without payment. The
local people kept following (presumably) Mareja's instructions and going to
the Ansett travel agent's office. The local people were told by their local
travel agent that the money was required before the Ansett tickets could be
issued. It is understood that the Ansett agent kept looking at her own Ansett
computer booking and never checked Australian Airline's computer system
(which the Ansett agent had access to) which contained full instructions
about the paid Australian Airlines tickets being available for processing and
pickup at the local airport. Assuming
Mareja did take this action, after the behaviour of non-ATSI people on the
previous night, making her own booking on Ansett (and not Australian
Airlines) on behalf of her own people was presumably, and understandably,
Mareja's way of ensuring that her people did get to the Forum. However, Les
already had Mareja's people paid to travel on Australian Airlines, not on
Ansett despite the previous tickets being credited. The paid tickets were
teed up on Australian Airlines by Les within minutes of Les first finding out
they were travelling. They were available to be picked up at the Airport just
prior to the flight. Les approached Mareja to tell her that the paid bookings
were on Australian Airlines not Ansett but before he could do so Mareja said
that Les was not to contact anybody, including his own travel agent, Meridian
Travel in Melbourne, and that Mareja was taking over. -39-
SECTION
A Throughout
the previous conversations with Mareja, Les had no knowledge of 'the Mareja
'Ansett' intervention', and that Mareja was referring to a second set of
tickets on Ansett. Once
Les was told by Meridian Travel about the second set of bookings on Ansett,
Les had Meridian Travel contact the Northern Peninsula Ansett travel agent in
question and Meridian and the Ansett agent sorted out what had happened and
arranged for the local people to pick up the paid Australian Airlines tickets
at the local airport as originally arranged by Les. All of this group arrived
at the forum. AFTER LUNCH TUESDAY
After
lunch, Geoff Guest took 14 participants on a tour of Keyline-Permaculture
sites on Petford. A dam site needing further work was surveyed by Ken Yeomans
(a Keyline consultant) and Ken gave Geoff recommendations. The three Permaculture
people, Roshelle, Robin and Rosemary, also made constant contributions. A
number of ATSI people were learner-observers. The
group also explored two possible locations for growing horse feed. Ken
obtained information about possible Keyline irrigation locations to explore
later in the week. Tour group members found this a very valuable experience
indeed and it opened their eyes as to the possibilities of
Keyline-Permaculture. Upon
return, Geoff immediately set up a big group meeting which virtually all
attended. Many issues relating to therapeutic communities were discussed and
then Eric Felgate (ATCA - South Australia) showed a video of a project that
gave long-term unemployed people life direction, vocational competencies and
involvement within a therapeutic community. Animated discussion on funding
issues and other issues flowing from the video made this a very worthwhile
session. -40-
SECTION
A BEFORE BREAKFAST WEDNESDAY
Again
the same people attended Geoff's morning therapy session. No ATSI people
attended. AFTER BREAKFAST WEDNESDAY
Most
of the remaining ATCA members wanted to return home on Friday afternoon. It
is believed that Mary Alcorn and Eric Fegate stayed through to Sunday. Les
approached Australian Airlines and again received every cooperation. The
Airline again broke procedure and changed departure times on Apex fares
without any extra payment. This meant that all but a couple of airfares were
on Apex and everyone arrived and departed smoothly. Only Joe Lamberti and Rob
Crittendon incurred personal out-of-pocket expense to themselves and it is
understood that neither Geoff Guest nor the Forum budget had to pay to get
non-ATSI people home early. Meanwhile
another group session was under way based on a Permaculture video that Rosemary
Morrow had brought. This session was very informative. The bulk of the group
that saw the video commenced to make a Permaculture garden beside one of the
living quarters. -41-
SECTION
A A BIG MEETING
Around
midday the word want round that there was to be a full group meeting.
Everyone was asked to be there. Mareja took the chair and said the meeting
was called because there still seemed to be unresolved issues. Again
the ATCA people expressed major concern about the absence of a formal agenda.
Rosemary
Morrow and Pat Nunn reaffirmed their concern that they believed Les when he
said that the Forum was an ATSI initiative and that they now did not believe
this. Geoff
Guest said that he had left Les and Neville to organise things and that he
had not had a big enough involvement in the program and that he believed that
not having a formal agenda had caused a lot of trouble and that it was
regrettable that the Sixty Minute filming had taken him away from the Forum
and that he was very concerned that the Forum was going to reflect very badly
on Petford. During
Rosemary, Pat and Geoff's remarks others were also commenting. -42-
SECTION
A Cec
Mawdesley, the non-ATSI administrator of Petford (refer pages 19 & 20)
then made the following allegations:
-43- SECTION A
In
between Cec saying the above, many people spoke to endorse the remarks of
Cec. Rosemary Morrow and Pat Nunn (both non-ATSI) reaffirmed that they would
never have come if they had known it was 'not an ATSI initiative'. ATCA
people reaffirmed that they were in a bind with no agenda. Neville Yeomans
reminded the ATCA people that he had suggested that people from their
respective ATCA therapeutic communities who engaged in hands-on work may have
been more comfortable operating with an open-agenda format. -44-
SECTION
A Mareja
said:
In
response to the foregoing Les took each issue in turn and gave his
perspective, namely:
-45-
SECTION
A
-46-
SECTION
A
Each
of Les' replies where constantly interrupted by interjections from all over
the group - especially from Cec - comments like 'Les, stop justifying
yourself'. -47-
SECTION
A Notwithstanding
the above comments by Les, Cec ignored them and took every opportunity to
reaffirm the original list of issues that he had raised. Non-ATSI
people, and especially Cec Mawdesley, had Les Spencer and Dr. Neville Yeomans
as ''the trouble makers' and were continually stating that these two were the
stumbling block to success. Mareja
then created a context that removed Les and Neville from the balance of the
Forum. This meant the 'two excuses' were no longer available to the non-ATSI
people. Cec
Mawdesley, the non-ATSI Petford Administrator then took control and organised
for the Permaculture group to draw up their own formal agenda after lunch and
for the remaining ATCA people to work with him after lunch in drawing up a
formal 'healing agenda'. Cec
then declared that Les had to hand over everything relating to Petford and
the Forum immediately. Geoff Guest, as the Aboriginal Elder and owner of
Petford, did not respond to this declaration by Cec. Mareja
told an ATSI person from the Torres Straits called Mr. Christian (not to be
confused with the South Australian Christian outreach worker) to go with Les
to ensure that everything was taken from Les. -48-
SECTION
A At
this point the South Australian Christian outreach worker (a non-ATSI), who
was sitting next to Les, turned and said words to the effect that Les'
incompetence had wasted time that he could have put to far better use on his
Harley Davidson in the streets of Adelaide and that Les should be 'F...ed,
skinned alive and burnt at the stake'. With group applause to this little
gem, Les was escorted away by Mr. Christian (from the Torres Strait) to Les'
tent to get every bit of Petford and Forum material. Earlier
in the Forum Mr. Christian (ATSI) had often referred to the concept 'shame'
in Les' presence. The Petford/Forum material was intermingled with Les'
private things and sorting it out took a little time. Cec arrived at Les'
Tent and said words to the effect that 'The group won't stomach any more of
your deceit and they want you to hand over all the Forum files in the middle
of the group.' Les drew Mr. Christian's attention to the concept of 'shame'
and asked whether he thought it necessary for Les' underwear to be on display
to the ladies in the group. Mr. Christian told Cec that there would be no
handing of material over in the middle of the group. Video
tapes of Geoff's therapy that Neville's son Quan had made (tapes worth about
$140:00) were also confiscated by Cec. Later,
audio tapes that Les was using to prepare a microanalysis of Geoff's therapy
process were also confiscated by Cec. -49-
SECTION
A AFTER THE WEDNESDAY BIG MEETING
Les
did not feel like lunch. He went for a five mile walk and climbed the highest
local mountain. From the Mountain top, Petford was a small distant dot in the
middle of the valley. Les found this perspective to his liking and stayed
there till sundown. It was a beautiful twilight - very therapeutic. Les
returned to Petford about 8 PM. He was told that someone other than Geoff had
told Neville Yeomans to leave Petford. Neville had done so about 5 P.M. Les
was told that the South Australian Christian outreach worker was going to
drive him out of Petford to wherever Les wanted to go. Les said some
farewells and some ATSI and non-ATSI people said that they were ashamed about
what had happened, and words to the effect that everything had gone over the
top. Some said that they disagreed with some of what had gone on and that
they now regretted being silent. Les
was advised that notwithstanding the avid commitment by the Petford non-ATSI
administrator Cec Mawdesley to seeing that agendas were developed, after
lunch nothing had happened and that people seemed to go and lie down. Further
work was done on the Permaculture garden during the afternoon. After
a 90 minute drive being chauffeured by the South Australian Christian
outreach worker, Les arrived at Neville's house around l A.M. Thursday. For
Les it was a long day. It was an even longer day for the South Australian Christian
as he had the return trip to Petford. -50-
SECTION
A THURSDAY
After
some searching, Ken Yeomans found a large area that has great possibilities
for developing a Keyline irrigation system. Ken gave Geoff a report on this
and information on what to do next. The
Permaculture people finished the garden. It
is understood that no formal agenda was developed or used at Petford after
Les and Neville left. FRIDAY
The
group moved down to Clump. It is understood that Gerald spent time describing
how Les had 'lied to Clump Mountain people'. Gerald announced the Clump
Agenda. It is understood that group process soon departed from this agenda. It
is understood that there was a talk by an Elder, followed by a guided
rainforest walk during which the participants were told how the Clump
Mountain Youth Wilderness Camp makes full use of the rainforest in it's youth
program. The beach area of nearby Mission Beach was also visited for similar
reasons. -51-
SECTION
A CONCLUSIONS
Extensive
learnings took place at the Forum. There is ample scope for further extensive
learning from what happened at the Forum - both for the participants and for
anyone else who uses this report as a case study. The
participants were aware of the aims of the Forum as expressed in the Funding
Application document, namely: 'To
provide a forum for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders to explore setting
up, administering and conducting Therapeutic Communities to help people stop
alcohol and other substance abuse.' However,
much of the energy of participants was caught up in personally coming to
terms with the unfolding context. Rather than the intended process of open
sharing of successful healing experiences, people seemed to be very wary.
Things had 'risk' attached to them. The
more 'healing' type people present would readily recognise that the following
behaviours have virtually no role in healing, or in the fostering of
relationships, community and understanding:
Yet
during the big group meeting on Wednesday morning, the whole group had been
drawn into these behaviours in ritual drawing, quartering and scapegoating. -52-
SECTION
A At
the same time, the Forum was in many ways closest to the Therapeutic Community
tradition during that big meeting. The
Wednesday morning big meeting during which the Petford administrator made the
long list of allegations (refer pages 42 & 43) contained many of the same
elements as those reported as happening in Therapeutic Communities over the
years. The
following quotes about Therapeutic Community 'big meetings' are from Dr.
Neville Yeomans and Professor Alfred Clark's book Fraser House' (refer page 2
of this report). 'Now
there are certain patterns of human activity, particularly in relatively
undifferentiated collectivities, which are relevant to the central aims of
psychotherapy, that is, personality change and change in social adjustment.
