Get Real: Talking mental health & disability

The team at ermha365
  • 4.9 (13)
  • MENTAL HEALTH
  • UPDATED MONTHLY

Get Real presents frank and fearless conversations about mental health and disability, including people with lived experience, frontline workers in the sector, as well as policymakers and advocates. Get Real is produced and hosted by Emily Webb and co-hosted by Karenza Louis-Smith on behalf of ermha365 Complex Mental Health and Disability Services provider (https://www.ermha.org/). 

  1. NDIS Changes Part 2: Self care amid the uncertainty

    4 DAYS AGO

    NDIS Changes Part 2: Self care amid the uncertainty

    Send us Fan Mail This is part 2 of our episodes on the changes to the NDIS. In this episode we talk about self-care amid this time of uncertainty – for people who access the NDIS, their families and also those who work in the sector.  Sharing his thoughts is Shane Clifton, an Associate Professor at the University of Sydney and Director of Centre for Disability Research and Policy. Shane is also an NDIS participant – he lives with spinal cord injury – and he is a board member of The Disability Trust.  You'll also hear from Evelyn Ireland - a psychologist, a behaviour support practitioner and general manager of The Disability Trust’s Clinical Services. If you haven’t already, go to Part 1 which is a conversation with National Disability Services (NDS) CEO Michael Perusco. MORE INFO Information on the proposed reforms to the NDIS (Australian Government) NDS's Wellbeing Program for NDIS Support Workers The NDIS belongs to us. We fought for it. We sustain it. We’ll protect it. (PWDA). ermha365 provides mental health and disability support for people in Victoria and the Northern Territory. Find out more about our services at our website. Helplines (Australia): Lifeline  13 11 14 QLIFE 1800 184 527 13 YARN 13 92 76 Suicide Callback Service 1300 659 467 ermha365 acknowledges that our work in the community takes place on the Traditional Lands of many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples and therefore respectfully recognise their Elders, past and present, and the ongoing Custodianship of the Land and Water by all Members of these Communities. We recognise people with lived experience who contribute to GET REAL podcast, and those who love, support and care for them. We recognise their strength, courage and unique perspective as a vital contribution so that we can learn, grow and achieve better outcomes together.