These, the phenomena of collective behaviour, are of particular interest
since they involve some of the most dramatic and profound changes in
behaviour, and ultimately of personality, that are seen in the lives of human
beings. Characteristically,
collective interaction involves crowd and audience mechanisms. The crowd is
an active collectivity of people united by a common mood, which may be itself
changing. The audience is a similar but passive collectivity. Both are
typically 'shoulder to shoulder' rather than 'face to face' in their
interaction. A dominant feature of crowd phenomena is emotional contagion
producing a state of collective excitement. This ranges from unrest and fear
to rage, and even to collective ecstasy developing around some focal point
such as a major danger or threat, a crisis, or an issue of intense emotional
importance.' -53-
SECTION
A 'These
dramatic and exciting events create new frames of reference and as Sherif and
Sherif (1956) point out, 'With the change of major anchorages in the frame of
reference, the character of experience and behaviour is modified and may even
be transformed'. Again, a collectivity sharing a common threat, etc.,
develops a group structure which according to Blumer (1955) gives the members
'a basis for an established personal identity and for a course of action.' In
referring to the mechanisms of elementary collective behaviour, Blumer
discusses milling, collective excitement, and social contagion. He states
that under the influence of these social forces people become aroused and
more likely to be carried away by impulses and feelings; hence rendered more
unstable and irresponsible. In collective excitement, the personal make-up of
individuals is more readily broken and in this way the conditions are
prepared for the formation of new forms of behaviour and for the
reorganization of the individual. In collective excitement, individuals may
embark on lines of conduct which previously they would not have thought of,
much less dared to undertake. Likewise, under stress and with opportunities
for release of tension, individuals may incur significant reorganization in
their sentiments, habits and traits of personality.' -54-
SECTION
A 'In
the therapeutic Community of Fraser House, though daily meetings of the
community group involve the passive collectivity, being an audience to a few
main actors, this is not always so. At times, active crowd behaviour may
ensure involvement of sections, or most of the community' (Pages 33 &
34). The
actions of Cec Mawdesley, the non-ATSI administrator of Petford, during the
Wednesday big meeting (outlined on pages 42, 43, 46 and 47 of this report) is
an illustration of influence and control via the use of crowd and audience
mechanisms, especially stampeding an audience into making decisions via
emotional contagion. Crowd
and audience mechanisms can be very potent. People can use them in both
adaptive and maladaptive ways. Over time therapeutic community participants
learn to recognise and challenge maladaptive behaviour. A
classical characteristic of therapeutic community big meetings has been
participants struggling together with their current typical, and often
non-adaptive, behaviours. This is often a painful process - gaining the skill
of stepping back to see more clearly what is happening, making some new sense
out of what is going on, doing soul searching, taking personal responsibility
and exploring alternative behaviours. A number of people at the Forum did do
just that. After the big meeting they said that, upon reflection, they could
see firstly, how influence patterns had been used by non-ATSI people to
'divide and conquer' and secondly, how behaviours like judging, blaming,
scapegoating, bluster and stampeding, while being crude and effective tools
of raw power, are not conducive to the development of a caring community. -55-
SECTION
A It
is understood that at least one ATSI person saw very clearly the power and
control processes used by non-ATSI professional organizers and administrators
against other non-ATSI individuals, and from this, had major insights as to
how these same processes are used by non-ATSI administrators within ATSI
communities across Australia to have influence and control. Others
have noted the role that administrators and policy-makers can have in
limiting the effectiveness of Therapeutic Communities. John Lindsay, in his
book 'Ward Ten B - The Deadly Witch Hunt (page 52)', refers to A. W. Clark
and R. N. Walker's article 'The Continuing Influence of the Therapeutic
Community Concept' published in the International Journal of Therapeutic
Communities 1984 (5) Pages 140 - 156. Clark (who co-authored the book 'Fraser
House' with Dr. Neville Yeomans) and Walker circulated a questionnaire about
the Therapeutic Community concepts and noted that policy-makers showed a more
negative attitude towards the concepts than psychiatrists, social workers and
psychologists, in that order. The concept had more influence amongst those in
closer contact with direct patient care. Clark
and Walker finally question whether the more powerful professional groups and
policy-makers have absorbed and co-opted the Therapeutic Community concepts
to fit their own needs. Various
segments in the 1992 Spring edition of 'Therapeutic Communities - The
International Journal for Therapeutic and Supporting Organisations' is very
relevant to the Forum as a whole, and the big meetings in particular. -56-
SECTION
A In
talking about the prevalence of scapegoating behaviour in Therapeutic
Communities one Journal author notes: At
the level of inter-systems there are myriad examples of pairing, sub-grouping
and scapegoating which form and dissolve within the community' (page 6). It
is typical for people confronting difficulties to try to find fault outside
of themselves. Progress happens when people start taking responsibility for
their own responses. In
considering the constant demand for a formal agenda at the Forum, it is
relevant to note another Therapeutic Community Journal author who makes the
observation that people who have moved into management or executive board
positions within Therapeutic Communities often become obsessed with order and
loose touch with the spontaneous nature of therapy: 'Therapeutic
Communities are so often under threat by managers who have failed to
understand their value' (page 55). 'It
is not uncommon for the best senior practitioners and consultants to become
so immersed in the immediacy of their clinical lives that they lose sight by
themselves of the whole' (page 69). 'These
problems arise from what one author calls 'our over structured society' (page
58). -57-
SECTION
A What
would have happened if the much required rigid 'Agenda' had been available
from the outset? Given the enormity of the multiple hidden agendas that were
pervasively present -especially among the non-ATSI participants - would such
a rigid agenda have served any purpose whatsoever other than as a 'vested
interest'' control process? How soon would departure from the agenda been an
issue? How soon would 'people not attending agended sessions' been an issue?
How soon would the rigid 'agenda' been attacked as poorly conceived and a
take-over job by the author of such agenda? How soon would a ''non-ATSI
originated' rigid agenda been used as a reason for non-involvement? How long
would a rigid agenda have delayed the emergence of a 'need' and 'issue based'
process? Would such a 'need and issue based' process ever developed under a
rigid agenda? Despite the best of intentions, in what ways do dominant
cultures use formal agendas to maintain their power? Throughout
time powerful people have gathered unto themselves the ''right' to be the
'definers of what is going on'. Once in this position, any one can take the
high ground and say that another person is an 'incompetent liar' and an
'exploiter' and so on. If
ever there is to be progress within and between peoples of any group in the
world there has to be a move beyond power maneuverings and conquistador
behaviours to true communion, healing process and a commitment to
understanding. In
many respects, that the Forum took place at all was a wonder. Anyone reading
the Forum Fund Application (Appendix A contains the full NCADA Fund
Application Document) with an open heart and mind would be thrilled at the
infinite possibilities held out in the intention of the document. It has
implications for the quality of life throughout the whole earth. -58-
SECTION
A FUTURE ACTION
Following
the Forum, requests have been received from ATSI people in both Northern
Queensland and The Northern Territory to facilitate 'therapy and mediation
practitioner' training as well as 'trainer' training. In
both locations there are a group of ATSI people who have demonstrated a
willingness to make a major commitment to personally developing their therapy
mediation and healing skills. Programs
have been discussed with these ATSI people based on multi-level training by a
team of predominantly ATSI people. The
program has been designed to operate simultaneously at multiple levels,
namely:
-59-
SECTION
A
Trainees
will also begin designing or modifying their own therapeutic interpersonal,
family, group and community programs to incorporate their new learnings. The
training program, as the next step in furthering development of ATSI
Therapeutic Communities throughout Australia, is a relatively small, though
strategic one - strengthening this core group of ATSI people as highly
trained ATSI Therapeutic Community trainers. Following
the pioneering work of Terry Widders (an ATSI person -refer page 3), an
increasing number of ATSI people with therapy, mediation and cultural
modelling skills will be able to model ATSI healers throughout Australia and
so incorporate this ancient wisdom into their own therapeutic work and
training. -60-
SECTION
A A
team of ATSI people with highly refined therapy modelling skills will then be
able to attend non-ATSI Therapeutic Communities both in Australia, and if
deemed appropriate, overseas. For example, they could visit member
organisations of firstly, The Australian and New Zealand Richmond Fellowships
and secondly, of The Australian Therapeutic Community Association and other
Therapeutic Communities. The
ATSI Team can take from these organisations' healing processes, the bits that
the ATSI team find compatible with ATSI culture. This is a fundamentally
different and culturally appropriate approach compared to, for example,
attending a non-ATSI therapeutic community to be 'taught the non-ATSI way of
doing therapy'. Section
B page 94 contains an agenda for an 'ATSI Therapy and Mediation Practitioner
Training Program'. FRESH PERSPECTIVES
Some
emotional heat is typical of therapeutic process at the individual,
interpersonal, family, group and community levels; emotional heat can help
loosen up fixed perceptions and behaviours. All
of the possibilities of the Forum Funding Document still remain. Much has
been learnt at the Forum. For some, much is yet to be learnt from reflecting
on this report as a case study. In so doing, participants - in a spirit of
seeking understanding, not judgment - can see what contributed to
mis-understandings and conflict during the Forum, as well as see the value of
having worked through these issues. From these understandings it is possible
to see what happened from a number of new perspectives. -61-
SECTION
A TAPPING INTO THE TRADITIONS
ATSI
involvement with therapeutic communities stretches back over thirty years to
when Dr. Neville Yeomans transferred virtually all ATSI people out of all of
the Mental Hospitals in NSW to the Therapeutic Community of Fraser House in
North Ryde. Geoff
and Norma's Petford has also enriched the ATSI therapeutic community
tradition in providing healing opportunity to ATSI youth for the past fifteen
years. As well, ATSI people have a therapeutic and healing tradition that
reaches back to Dreamtime. All of this provides ATSI people with a solid
tradition and a solid foundation upon which to build healing futures. A
next step now is to train ATSI trainers to tap this rich body of traditions
and make it readily available for the immense benefit of all ATSI peoples. Because
all records were taken by the non-Aboriginal administrator of Petford, the
material in this Progress Report has been written from recollection of
events. Any errors of fact are not intended. Les
Spencer September
1992 -62-
SECTION
B THIS EDUCATIONAL RESOURCE MATERIAL
HAS BEEN FUNDED BY NCADA FOR USE IN THE ABORIGINAL AND TORRES STRAIT ISLANDER
(ATSI) THERAPEUTIC COMMUNITY PROJECT
Each
morning at the Petford Aboriginal Training Farm in North East Australia Geoff
Guest, the Aboriginal Director of Petford, provides healing opportunities for
ATSI youth residents. The following material is based on Geoff's therapy
processes. GEOFF GUEST'S MORNING THERAPY
SESSION
DISCUSSION
Discuss
and identify therapeutic patterns implied in the following:
-63-
SECTION
B DISCUSSION POINTS
Therapeutic
Elements:
Being
sleepy This
is akin to a naturally occurring trance state where the mind's critical and
judgmental aspects are dulled. Geoff creatively uses these moments with the
youths when they are particularly open to new possibilities. When sleepy the
youth have a tendency to stay in the same place and are not restless. Often
the whole group remains where they are after Geoff finishes and only get up
when breakfast is ready. Youth do pay attention. Ask them about what they
heard and learnt that morning and they can reel off a long list. -64-
SECTION
B Being
close together
When
the youth sit down close together they are literally supporting each other.
(On this aspect show the trainees the Petford Video 'Ringer' segment where
all the boys are supporting the smaller boy (the one who has the 'fit') on
the blanket. Geoff could have easily carried the boy back to Norma, but
instead this smaller boy experiences being totally and literally supported -
probably for the first time in his life. Importantly,
he is being supported by the complete youth community at Petford, many of
whom, up to that moment, had been his tormentors. The other youths, in
carrying the young one, experience being a caring, supporting, community
together - powerful change stuff! This is a beautiful and elegant example of
the holistic nature of Geoff's work. Ideas and behaviours are linked to
profound physical experience. Keeping
each other warm further fosters 'togetherness' and community. Always
at the same time
The
youth habitually take their place and sit waiting for Geoff to start. They
develop a 'self-regulation' component. Geoff never misses holding this
session at Petford. This fosters in the youth (i) a preparedness to follow
rules, (ii) self discipline and (iii) a spirit of cooperation; all critical
in developing a work ethic. -65-
Appendix
B In
fact 'being cooperative' is a 'critical and central behaviour' that Geoff
endeavours to install in every youth in his program. Being cooperative is
central to personal effectiveness in every aspect of a fruitful life in
community with others. It is linked to holding down a Job, keeping a marriage
and family in a close bond and developing a 'community' that communes
together. When youth arrive at Petford they tend to have non-cooperation as
an entrenched behaviour. The
transcript of Geoff's therapy session later in this Section on page 79
highlights some of the micro-processors that Geoff uses to sustain
cooperative behaviour. Relatively
early Youth
develop self discipline in:
Always
at the same place
The
place becomes an 'anchor'. Each morning when they sit down in the same place
it anchors them back to prior learnings. They can link new learnings with
prior ones. Because of all of these associated learnings it becomes a place
of special power. The location is also where food preparation and eating
takes place and that has a good feel about it. It is in the very centre of
community life with dogs barking and pots and pans and Norma's booming voice
adding to the richness of what's going on. All this binds the learnings to
this community experience. -66-
SECTION
B At
the start of the day
Each
day starts with communal learning and reinforces that this is a learning
place. It allows further processing of 'yesterday's unfinished business'
after just finishing 'sleeping on it'. Matching
duration, content and process to youth receptivity Geoff
works with the youth while they are receptive. If receptivity and cooperation
wanes, Geoff either opts to increase receptivity and cooperation, or closes
the session. DISCUSSION
Discuss
and identify therapeutic patterns implied in the following:
-67-
APPENDIX
B DISCUSSION
This
may be:
Quite
often when Geoff is doing therapeutic work with a particular youth, the youth
concerned does not know this is the case. In this way Geoff can by-pass
resistance. Geoff checks whether he has got a particular outcome and if not,
does further work until he does get it. DISCUSSION
Discuss
and identify therapeutic patterns implied in the following:
Examples are:
-68-
APPENDIX
B DISCUSSION
Discuss
and identify therapeutic patterns implied in the following: Each
session tends to have a central theme and a number of parallel minor themes
that cover three areas, namely:
For
example, on page 75 of this Section there is a transcript of a small segment
of one of Geoff Guest's morning therapy sessions with the Petford youth. This
session had the major theme 'married life' Under
the ideas heading Geoff had the youths, amongst other things, think about:
-69-
APPENDIX
B
Under
the behaviours category Geoff had the youths role-play (amongst other
things):
He
then had them experience changes in their own emotions, feelings and mood states.
These experiences were then linked to the theme 'married life'. He would have
them imagine a future where they are married and then have them live out
different scenarios so that they were 'embodying' the feelings and
behaviours. -70-
APPENDIX
B As
is typical, during the session Geoff also followed up unfinished business
from the previous day and wove in specific therapy work with a number of the
youth. All of this was packed into half an hour and yet the pace seemed
almost sleepy and leisurely. Geoff
also weaves multiple stories together and then has the youth role-play
characters in the stories. There is an extensive literature on the
therapeutic use of stories and an excellent introductory text is David
Gordon's book 'Therapeutic Metaphors'. A
basic pattern is to have the various elements in the story almost exactly the
same as those happening in the clients life, that is, the same ideas,
behaviours and feelings. The stories contain possibilities for the resolving
of the issues concerned. To
use one of Geoff's simple stories as an example:
-71-
APPENDIX
B The
new behavioural, conceptual, and emotional possibilities are contained in a
second ending to the little story. In this new ending the father asks one of
the youths why he wants the orange and the youth replies 'mum asked me to get
some orange rind to make a cake'. The other youth wanted to eat the orange.
So the father peels the orange and gives the orange to the youth who wanted
to eat it and the rind to the other youth to give to his mother. Geoff
went on to link this story to something that happened the day before and to
his main theme for that particular day which was 'working for supervisors
that may not be very good at their job'. This
orange story also embodies a basic underlying belief of Geoff, namely that it
is always best to seek outcomes where everybody's needs are met (for example,
at the Forum, June 1992). ___________________________________________________
LETTER
Bill Wilson ATSIC
THERAPEUTIC COMMUNITY FORUM Enclosed
is a copy of the Forum Report and Educational material as arranged. The
Petford Video 'The Ringer' is being sent under separate cover. Geoff's therapy
processes in the video segment with the small youth having a tantrum is a
rich example of Geoff using the therapy micro-processes mentioned in Section
B of the Progress Report. We
have been receiving considerable interest in our community healing learning
Projects from Unique, Intercultural and Indigenous peoples in countries
around the world and have plans in place to -72-
APPENDIX
B have
Unique Peoples, Unrepresented Peoples and Indigenous Peoples' Intercultural
Healing Learning Gatherings in the NE Australia area in 1993 to mark the end
of the Indigenous Peoples year. There
are at least two associated sites in the NE Australia rainforest and
tablelands that can be developed firstly, as continuing healing learning
centres for intercultural Unique and Indigenous people's of Earth. After the
Gatherings next year, those Unique and Indigenous people who want to, can
stay on and live and share learning healing in the rainforest. Look
forward to receiving your feedback on the Progress Report. Yours
sincerely Les
Spencer ENC.
-73-
APPENDIX
B Les Spencer Tel: 03 4571 451
(no longer a current number) 7 September 1992
Roger Allnutt ATSIC
THERAPEUTIC COMMUNITY FORUM Enclosed
is a copy of the Forum Report and Educational material as arranged. Look
forward to hearing from you. The Petford Video 'The Ringer' is being sent
under separate cover. Geoff's therapy processes in the video segment with the
small youth having a tantrum is a rich example of Geoff using the therapy
micro-processes mentioned in Section B of the Progress Report. We
have been receiving considerable interest in our community healing learning
Projects from Unique, Intercultural and Indigenous peoples in various
countries around the world and have plans in place to have Unique Peoples,
Unrepresented Peoples and Indigenous Peoples' Intercultural Healing Learning
Gatherings in the NE Australia area in 1993 to mark the end of the Indigenous
Peoples year. There
are at least two associated sites in NE Australia that can be developed
firstly, as continuing healing learning APPENDIX
B -74-
centres
for intercultural Unique and Indigenous people's of Earth. After the
Gatherings next year, those intercultural Unique and Indigenous people who
want to, can stay on live and share learning healing in the rainforest. Look
forward to receiving the 1992-93 funding documentation and your feedback on
the Progress Report. Yours
sincerely Les
Spencer -75-
SECTION
B TRANSCRIPT OF A SEGMENT OF GEOFF
GUEST'S WORK WITH THE YOUTH AT THE PETFORD ABORIGINAL TRAINING FARM IN NORTH
EAST AUSTRALIA DURING JULY 1992
'So
the fellow that put his earnings from Petford into a land investment ended up
married and owning his own home. The other fellow spent all of his money on
buying alcohol and drinking it with his friends. The first fellow and his
wife and children liked living in their own home. The other fellow had none
of his Petford earnings left. Who was the smartest?' (Geoff
leaves the question hanging in the air unanswered.) 'Now
here's a smart young fellow.' (Geoff
selects, walks towards, and stands in front of a youth who prides himself on
being smart.) 'When
you get married (pause) would you like one, two or three children?' 'Two'
'And
would you like a brick house or a wood one?' 'A brick house.' -76-
SECTION
B 'And
who would bring up the children - you or your wife?' 'My
wife.' 'Would
you have any say in what they did?'. 'We
both would have a say.' 'Good
(Geoff mentions youth's name)! You know what you want!' (Geoff
repeats this form of questioning with two other youths.) 'And
you know (pause) brains are marvellous things (pause) and we can recall good
things and imagine marvellous things and change ourselves with our brains and
(Geoff moves in front of a youth who had been in some trouble the day before)
(mentions youth's name) have you ever had something happen that was not very
good?' (The
youth nods and is very pensive) (Geoff
walks over and addresses another youth.) 'And
when you came off the horse yesterday that was not very good was it?' (Geoff
is very gentle and caring as he says this. The boy looks uncomfortable and
embarrassed and shakes his head in negative agreement.) -77-
SECTION
B (A
dog barks and begins to tussle with another dog not far from Geoff.) 'And
even dogs don't always get on with one another, do they?. Get outside both of
you (pause) please.' (Geoff
chases the two dogs outside.) 'And
(pause) thinking back on these times can make us feel miserable, right?
(pause) and we can (pause) feel real low.' (As
he says the last three words Geoff moves his body so that he is hunched up
and hung over with eyes caste down to the right. He looks miserable. All the
boys are looking at him.) (Les
is behind the bench helping Norma (Geoff's wife) make the breakfast toast.
Les is also watching and listening to Geoff as well. Geoff stands up straight
and looks towards Les.) 'And
Les (pause) there's been times in your life when (pause) you have been
(pause) very sad, right?' (Geoff
knows that Les' wife committed suicide by lying in front off a train on Saint
Valentines day in February 1992. Les is caught unawares by Geoff's remark and
says with wavering voice 'I sure have!') -78-
SECTION
B ''And
thinking about that (pause) upsets you now (pause) doesn't it, Les?' (Geoff
is very gentle as he says this. Les, face has become ashen. His body shrinks
and he nods in agreement.) 'And
(pause) there has been a time (pause) that you can go to right now (pause)
when you feel really good (pause) right? (pause) and you can (pause) go there
NOW (pause) right?' (Les'
face lights up, his body lengthens, he takes a deep breath and his whole
demeanour changes immediately and Les says the following: 'Yes!
Making toast for Norma!' (Geoff
points to Les' and addresses the boys.) 'Did
you notice how Les changed then, first he was sad and then a moment later he
was happy again and (pause) your brain can (pause) do that any time you want
(pause) and that's marvellous isn't it.' -79-
SECTION
B THERAPY MODELLING - A
MICRO-PROCESS ANALYSIS OF THE GEOFF GUEST TRANSCRIPT
The
following is a bit-by-bit analysis of the preceding transcript. The
transcript segments are printed in capitals. Typically,
Geoff uses many therapy processes in every sentence. Most of these processes,
or variations of them, are well documented in the psycho-linguistic modelling
literature and have been demonstrated to lead to behaviour change. It
is problematic that any of the particular micro-processors mentioned in these
notes WILL have a specific outcome. As Geoff has his therapy sessions with
the Petford youth every day, Geoff notes the unfolding outcomes he is getting
and works on a specific issue until that issue IS resolved. 'SO
THE FELLOW THAT PUT HIS EARNINGS FROM PETFORD INTO A LAND INVESTMENT ENDED UP
MARRIED AND OWNING HIS OWN HOME. THE OTHER FELLOW SPENT ALL OF HIS MONEY ON
BUYING ALCOHOL AND DRINKING IT WITH HIS FRIENDS. THE FIRST FELLOW AND HIS
WIFE AND CHILDREN LIKED LIVING IN THEIR OWN HOME. THE OTHER FELLOW HAD NONE
OF HIS PETFORD EARNINGS LEFT. WHO WAS THE SMARTEST?' (GEOFF
LEAVES THE QUESTION HANGING IN THE AIR UNANSWERED.) Geoff
uses his own past experience as a source of stories. Often Geoff makes
stories up on the spot and says something like 'A friend of mine knew a bloke
who ...' Milton Erickson called this the 'my friend John' process. -80-
SECTION
B The
above story fits the pattern mentioned previously. Ideas, behaviours and emotions
are interwoven. Geoff
tends to start sentences with conjunctions or 'joining' words. William
O'Hanlon in his book 'Taproots' analyses many of the therapeutic
micro-processes that effective therapists have used throughout the ages.
O'Hanlon calls this pattern of therapeutically using conjunctions 'Linking'
('linking', O'Hanlon, Page 127, 1987). In the above segment Geoff started
with 'SO'. This pattern links the sentence to the one before it. Other
joining words and expressions are 'And', 'So that', 'Because'. The
brain tends to chunk things together when they are linked with these joining
words. A more advanced 'joining' pattern that Geoff uses is:
What
tends to happen is that the listener lumps everything together as true and
the suggestion is accepted along with what has gone before. There is an
example of this pattern later in the above transcript. Can you find it? 'NOW
HERE'S A SMART YOUNG FELLOW.' (GEOFF
SELECTS, WALKS TOWARDS, AND STANDS IN FRONT OF A YOUTH WHO PRIDES HIMSELF ON
BEING SMART.) All
of the youths listening to this story had 'being smart' as something they
valued highly. They could easily identify with 'being smart'. It is possible
that the youths could less easily identify with the idea of 'being married.' -81-
SECTION
B Geoff's
non-verbal behaviours signal to the boy that he will be involved. Geoff is
totally 'congruent' about getting the boy's cooperation. That is, every
aspect of Geoff's verbal and nonverbal behaviour supports Geoff's implied
presupposition that the boy will cooperate ('presupposition', O'Hanlon, Pages
87-90, 121-122, 143, 1987). This tends to be irresistible. Note that there is
an implied presupposition of cooperation. Being
totally congruent about what he does is a vitally important part of Geoff's
work. In this he mirrors Christ healing. In talking about Jesus, someone said
words to effect 'We haven't heard anyone speak like him before!'' It is
likely that an important aspect of what this person was talking about was
Christ's congruence. Every aspect of Christ's speaking body would be totally
consistent. Jesus
on one occasion said to a person who could not walk: 'Pick
up your bed and Walk!' Notice
that these are two simple direct commands joined by a conjunction ('Direct
commands', O'Hanlon, Pages 151, 1987). Jesus would have said these commands
in a way that presupposed (presupposition) and implied ('Implication',
O'Hanlon, Pages 87-94, 139, 1987) that the person would definitely be able to
pick up his bed and walk. Geoff
also makes use of the same processes in his healing work, namely:
-82-
SECTION
B 'NOW
HERE'S A....' In
the story Geoff has placed the youths in a story reality in a 'past' time. He
then placed them in 'non-specific' time where they could personally identify
with a 'smart' role model. Geoff now reorients everyone back to the present
time by starting the next sentence with the word 'now'. Geoff
is continually reorienting the youth in past, present and future time to get
specific therapeutic outcomes ('reorientation in time', O'Hanlon, Page 137 -
138, 1987) 'NOW
HERE'S A ...' The
word 'here's' is a phonetic ambiguity ('ambiguity', O'Hanlon, Page 103 - 108
& 142, 1987). The expression 'hears' and 'here's' sound identical.
Research shows that the brain is constantly making 'meaning searches' as we
listen to speech. We consciously pick up the most likely meaning of an
expression from the context of what's going on. However at a brain function
level we do pick-up other meanings. These other meanings can be used
therapeutically. In the above sentence the alternative meaning 'Now HEARS a
smart young fellow.' implies 'Pay attention.' This second meaning fits
Geoff's presupposition of cooperation. 'A
SMART YOUNG FELLOW' Geoff
invariably gives a simple compliment prior to asking for cooperation. For
example, on another occasion before asking Les to use his watch to time a boy
climbing over a rafter in the roof, Geoff said, 'Now whose got good eyesight?
Les! Will you help us?' After that introduction/implication, Les, who wears
bifocals couldn't refuse! -83-
SECTION
B Note
that in the story he had just finished Geoff had highlighted 'being smart'.
Geoff selected a person who:
This
belief about being a smart person:
The
number of these links is also likely to be too many to be consciously
processed by the boy. This limits resistance ('Overload - Confusion',
O'Hanlon, Pages 51, 104-8, 112, 125, 135, 1987). (GEOFF
SELECTS, WALKS TOWARDS, AND STANDS IN FRONT OF A YOUTH WHO PRIDES HIMSELF ON
BEING SMART.) Geoff's
non-verbals all support the above linguistic processes. 'WHEN
YOU GET MARRIED (PAUSE) WOULD YOU LIKE ONE, TWO OR THREE CHILDREN?' Geoff
uses reference to time as one pattern to set up 'presuppositions'. In this
case Geoff uses the word 'When' to set up the presupposition that the boy 'IS
going to get married'. Other
references to time that can be used to set up presuppositions are:
-84-
SECTION
B Geoff
pauses to have the youth settle into a future time frame in his imagination -
a frame in which the youth is married. Geoff
gives the boy three choices each of which again imply that the boy will have
some children ('Illusion of alternatives', O'Hanlon, Pages 90, 1987). This is
another pre-supposition pattern based on making a choice from a number of
presupposed items. For example, 'Would you like one or two eggs in your
milk-shake?' presupposes you will have at least one egg in it. 'TWO'
From
his tone the youth appeared quite definite about wanting two children; that
is, he was not saying something just to please Geoff. 'AND
WOULD YOU LIKE A BRICK HOUSE OR A WOOD ONE?' 'A
BRICK HOUSE.' 'AND
WHO WOULD BRING UP THE CHILDREN - YOU OR YOUR WIFE?' 'MY
WIFE.' 'WOULD
YOU HAVE ANY SAY IN WHAT THEY DID?' 'WE
BOTH WOULD HAVE A SAY.' Again
Geoff uses the 'choice' or 'illusion of alternatives' pattern - by using the
word 'or' - to set up the presuppositions of 'owning a home' and 'that his
children would be cared for'. -85-
SECTION
B 'GOOD
(GEOFF MENTIONS YOUTH'S NAME)! YOU KNOW WHAT YOU WANT!' Geoff
gives recognition and sincere compliments continually in his work and the
youth love it. Often spontaneous remarks are not remembered by the person who
makes them. Geoff, in drawing the youth's attention to what the youth had
just said, increases the likelihood that the 'possible futures' that the
youth had just described - of being married, owning a brick home and jointly
caring for two children while caring for two children will be remembered. (GEOFF
REPEATS THIS FORM OF QUESTIONING WITH TWO OTHER YOUTHS.) Having
this first boy as a cooperative role model sets the scene for others to also
cooperate. 'AND
YOU KNOW (PAUSE) BRAINS ARE MARVELOUS THINGS (PAUSE)' Geoff
starts with a conjunction linking the new topic to what has just been
happening. 'AND
YOU KNOW (PAUSE)' Here
Geoff implies that they already know what he is about to say. Hence the idea
he is about to introduce is readily accepted. The
pause can arouse curiosity and interest in what is to come - both ideal
learning states. -86-
SECTION
B 'AND
YOU KNOW (PAUSE) BRAINS ARE MARVELOUS THINGS (PAUSE)' Geoff
uses 'generalisations' in many ways to obtain therapeutic effect
('generalisations', O'Hanlon, Pages 97, 141, 1987). Here describing brains as
'marvellous things' does not tell us what he is getting at. The following
pause invokes further curiosity. Geoff is very adept at creating and changing
'states' in others. Examples of states are:
'AND
YOU KNOW (PAUSE) BRAINS ARE MARVELOUS THINGS (PAUSE) AND WE CAN RECALL GOOD
THINGS...' Geoff
uses a conjunction to link up the next piece. 'AND
WE CAN RECALL GOOD THINGS AND IMAGINE MARVELOUS THINGS' Geoff
here uses a pattern that Milton Erickson also used, that of the 'embedded
command' ('Embedded commands', O'Hanlon, Page 142, 1987). Notice that
embedded in this sentence are two commands, namely, 'RECALL GOOD THINGS' as
well as 'IMAGINE MARVELOUS THINGS'. The general pattern that Geoff uses is
'We can 'X'', where X is the command in question. Other examples occur in the
transcript. Note that the word 'things' in the sentence fragment 'recall good
things', is another example of using a generalisation. The word 'things'
allows hearers the possibility of coming up with their own specific memories
and imaginings. -87-
SECTION
B In
having these hidden commands and suggestions in this sentence Geoff is warming
the youth up for using their brains to both recall things and imagine things
in a few moments. 'AND
YOU KNOW (PAUSE) BRAINS ARE MARVELOUS THINGS (PAUSE) AND WE CAN RECALL GOOD
THINGS AND IMAGINE MARVELOUS THINGS AND CHANGE OURSELVES WITH OUR BRAINS, AND
...' This
is where Geoff uses the 'obviously true' pattern mentioned earlier, namely:
The
first couple of sentence fragments are obviously true. These statements are
then linked to the bold suggestion 'we can change ourselves'. SECTION
B -88-
(GEOFF
MOVES IN FRONT OF A YOUTH WHO HAD BEEN IN SOME TROUBLE THE DAY BEFORE)
(MENTIONS YOUTH'S NAME) 'HAVE YOU EVER HAD SOMETHING HAPPEN THAT WAS NOT VERY
GOOD?' (THE
YOUTH NODS AND IS VERY PENSIVE.) Both
the boy and Geoff know what Geoff is referring to and in recalling this
situation a specific neuro-psychological state is fired off inside the boy. (GEOFF
WALKS OVER AND ADDRESSES ANOTHER YOUTH.) 'AND
WHEN YOU CAME OFF THE HORSE YESTERDAY, THAT WAS NOT VERY GOOD WAS IT.' (GEOFF
IS VERY GENTLE AND CARING AS HE SAYS THIS. THE BOY LOOKS UNCOMFORTABLE AND
EMBARRASSED AND SHAKES HIS HEAD IN NEGATIVE AGREEMENT) Geoff
conveys to the boy by voice tone that he understands how the boy felt
yesterday and how he feels now. Geoff,
in suddenly having the youth recall the particular situation, has a
particular neuro-psychological state firing off in the boy. (A
DOG BARKS AND BEGINS TO TUSSLE WITH ANOTHER DOG NOT FAR FROM GEOFF.) 'AND
EVEN DOGS DON'T ALWAYS GET ON WITH ONE ANOTHER, DO THEY? GET OUTSIDE BOTH OF
YOU (PAUSE) PLEASE.' (GEOFF
CHASES THE TWO DOGS OUTSIDE.) SECTION
B -89-
Geoff
'incorporates' a possible distraction into what he is doing and in this way
it ceases to be a distraction ('incorporation', O'Hanlon, Page 127-28, 1987).
'GET
OUTSIDE BOTH OF YOU (PAUSE) PLEASE.' Geoff
has a very special way of saying 'please' at the end of his requests. It is
very compelling and aids Geoff to get cooperation, even with the animals! 'AND
(PAUSE) THINKING BACK ON THESE TIMES CAN MAKE US FEEL MISERABLE, RIGHT?
(PAUSE) AND WE CAN (PAUSE) FEEL REAL LOW.' Geoff
uses the linking conjunction 'and' again. This conjunction pattern can be
very hypnotic. Again
Geoff uses the embedded suggestion/command pattern to set up shifts in
states. '...
can make us feel miserable...' '... we can (pause) feel real low.' 'RIGHT?
(PAUSE)' Geoff
checks for non-verbal signs of agreement. SECTION
B -90-
(AS
HE SAYS THE LAST THREE WORDS GEOFF MOVES HIS BODY SO THAT HE IS
HUNCHED UP AND HUNG OVER WITH EYES CASTE DOWN TO THE RIGHT. HE LOOKS
MISERABLE. ALL THE BOYS ARE LOOKING AT HIM.) It
is a common experience that miserable people look miserable. They get into
typical postures. They tend to have eyes cast down and to the right. They
typically have muscles rather than bone and cartilage supporting the body
against gravity. Muscles under load, tire very quickly. Bones and cartilage
do not. This is why people in the posture of misery are also fatigued. Geoff
embodies all of these understandings visually as a visual therapeutic
metaphor. 'Stand like this and you'll soon feel awful!' (LES
IS BEHIND THE BENCH HELPING NORMA (GEOFF'S WIFE) MAKE THE BREAKFAST TOAST.
LES IS ALSO WATCHING AND LISTENING TO GEOFF AS WELL. GEOFF STANDS UP STRAIGHT
AND LOOKS TOWARDS LES.) 'AND
LES (PAUSE) THERE'S BEEN TIMES IN YOUR LIFE WHEN (PAUSE) YOU
HAVE BEEN (PAUSE) VERY SAD, RIGHT?' (GEOFF
KNOWS THAT LES' WIFE COMMITTED SUICIDE BY LYING IN FRONT OFF A TRAIN ON SAINT
VALENTINES DAY IN FEBRUARY 1992. LES IS CAUGHT UNAWARES BY GEOFF'S REMARK AND
SAYS WITH QUAVERING VOICE 'I SURE HAVE!') Geoff's
behaviour has a devastating effect on Les, and Geoff knows this. SECTION
B -91-
'AND
THINKING ABOUT THAT (PAUSE) UPSETS YOU NOW (PAUSE) DOESN'T IT, LES?' (GEOFF
IS VERY GENTLE AS HE SAYS THIS. LES, FACE HAS BECOME ASHEN. HIS BODY SHRINKS
AND HE NODS IN AGREEMENT.) Geoff
is fully present to Les and acknowledges Les' grief and supports Les at a
tonal level (Geoff is very gentle as he says this.) 'AND
(PAUSE) THERE HAS BEEN A TIME (PAUSE) THAT YOU CAN GO TO RIGHT NOW (PAUSE)
WHEN YOU FEEL REALLY GOOD (PAUSE) RIGHT? (PAUSE) AND YOU CAN (PAUSE) GO THERE
NOW (PAUSE) RIGHT?' Here
Geoff again uses:
conjunctions:
presuppositions:
generalisations:
embedded
commands:
switch
in time focus: HAS BEEN A TIME GO THERE NOW SECTION
B -92-
(LES'
FACE LIGHTS UP, HIS BODY LENGTHENS, HE TAKES A DEEP BREATH AND HIS WHOLE
DEMEANOUR CHANGES IMMEDIATELY AND LES SAYS THE FOLLOWING: 'YES!
MAKING TOAST FOR NORMA!' (GEOFF
POINTS TO LES' AND ADDRESSES THE BOYS. 'DID
YOU NOTICE HOW LES CHANGED THEN, FIRST HE WAS SAD AND THEN A MOMENT LATER HE
WAS HAPPY AGAIN.' Moments
before Geoff had deliberately moved his body into 'problematic physiology' -
being hunched up and hung over, etc. Les spontaneously shifted into much the
same posture of despair that Geoff had assumed. Moments later, Geoff has Les
switch from profound grief to pleasure in a few seconds. '...
AND (PAUSE) YOUR BRAIN CAN (PAUSE) DO THAT ANY TIME YOU WANT (PAUSE) AND
THAT'S MARVELOUS ISN'T IT.' Geoff
again uses conjunctions, presuppositions, and embedded commands SECTION
B TAPPING INTO THE PROCESS
-93-
Throughout
all time special people have been able to have profound capacities to reconnect
people to wholesomeness; to being whole, to being together with themselves
and being together with friends. And
these special people have always been somehow different, and it is this
'difference' that makes the difference. The few pages that we have just
shared gives us an introduction to this difference and these new knowings can
make a difference to us as well. The
youth at Petford Aboriginal Training Farm are profoundly changed during their
short stay. Most of Petford's youth arrive with problematic backgrounds,
including strife with the authorities, alcohol and substance abuse, and
possess little in the way of literacy, numeracy and vocational skills. Most
live with the presupposition that their life is worthless. After
a few months at Petford they are extremely focused about what they want from
life. The majority leave to take up jobs in the rural sector. In large part
this behaviour change is initiated during Geoff's morning sessions with the
Petford Youth. Geoff
works spontaneously and intuitively, and the therapy patterns are continually
interwoven into what he does. Geoff is a special person and has a unique way
of healing, and experience has shown that once the underlying healing
patterns a person is using are identified, others of the right heart and mind
can easily learn to follow that way. Further
information about Geoff's healing ways may be obtained at: SECTION
B -99-
THE ATSI THERAPY AND MEDIATION PRACTITIONER TRAINING
PROGRAM
DAY
1 7:00
AM - 9:00 AM Breakfast & Free Time 9:00
AM - 10:00 AM Introduction to Therapy Process - Initial analysis of 'Ringer'
video 10:00
AM - 10:30 AM Morning Tea 10:30
AM - 12:30 PM The Therapy Frame 12:30
PM - 2:00 PM Lunch & Free Time 2:00
PM - 3:30 PM Therapeutic Story Telling Pattern 3:30
PM - 4:00 PM Afternoon tea 4:00
PM - 5:00 PM Therapeutic Story Telling Patterns 5:00
PM - 7:30 PM Dinner & Free Time 7:30
PM - 9:00 PM Big Meeting SECTION
B -100-
THE ATSI THERAPY AND MEDIATION PRACTITIONER TRAINING
PROGRAM
DAY
2 7:00
AM - 9:00 AM Breakfast & Free Time 9:00
AM - 10:00 AM Modelling and identifying Therapy Processes 10:00
AM - 10:30 AM Morning Tea 10:30
AM - 12:30 PM Rapport Patterns 12:30
PM - 2:00 PM Lunch & Free Time 2:00
PM - 3:30 PM Rapport Patterns 3:30
PM - 4:00 PM Afternoon tea 4:00
PM - 5:00 PM Rapport Patterns 5:00
PM - 7:30 PM Dinner & Free Time 7:30
PM - 9:00 PM Big Meeting SECTION
B -101-
THE ATSI THERAPY AND MEDIATION PRACTITIONER TRAINING
PROGRAM
DAY
3 7:00
AM 9:00 AM Breakfast & Free Time 9:00
AM - 10:00 AM Modelling and Identifying Therapy Processes 10:00
AM - 10:30 AM Morning Tea 10:30
AM - 12:30 PM Therapy and Mediation Language Skills 12:30
PM - 2:00 PM Lunch & Free Time 2:00
PM - 3:30 PM Therapy and Mediation Language Skills 3:30
PM - 4:00 PM Afternoon tea 4:00
PM - 5:00 PM Therapeutic Language Skills 5:00
PM - 7:30 PM Dinner & Free Time 7:30
PM - 9:00 PM Big Meeting SECTION
B -102-
THE ATSI THERAPY AND MEDIATION PRACTITIONER TRAINING
PROGRAM
DAY
4 7:00
AM 9:00 AM Breakfast & Free Time 9:00
AM 10:00 AM Modelling and Identifying Therapy Processes 10:00
AM 10:30 AM Morning Tea 10:30
AM 12:30 PM Mind-body patterns 12:30
PM - 2:00 PM Lunch & Free Time 2:00
PM - 3:30 PM Mind-body patterns 3:30
PM - 4:00 PM Afternoon tea 4:00
PM - 5:00 PM Mind-body patterns 5:00
PM - 7:30 PM Dinner & Free Time 7:30
PM - 9:00 PM Big Meeting SECTION
B -103
THE ATSI THERAPY AND MEDIATION PRACTITIONER TRAINING
PROGRAM
DAY
5 7:00
AM - 9:00 AM Breakfast & Free Time 9:00
AM - 10:00 AM Modelling and Identifying Therapy Processes 10:00
AM - 10:30 AM Morning Tea 10:30
AM - 12:30 PM Time shift patterns 12:30
PM - 2:00 PM Lunch & Free Time 2:00
PM - 3:30 PM Time shift patterns 3:30
PM - 4:00 PM Afternoon tea 4:00
PM - 5:00 PM Time shift patterns 5:00
PM - 7:30 PM Dinner & Free Time 7:30
PM - 9:00 PM Big Meeting SECTION
B -104-
THE ATSI THERAPY AND MEDIATION PRACTITIONER TRAINING
PROGRAM
DAY
6 7:00
AM - 9:00 AM Breakfast & Free Time 9:00
AM - 10:00 AM Modelling and Identifying Therapy Processes 10:00
AM - 10:30 AM Morning Tea 10:30
AM - 12:30 PM Therapeutic mediation Processes 12:30
PM - 2:00 PM Lunch & Free Time 2:00
PM - 3:30 PM Therapeutic mediation Processes 3:30
PM - 4:00 PM Afternoon tea 4:00
PM - 5:00 PM Therapeutic mediation Processes 5:00
PM - 7:30 PM Dinner & Free Time 7:30
PM - 9:00 PM Big Meeting SECTION
B -105-
THE ATSI THERAPY AND MEDIATION PRACTITIONER TRAINING
PROGRAM
DAY
7 7:00
AM - 9:00 AM Breakfast & Free Time 9:00
AM - 10:00 AM Therapeutic mediation Processes 10:00
AM - 10:30 AM Morning Tea 10:30
AM - 12:30 PM Using multiple processes 12:30
PM - 2:00 PM Lunch & Free Time 2:00
PM - 3:30 PM Using multiple processes 3:30
PM - 4:00 PM Afternoon tea 4:00
PM - 5:00 PM Using multiple processes 5:00
PM - 7:30 PM Dinner & Free Time 7:30
PM - 9:00 PM Big Meeting SECTION
B -106-
THE ATSI THERAPY AND MEDIATION PRACTITIONER TRAINING
PROGRAM
DAY
8 7:00
AM - 9:00 AM Breakfast & Free Time 9:00
AM - 10:00 AM Using multiple processes 10:00
AM - 10:30 AM Morning Tea 10:30
AM - 12:30 PM Using multiple processes 12:30
PM - 2:00 PM Lunch & Free Time 2:00
PM - 3:30 PM Using multiple processes 3:30
PM - 4:00 PM Afternoon tea 4:00
PM - 5:00 PM Review and closing 5:00
PM - 9:00 PM Farewell Feast APPENDIX
A -107-
BIBLIOGRAPHY
AND RECOMMENDED READINGS
Blumer
E. Elementary Collective Behaviour In Lee A. M. (Ed) Principles of
Sociology New York: Barnes & Noble, 1955. Clark
A. W. & Walker R. N. The Continuing Influence of the Therapeutic
Community Concept in The International Journal of Therapeutic
Communities: 1984, 5, Pages 140-156. Clark
A. W. & Yeomans N. T. Fraser House - Theory, Practice and Evaluation
of a Therapeutic Community New York: Springer Publishing Company Inc.,
1969. Gordon
D. Therapeutic Metaphors. Cupertino, California: Meta Publications,
1978. International
Peace Research Newsletter
Vol. XXX (2), June 1992. Lankton
S. & Lankton C. The Answer Within New York: Brunner/Mazel, 1983. Lindsay
J. Ward 10B - The Deadly Witch-hunt Main Beach Queensland: Wileman
Publications, 1992. Manning
N. The Therapeutic Community Movement Chapter 5 London: Routledge and
Kegan Paul, 1989. O'Hanlon
W. H. Taproots New York: W. W. Norton & Co., 1987. Satir
V. Conjoint Family Therapy Palo Alto: Science and Behaviour Books,
1964. Satir
V. Helping Families Change Kansas: Hays - The High Plains
Comprehensive Community Health Centre, 1972. Satir
V. People Making Palo Alto: Science and Behaviour Books, 1972. Sherif
M. & Sherif C. An Outline of Social Psychology New York: Harper,
1956. Therapeutic
Communities - The International Journal for Therapeutic and Supporting
Organisations
Spring, 1992. (A
wider bibliography of
Laceweb related material.) APPENDIX
A -108-
PROJECT
TITLE ABORIGINAL AND TORRES STRAIT
ISLANDER THERAPEUTIC COMMUNITIES
PROJECT
AIMS AND OBJECTIVES
To
provide a forum for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders to explore setting
up, administering and conducting Therapeutic Communities to help people stop
alcohol and other substance abuse. NAME
OF THE GATHERING: The
Therapeutic Community Forum PROPOSED
DATES FOR THE FORUM
July
27 - 31 1992 FORUM
LOCATION
Cairns
District - Queensland The
eight members of the Australian Board of the Australian Therapeutic Community
Association have already agreed to attend the proposed forum. OTHER
SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES
NAME
OF THE ORGANISATION APPLYING FOR FUNDING The
Therapeutic Community Forum is a joint project of Boards of:
WHAT
IS THE LEGAL STATUS OF THE ORGANISATION? Petford
is administered under the Aboriginal Council Act. Clump
Mountain is administered under the Cooperative and Other Societies Act. Inma
Black Mountain is an unincorporated voluntary organisation. NAME
OF CONTACT OFFICER
Project
Coordinator: Les
Spencer CONTACT
OFFICER'S PHONE NUMBER
Tel:
(no longer a current number) PROJECT
DESCRIPTION
(INCLUDE
STAFFING, ACTIVITIES, BACKGROUND, NATIONAL APPLICABILITY AND DISSEMINATION,
RESOURCES TO BE DEVELOPED, EVALUATION PROCESS, STRATEGIES ETC.) BACKGROUND Both
in Australia and overseas therapeutic communities have demonstrated a
successful record in assisting people to stop alcohol and other substance
abuse and to move towards self empowerment. To
date there has been few Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander people
participate in these programs. Petford
Training Farm is unique in that it is a Therapeutic Community administered by
Aboriginals and catering mainly for Aboriginal people. Petford commenced in
1977 and for the first five years was self-funding. It is increasingly
becoming internationally recognised as a model for rehabilitation and
empowerment. APPENDIX
A -110-
WHO
WILL ATTEND THE GATHERING
It
is proposed that the following categories attend the gathering:
Proposed
attendance:
TOTAL
ATSI 42
These
ATCA board members are very experienced in all aspects of running therapeutic
communities. Appendix 1 lists the names of these people, their backgrounds,
and the type of work their therapeutic communities do. A central part of
their work is getting people to stop using drugs (alcohol and other dangerous
substances). APPENDIX
A -111-
These
eight people are willing to participate in this gathering and will be able to
share with us information on how they run their therapeutic communities as
well as information about how therapeutic communities operate in other
countries. They have expressed great interest in learning about our
experience and successes. Appendix
2 sets out three wordings used by ATCA and by Therapeutic Community
Associations throughout the world, namely:
Others
attending:
Neville Yeomans is the psychiatric
adviser to Petford and one of the first to set up a Therapeutic Community in
Australia - 'Fraser House' in NSW. Les Spencer is the Project Coordinator for
the proposed Forum - a behavioural Scientist and Sociologist who works
closely with Neville Yeomans, and helps train people to run therapeutic
communities. Les is also the liaison person and rapporteur for the Forum. Les
will take responsibility for writing and preparing the Forum Report and the
Therapeutic Community Resource Package
Keyline-Permaculture,
using low-cost gravity feed irrigation in arid areas, will be incorporated as
a combined self-sufficiency/therapeutic model for Aboriginal Therapeutic
Communities. NATIONAL
APPLICABILITY AND DISSEMINATION Therapeutic
Communities set up and administered by Aboriginal and Islander peoples have
national applicability. Information,
ideas and resources generated by the Forum will be made available nationally
(ideally via ATSIC through to regional bodies). APPENDIX
A -112-
We
are exploring Keyline-Permaculture. Keyline was developed by Dr. Neville
Yeoman's father and has been accepted and used throughout the world. In
simple terms it is a low-cost gravity fed irrigation and water-use process
that is ideal for low rainfall areas. It increases the water stored in the
top soil. The process produces a substantial increase in the quality of top
soil. When
Keyline is combined with Permaculture there is an ideal scope for communal
action in growing things. People learn valuable life and living skills in
communal action. Communal work plays a central role in the therapeutic life
of the community. It is possible for a Therapeutic Community to become
largely self-sufficient in food-stuff as well as providing the Therapeutic
Community with a potential source of income. In addition, participants can
gain formal qualifications and work skills in Keyline-Permaculture.
Keyline-Permaculture is equally adaptable to urban areas. ATCA MEMBERS ARE
VERY KEEN TO EXPLORE THE APPLICATION OF KEYLINE-PERMACULTURE TO THEIR OWN
COMMUNITIES. KEYLINE Ken
Yeoman has agreed to attend at Petford during the Forum and survey, design
and mark out with pegs a valley on the Petford property. We have teed up for
the youth and older clients staying at Petford in July to assist Ken in his
work during the week. Participants in the Forum would be briefed by Ken on
their arrival at Petford and would travel to the valley each evening to see
how the valley is being transformed. Petford staff and clients will carry out
the making of the channels and dams in the weeks that follow. APPENDIX
A -113-
PERMACULTURE Permaculture,
in simple terms, is using wisdom and knowledge about how plants interact with
one another and the total eco-system. It also includes a personal philosophy of
life and living in harmony with nature. As such it has a natural appeal to
Aboriginal and Islander people. Many Aboriginal and Islander communities have
adopted Keyline-Permaculture designs already. We
have invited Roshelle Patton an Aboriginal person who lives at the
Cummeragunja Village Project. Roshelle was trained in Permaculture by Robyn
Francis and Rosemary Morrow - two additional resource people we have also
invited (see below). Roshelle will give an Aboriginal perspective on living
within -community project based on Permaculture. Roshelle will be accompanied
by Jim Atkinson, a 17 year old Aboriginal youth who works with Roshelle and
can add an Aboriginal youth perspective. Roshelle and Jim are included in the
list of Aboriginal and Islander people attending. We
have extended an invitation to Rosemary Morrow, Robyn Francis and Colin
Edine, three non-Aboriginal people who are all leaders in the Permaculture
field. Each has worked with Aboriginal people in Permaculture consulting and
design. We
have confirmation of attendance from Colin Edine. Robin is very interested,
but may have prior commitments. We are still in the processes of linking up
with Rosemary. Because
of the profound respect for the land and all living things inherent in the
Keyline-Permaculture philosophy, it is anticipated that Keyline-Permaculture
based Therapeutic Communities would be readily accepted by Aboriginal and
Islander people. Between
Roshelle, Robyn, Rosemary and Colin (assuming they can attend) we can have
the Permaculture design set up for the Petford Valley during the week of the
Forum as well as have a constant presence of Permaculture experts at the
Forum group deliberations. APPENDIX
A -114-
We
believe that having these four Permaculture people well versed in this whole
initiative will have them well placed to provided ongoing relevant
contributions as action towards setting up Aboriginal and Islander
administered Therapeutic Communities unfolds in the months ahead. DR
NEVILLE YEOMANS
Dr.
Yeomans was the founder and first director of Fraser House, Australia's first
documented Therapeutic Community. Accommodation was 78 beds and 8 cots. This
unit accepted severely mentally ill people, balanced with an equal number of
criminals, delinquents, addicts and sexual deviants. He also accepted
Aboriginal and Islanders from all of NSW'S mental institutions. Fraser
House became the NSW Therapeutic Community Teaching Centre for the College of
Psychiatrists. Neville also taught a wide range of paramedical, community and
research workers. DR
YEOMANS WAS ALSO THE FOUNDING DIRECTOR OF THE NSW AND OF THE NATIONAL
FOUNDATION FOR RESEARCH AND TREATMENT OF ALCOHOLISM AND DRUG DEPENDENCY. BUDGET
DETAILS PROVIDE
FOR SALARY - ON-COSTS WHERE APPLICABLE E.G. PAYROLL TAX WORKERS COMPENSATION
INSURANCE AND SUPERANNUATION - INCLUDE STAFFING ADMINISTRATION, RESOURCE
DEVELOPMENT AND DISSEMINATION, TRAVEL, PRINTING, REPORT WRITING, SECRETARIAL
SUPPORT, EVALUATION, EQUIPMENT ETC. SALARIES No
salaried staff will be required for the project. Staffing will be provided
free of charge. ON-COSTS
WHERE APPLICABLE E.G. PAYROLL TAX WORKERS COMPENSATION INSURANCE AND
SUPERANNUATION
Not
applicable BUDGET
APPENDIX
A -116-
TRAVEL
APPENDIX
A -117-
NOTES: (i)
PROJECT ADMINISTRATION
Following
initial writing, the Forum Report will require endorsement by key attendees.
We anticipate that the final draft of the report will be available within two
weeks of the Forum. This may be ambitious - depending on how much material is
generated and the cooperation of the reviewing parties. However, every effort
will be made to stick to the two week deadline. (ii)
FOOD AND ACCOMMODATION
We
may be able to accommodate approximately thirty people for three days at
Petford in existing accommodation if it becomes available. This is yet to be
confirmed. This would lower the funding requirement to $15,300. A couple of
people are bringing there own camping gear. This will also lower the funding
requirement. Retrospective adjustments will be made to NCADA. (iii)
MISCELLANEOUS OUTGOINGS
A
Forum of this size will require amounts to be funded that are not foreseen.
However these amounts will apply to necessities and unused funds will be
returned to NCADA (iv)
BUS TRAVEL AND TRANSFERS
Based
on hiring two buses for the five days. This assumes that we can have everyone
arrive in Cairns at the same time and not have to overnight in Cairns
accommodation at the start and finish of the Forum. We believe that we can
avoid this if we give the airline people enough notice. We can negotiate this
further with the locals and may be able to have a retrospective adjustment
back to NCADA. (v)
AIR TRAVEL
It
is highly likely that we can obtain APEX fares. This would lower the funding
requirement to $16,892 or even lower if we get further discounts. Note that
the budget allows $2,600 for last minute inclusion of others in the Forum. We
are not currently seeking further attendees. However, ideal attendees may
come to our notice. A retrospective adjustment would be made to NCADA for
funds not used because of fare discounts and fare allocations not used. The
above retrospective adjustments are likely to lower the ultimate funding
requirement. A conservative estimate of the ultimate funding is $55,192, that
is:
APPENDIX
A -118-
ACCOMMODATION
AND TRAVEL
Our
original proposal page 4 (e) and (g) had provision for three
participant-observers attending the Forum - tentatively from ATSIC and NCADA.
We
understand that attendees from government bodies would need to seek funding
for accommodation and travel from their respective organisations.
Consequently funding for prospective government participant-observers have
been removed from our application. We
encourage people to attend from these groups as this would provide first hand
understandings and appreciations about the processes we are exploring and
evolving. With youth under 16 presenting within the focus of action, we
suggest that people from Community Services consider attending. There is
no fee for attending the forum. Given
a commitment to proceed, we would appreciate early advice of health
department people attending so as to arrange transfers, accommodation and
catering. We will approach atsic and other appropriate government bodies
about sending observers. We
have asked the Papua New Guinea delegation to seek funding from the
Australian High Commission. We understand that the head of mission has a
discretionary fund that may be used for special projects. All
other proposed attendees mentioned in our initial funding proposal are from
bodies that have tenuous funding arrangements. They are either from
non-profit organisations or are talented individuals in private practice who
have been invited to attend because of their uniquely relevant skills. The
nub of the matter is that none of these people would personally fund, or
could get funding from some employer group for travel and accommodation.
Without funding of these two items, the project will not proceed. All
the nominated participants are geared to attend on the days specified. Hours
of work has gone into teeing up the current arrangements. Seeking funding
from a number of sources would be tenuous in the extreme because of time
constraints. It would also be an administrative nightmare. ACCOMMODATION Accommodation
at Clump Mountain and Petford involves just the basics - camping in
three-person tents on air beds. Neither Clump nor Petford are in a financial
position to cover the cost of hiring the camping equipment and of catering. Because
of the forgoing we are seeking funding for both the travel and accommodation
from NCADA for the balance of the proposed participants. APPENDIX
A -119-
STAFFING Staff
for the forum will comprise the project management committee (listed below)
and local volunteers. ACTIVITIES
APPENDIX
A -120-
RESOURCES
TO BE DEVELOPED
Evolving
the comprehensive resource kit mentioned in G above. STRATEGIES Strategies
are:
EVALUATION
PROCESS Ongoing
evaluation of understandings and concepts during discussion and feedback
sessions. Longer
term:
APPENDIX
A -121-
TARGET
GROUPS Aboriginal
and Islander youth and adults nationally who are engaged in alcohol and other
substance abuse. EVALUATION
PROPOSAL
Evaluation
of the July Gathering This
Project is an exploratory exercise (refer Evaluation Process above). We look
forward to open and frank discussions during the gathering. Evaluation will
play a central role in group process and regular forum sessions will
concentrate on feedback and evaluation. The
project organisers will be seeking feedback and evaluation from each of the
participants at the end of the forum especially from ATCA members. Evaluation
of Therapeutic Communities set up by Aboriqinal and Islander Peoples Refer
Evaluation Process above. HAVE
ANY OTHER SOURCES OF FUNDING FOR THIS PROJECT BEING SOUGHT Y/N
IF
YES, FROM WHOM? AMOUNT?
Answer
No HAVE
ANY OTHER SOURCES OF FUNDING BEEN RECEIVED? Y/N IF
YES, FROM WHOM? AMOUNT
Answer
No IN
WHAT WAY IS THE PROJECT INNOVATIVE? This
will be the first time, to our knowledge, that our people have been briefed
on therapeutic communities. It will give our people opportunity to stay at
Petford, an Aboriginal and Islander run therapeutic community and experience
life within the community and also, to have first hand experience of the
Clump Mountain Youth Wilderness Program. HAS
THE PROJECT BEING STARTED? Y/N
IF
YES, WHEN DID IT START?
Yes
- in the sense that Petford has been operating since 1977. There
has been a mass of grass roots discussion and acceptance of the idea in
principle. A
second therapeutic community is already in course of forming in Kuranda (Inma
Black Mountain) and discussion about another one further South. BACKGROUND WHAT
GENERATED THE IDEA FOR THIS PROJECT? Many
intersecting forces Geoff
Guest's development of Petford Neville
Yeomans' pioneering work at Fraser House NSW. Also Neville’s work in
the 1970's in setting up mini therapeutic communities in Cairns and Mackay
with Aboriginal and Islander people. Local
Aboriginal and Islander youth workers wanting to get Inma Black Mountain
started. Discussions
at Clump Mountain ATCA's
policy of taking their Board to places expressing an interest in therapeutic
communities Les
Spencer and Neville Yeoman getting dialogue going between all the above
parties. APPENDIX
A -123-
WHAT
BENEFITS CAN BE EXPECTED FROM THE PROJECT FOR THE NATIONAL CAMPAIGN AGAINST
DRUG ABUSE? That
Therapeutic Communities be established throughout Australia which are
administered and run by Aboriginal and Islander people who have been fully
trained in running 'drug-free life' therapy programmes. That the training be
developed within existing Aboriginal and Islander administered therapeutic
communities to maximise acceptance of the programme by trainees and clients. WHAT
BENEFITS CAN BE EXPECTED FROM THE PROJECT FOR THE TARGET GROUP? Initially:
Subsequently:
That
a the following be available:
That
ATSIC and other appropriate funding bodies have a comprehensive and solidly
conceived and based Drug Abuse Resolution Process based on therapeutic
communities to consider funding. Wider
application of therapeutic communities in the future is in addressing issues
that can be precursors of drug abuse, namely that they be used to assist:
Also,
specific Aboriginal and Islander therapeutic communities could be developed
in the future such that:
APPENDIX
A -124-
TIMETABLE Five
day Forum in July
One
and a half days at Clump Mountain Half day travel to Petford Three days at
Petford Apart
from a small allocation to ensure trainers can travel to the October training,
follow up to the Forum is not part of this funding application. We believe
that sufficient momentum can be started such that other funding bodies will
support our initiatives. While we anticipate that funding of initiatives
flowing from the Forum can be forthcoming from other funding bodies we may
also approach NCADA. INDICATE
HOW THE PROJECT MIGHT BE CONDUCTED IN STAGES AND ESTIMATE THE TIME NEEEDED
FOR EACH STAGE.
This
application is for a one off forum. Petford, Clump Mountain and INMA Black Mountain
have their own momentum and will continue. A
draft of The Therapeutic Community Resource Kit would be available for
national distribution (such distribution ideally through the resources of
ATSIC) within 6 weeks of the Forum. The
first training course will be at Petford in mid October 1992. This is already
organised in principle and coincides with the world launch of the Year of
Indigenous Peoples. The Therapeutic Community Forum Management Committee,
with the support of ATCA members, design, conduct and evaluate this training
course. LITERATURE
REVIEW INDICATE
RELEVANT LITERATURE AND HOW IT BEARS ON THIS PROPOSAL All
of the literature relating to therapeutic communities. Specifically the book
Fraser House, by Dr Neville Yeomans, which has become a world model for
setting up therapeutic communities. ALSO
INDICATE WHAT HAS BEEN DONE REGARDS TO A LITERATURE REVIEW RELATING TO THIS
PROPOSAL.
A
large contingent of attendees are very well versed in the literature; in
fact, many have been pioneers in the area. APPENDIX
A -125-
DISSEMINATION We
believe that we will receive every support from ATSIC in disseminating
information and resources flowing from the Forum. We
have well established grass root channels for disseminating material in the
local area. PERSONNEL
EMPLOYED
All
Volunteers - although some costs will be incurred for administration and
secretarial - refer budget. NAME
OF PROJECT MANAGERS
RELEVANT
CURRICULUM VITAE OF PROJECT MANAGER Guest
has been director of Petford since it's inception in 1977. Has engaged in
youth counselling work for over 30 years and conducted life training based on
horses in Canada, Israel, New Zealand, India, South America and Africa. Ses
has many years experience as a youth Counsellor and has a number of years
experience as a therapeutic counsellor at Petford. Neville
Yeomans is a psychiatrist, with tertiary qualifications in Law, Sociology,
Psychology and Zoology. He introduced therapeutic communities into Australia
in the 1960's. currently adviser to Petford. Gerald
Appo is the manager coordinator of Clump Mountain Youth Wilderness Camp and
has had many years experience as a youth worker. Mareja
Bin Juda has many years experience as a youth worker and has been an activist
in getting healing communities and processes started for youth. She is the
head of the steering group for INMA Black Mountain Therapeutic Community. Les
Spencer is a Behavioural Scientist and Sociologist with many years experience
in individual, group and community therapy processes. He has worked closely
with Neville Yeomans for many years. APPENDIX
A -126-
REFEREES PLEASE
GIVE THE NAMES OF TWO REFEREES TO SUPPORT THE APPLICATION. Bill Wilson ATSIC Charlie Blatch
ATCA President APPLICANTS
NAME Therapeutic
Community Forum Management Committee Members:
Applicant
on behalf of the Management Committee - Les Spencer APPLICANTS
ADDRESS Les
Spencer APPLICANTS
SIGNATURE
Signed
by Les Spencer APPENDIX
A -127-
THE
PROJECT MEETS THE NCADA FUNDING GUIDELINES Our
project is short term with potential for national application. It
is a new project. The
Forum comprises elements of 'seminar' and 'workshop' and specifically relates
to 'areas covered by NCADA. The
project is fully 'compatible with the NCADA aims and strategy'. Therapeutic
Communities (TC) have an established record in the drug education and
rehabilitation field. ATCA members can learn from the Petford experience. The
Forum provides a golden opportunity to adapt the therapeutic community (TC)
model to Aboriginal and Islander peoples. With
1993 being the UN year of indigenous peoples, the world spotlight will
inevitably fall at some time on Australia's actions in this area. We can have
a model that we can share with the indigenous peoples of all nations. WHAT
NEW RESOURCES WILL BE PRODUCED? The
following NEW resources will be produced:
ARE
THESE RESOURCES NEEDED?
We
are confident that the TC model can be very effective in the Aboriginal and
Islander context. Each of the above resources are vital to achieve this end. DOES
IT FILL A GAP IN CURRENT DRUG EDUCATION RESOURCE MATERIAL? Yes!
Nothing like this currently exists. We believe that the TC model can develop
as the preferred option in lieu of jail sentences in many situations. TCs
provide an ideal option for the last months of a jail term. People can be
placed into a low-cost and effective rehabilitation program that far exceeds
what is generally available in jail contexts. APPENDIX
A -128-
IS
IT AN INNOVATIVE APPROACH TO PREVENTION THAT COULD BE TRIALED AND EVALUATED
IN A DEFINED REGION? Yes!
It is innovative. As far as we know, Petford is the only Aboriginal
administered TC currently existing and their staff look forward to learning
from ATCA members. Petford have plans to commence a second community on the
existing property based on Keyline-Permaculture. INMA Black Mountain and
another community south of Cairns are in course of starting up. Clump
Mountain is also extending. This gives five centres in a defined region that
can be trialled and evaluated. IS
IT A PROJECT USING THE SAME METHODOLOGY AS AN EXISTING ONE BUT FOR A
DIFFERENT TARGET GROUP SO THAT DIRECT COMPARISONS CAN BE MADE? Yes!
The TC model is well established and a number of these, via the ATCA Board
involvement in the project, will be intimately involved. Around the world the
TC model is typically adapted to meet the specific issues of the local
people. This will be a prime activity of all concerned. Direct comparisons
will be made with Australian and overseas experience. WHAT
IS THE FEASIBILITY OF OBTAINING AN OUTCOME MEASURE AND/OR AN INTERMEDIATE
EVALUATION?
Very
high. Resources and the training programme will be available for evaluation
in the short term. Obviously, these will evolve with experience. Client
outcomes will be available for evaluation in the months to come. IS
THE APPLICANT ORGANISATION AN APPROPRIATE ORGANISATION TO IMPLEMENT THE
PROJECT? With
respect, it is unlikely that any better could be found. We refer to the
respective CV's. That they all work in a defined area is ideal. WILL
INFORMATION AND EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES BE PRODUCED DURING THE PROJECT OR UPON
COMPLETION? Yes!
Each of the NCADA guideline items will be generated, namely:
APPENDIX
A -129-
WHAT
IS THE ONGOING VIABILITY OF THE PROJECT LIKELY TO BE AFTER THE NCADA FUNDS
HAVE BEEN EXPENDED? We
believe that the good work done within these therapeutic communities will be
easily demonstrated. They will address many issues that are crying out for
resolution. We believe that appropriate funding sources will be forthcoming,
not only to support the current activity, but to continually expand the TC
model. WHAT
PRIORITY SHOULD BE GIVEN TO THIS PROJECT GIVEN NCADA'S LIMITED RESOURCES? With
respect, a very high priority. We
are a community-based, non profit group proposing a low budget pilot project
that is very short term (five days), with specific follow-up that others, we
believe, will fund. The
project specifically targets the very groups identified by the 1985 Special
Ministerial Council on Drug Strategy as being in special need, namely:
WILL
ACCOUNTABILITY REQUIREMENTS BE MET? An
annual report, audited financial statements and programme reports will be
made available. WILL
THE GRANT MEET THE STANDARD CONDITIONS OF APPROVAL? Yes,
in respect of evaluation processes, setting up of a steering committee, and
the acknowledgement of NCADA funding in formal public statements and printed
material covering the project. DOES
THE PROJECT FOCUS ON NCADA'S MAJOR EMPHASIS, NAMELY REDUCING THE DEMAND FOR
DRUGS? Yes!
The project does this through a combination of education, treatment and
rehabilitation in a drug free environment within the local setting. Having
family involvement in the communities' life facilitates clients moving back
more easily into mainstream life. The project specifically covers both legal
and illegal drugs. The emphasis is on demand reduction. DOES
THE PROJECT HAVE PERMANENCY? Yes!
Petford has been going for 14 years. We believe these TC programs will be a
permanent feature of local communities. APPENDIX
A -130-
WILL
THE PROJECT TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THE PARTICULAR PROBLEMS ASSOCIATED WITH THE
TARGET POPULATION? Yes!
We believe that the project has all of the features necessary to address the
particular issues associated with drug use among Aboriginal and Islander
peoples, especially drug dependent prisoners. WILL
THE PROJECT LOWER THE PERCEIVED ATTRACTIVENESS OF DRUGS? Yes!
The TC model based on a drug free residential environment (although typically
rural) is ideal in influencing attitudes and worldviews. Healthy activity
within a community of peers, community development, the setting of life
goals, increasing self esteem and socially responsible behaviour is
fundamental to the TC model. For
all the preceding reasons, we, the members of the Project Management
Committee, recommend this Project for NCADA funding. APPENDIX
A -131-
SUMMARY
SHEET PROJECT
TITLE Aboriginal
and Torres Strait islander Therapeutic Communities NAME
OF ORGANISATION APPLYING FOR FUNDING The boards of
Petford Aboriginal Training Farm - Dimbulah, ADDRESS
OF ORGANISATION APPLYING FOR FUNDING Address
Given NAME
OF CONTACT OFFICER
Les
Spencer CONTACT
OFFICER'S PHONE
Tel:
03 4571 451 (no longer a current number) BRIEF
OUTLINE OF PROJECTS AIMS AND OBJECTIVE A
forum/workshop in the Cairns district (July 27 - 31 1992) for Aboriginal and
Torres Strait Islanders exploring setting up, administering and conducting
their own therapeutic communities to help their people stop alcohol and other
substance abuse. The board of ATCA and others skilled in therapeutic
community processes will attend. BRIEF
DESCRIPTION OF PROJECT
The
Forum will (i) provide a thorough briefing on all aspects of therapeutic
communities, (ii) develop resources that Aboriginal and Islander groups can
use in planning the setting up of a therapeutic community, (iii) develop a
competency based education program for Aboriginal and Islanders on how to run
effective therapeutic communities. The program will be based at an Aboriginal
administered Therapeutic Community, and (iv) prepare an Aboriginal and
Islander Therapeutic Community Evaluation Process. TARGET
GROUPS Both
male and female Aboriginal and Islander youth and adults nationally who are
engaged in, or likely to engage in, alcohol and other substance abuse. APPENDIX
A EVALUATION
PROCESS -132-
Evaluation
of the project by the board of ATCA with ongoing evaluating of understandings
and concepts during the Forum. Longer
term - the development of an appropriate Aboriginal and Islander Therapeutic
Community Evaluation Process with exploration of ‘self-evaluation'
proposals combined with using the resources of ATCA and other appropriate
bodies. TIMETABLE PLANNING June 23 1992 FORUM July 27 - 31 1992 FORUM
REPORT
within four weeks RESOURCES within six weeks TRAINING October 12 - 22 1992 APPENDIX
A -133-
On
this page in the Report was a statement of purposes for the Australian
Therapeutic Communities Association APPENDIX
A -134-
On
this page in the Report was the names and addresses of ATCA Board members
1991/92 APPENDIX
A -135-
On
this page in the Report was names and addresses of ATCA groups. APPENDIX
A -136
to 137- On
this page in the Report was an ATCA definition of Therapeutic Community, a
Bill of Rights for members and clients and a Staff and volunteer code of
ethics. APPENDIX
A -138-
THE
FOLLOWING MATERIAL WAS FORWARDED TO NCADA TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL IMFORMATION ABOUT
THE PROPOSED FORUM
ADDITION
MATERIAL APPENDIX A -139-
FURTHER
INFORMATION ABOUT PARTICIPANTS TO SUPPORT THIS REQUEST: THE
BOARD OF ATCA
Board
members from ATCA belong to non profit organisations that rely on funding
from various sources. They are donating their time free. WITHOUT
THE FUNDING OF TRAVEL AND ACCOMMODATION THEY WOULD BE UNABLE TO ATTEND. They
have a vital contribution to make in respect of every aspect of therapeutic
communities, including setting up, funding, administration, program design,
trainer/facilitator-training design and implementation, as well as appraisal
and evaluation. ROB
CRITENDON
Rob
is the Director of Appraisals and Evaluation for The Australian Council for
Overseas Aid (ACOA). As you're probably aware, this organisation is partly
funded by AIDAB and partly from fees received. Rob has been invited because
appraisal and evaluation of this project by appropriate people is vital.
Rob's background is ideal. HE
HAS AGREED TO PARTICIPATE ON THE CONDITION THAT NEITHER HE NOR THIS
ORGANISATION INCUR OUTLAY FOR TRAVEL, FOOD OR ACCOMMODATION. Typically,
his fees are $180 a day. We understand that the funding for his fees would
ensure that he can obtain approval to attend. IF
THE ACOA DO NOT RECEIVE A FEE FOR HIS ATTENDANCE,HIS PARTICIPATION WOULD BE
PROBLEMATICAL.
Consequently,
we have included his fees in our funding request under our miscellaneous
expenses category. KEYLINE-PERMACULTURE Given
that people typically move into a Therapeutic Community for a number of
months, how they spend their time is a central issue. Petford
is based in large part around horses and the cattle industry. This is not
going to be universally applicable. APPENDIX
A -140-
We
are exploring Keyline-Permaculture. The appendix to these notes contains
details. Keyline was developed by Dr Neville Yeoman's father and has been
accepted and used throughout the world. In simple terms it is a low-cost
gravity fed irrigation and water use process that is ideal for low rainfall
areas. It increases the water stored in the top soil. The process produces a
substantial increase in the quality of top soil. When
Keyline is combined with Permaculture there is an ideal scope for communal
action in growing things. People learn valuable life and living skills in
communal action. It is possible for a Therapeutic Community to become largely
self-sufficient in food-stuff as well as providing the Therapeutic Community
with a potential source of income. In addition, participants can gain formal
qualifications and work skills in Keyline-Permaculture. Keyline-Permaculture
is equally adaptable to urban areas. ATCA Members are very keen to explore
the application of Keyline-Permaculture to their own Communities. KEYLINE Ken
Yeoman has agreed to attend at Petford during the Forum and survey, design
and mark out with pegs a valley on the Petford property. We have teed up for
the youth and older clients staying at Petford in July to assist Ken in his
work during the week. Participants in the Forum would be briefed by Ken on
their arrival at Petford and would travel to the valley each evening to see
how the valley is being transformed. Petford staff and clients will carry out
the making of the channels and dams in the weeks that follow. Ken
has asked for his travel, food and accommodation to be provided. As well, his
fee for speaking at the forum and for the design and the provision of
information for inclusion in our resource material is $1,500. We seek funding
for this. PERMACULTURE Permaculture,
in simple terms, is using wisdom and knowledge about how plants interact with
one another and the total eco-system. It also includes a personal philosophy
of life and living in harmony with nature. As such it has a natural appeal to
Aboriginal and Islander people. Many Aboriginal and Islander communities have
adopted Keyline-Permaculture designs already. We
have invited Robyn Francis, an Australian with an international reputation.
Her CV is attached. Robyn
has been invited to address international gatherings on Permaculture. She has
designed and run courses in tertiary institutions in many countries including
West Germany, USA, India and New Zealand. She has also been asked to design
and implement farm designs, to design gardens and edible landscapes, to
design the landscaping of city approaches, as well as crop diversification
and organic production systems. APPENDIX
A -141-
Robyn
has worked extensively with Aboriginal groups including the Cummeragunja
Village Project in Echuca for the NSW Department of Housing. This project
included village layout, concept plan and landscape, farm production,
conservation plantings and home garden design. We
have also invited Roshelle Patton an Aboriginal person who lives at the
Cummeragunja Village Project. Roshelle was trained in Permaculture by Robyn
Francis and a Rosemary Morrow, another resource person we have invited.
Roshelle will give an Aboriginal perspective on living within a community
project based on Permaculture. Roshelle will be accompanied by Jim Atkinson,
a 17 year old Aboriginal youth who works with Roshelle. He will give an
Aboriginal youth perspective. Roshelle and Jim are included in the list of
Aboriginal and Islander people attending. Roshelle
and Jim seek no fee for their contributions but would need funding for
travel, accommodation and food. Because
of the profound respect for the land and all living things inherent in the
Keyline-Permaculture philosophy, it anticipated that Keyline-Permaculture
based Therapeutic Communities would be readily accepted by Aboriginal and
Islander people. Roshelle
speaks very highly of Rosemary Morrow as a person who works very well using
'learning by doing' to have Aboriginal and Islander peoples picking up the
Permaculture skills quickly. Colin
Edine is another Permaculture consultant invited. There is a possibility that
Robyn Francis may not be able to attend. Colin is a leading trainer in
Permaculture in Australia and has worked in introducing Permaculture to
Aborigines for over seven years. Between Robyn, Rosemary and Colin we can
have the Permaculture design set up for the Petford Valley during the week of
the Forum and have a constant presence of a Permaculture expert at the Forum
group deliberations. Robyn,
Rosemary and Colin asked for their travel, food and accommodation to be
provided. As well, their respective fees for speaking at the forum, for work
on the designing and planning of the Permaculture project and the provision
of information for inclusion in our resource material is $1,500. Because
Robyn's attendance is very doubtful we have included her airfare and
accommodation in the budget and will use our miscellaneous fund to pay for
her fees if she can make it. We
believe that having three of Australia's top Permaculture people well versed
in this whole initiative will have them well placed to provide ongoing
relevant contributions as action in this area unfolds in the months ahead. APPENDIX
A DR
NEVILLE YEOMANS
-142-
Dr.
Yeomans lives locally in Cairns and will not require funding for travel. He
will not require a fee.
Dr.
Yeomans was the founder and first director of Fraser House, Australia's first
documented Therapeutic Community. Accommodation was 78 beds and 8 cots. This
unit accepted severely mentally ill people, balanced with an equal number of
criminals, delinquents, addicts and sexual deviants. He also accepted
Aboriginal and Islanders from all of NSW'S mental institutions. Fraser
House became the NSW Therapeutic Community Teaching Centre for the College of
Psychiatrists. Neville also taught a wide range of paramedical, community and
research workers. Dr.
Yeomans was also the founding director of the NSW and of the National
Foundation for Research and Treatment of Alcoholism and Drug Dependency. 10
July 1992 PRELIMINARY MEETING We
note that it is not NCADA'S normal practice to fund planning meetings. We
do not see the lO July meeting as a traditional planning meeting at all. We
continue to seek funding for Les Spencer to travel to and from Cairns for a
preliminary briefing meeting on 10 July in addition to the forum. This is
allowed for in our current budget. NO
OTHER FUNDING IS SOUGHT FOR THIS PRELIMINARY MEETING. A
crucial part of this 10 July gathering is to get a preliminary overview of
the issues involved from the boards of Petford, Clump, INMA Black Mountain
and a few selected attendees including Dr Neville Yeomans. ATCA people have
asked that they receive a thorough briefing about these issues so that they
can prepare themselves and bring appropriate information. As
well, the Keyline Permaculture people have asked for specific action and
discussion to take place, and for them to be thoroughly briefed. They in turn
want to have a telephone link up after receiving this briefing and knowing
certain bits of information has been obtained. AS
COORDINATOR OF ALL OF THE PARTICIPANTS IT IS VITAL THAT LES SPENCER
PARTICIPATES IN THIS 10 JULY BRIEFING SESSION. (As
well as the forgoing, with 60 people turning up in the middle of the
rainforest and later at out in the dryer Cape territory of Petford, I - Les
Spencer - as Forum organiser, would feel a lot more comfortable, if I have
physically been up to the two sites and confirmed that 'everything will flow
smoothly'.) APPENDIX
A -143-
A
Letter from Hon Peter Staples to Les Spencer. Minister
for Aged, Family and Health Services Parliament House 26
June 1992 Mr
L Spencer Dear
Mr Spencer Thank
you for your application for funding under the national education component
of the National Campaign Against Drug Abuse (NCADA) for the Aboriginal and
Torres Strait Islander (ATSI) Therapeutic Community Forum. I
am pleased to advise you that I have approved a grant of $67,244 for the
purposes of running the ATSI Therapeutic Community Forum and producing a
resource kit using the information obtained at that forum. Attached
are the approved budget for this project and the Conditions of Grant under
the NCADA. Could you please forward your acceptance of these conditions as
detailed and arrangements will then be made for forwarding payment of the
grant. If
you have any enquiries in relation to this grant please contact Anna Farnham
on (06) 289 8310. Yours
sincerely Peter
Staples APPENDIX
A -144
to 150- NATIONAL
CAMPAIGN AGAINST DRUG ABUSE ( NCADA) STANDARD
CONDITIONS OF GRANT INTERPRETATION The
standard Conditions were included here. APPENDIX
A -151-
APPROVED
BUDGET
APPENDIX
A -153-
Excerpts
from the book Fraser House - Theory, Practice and Evaluation of a
Therapeutic Community by Alfred Clark and Neville Yeomans, 1969. The
forward and material from pages 53 to 100 were included. This material
encapsulated the processes used at Fraser House. |
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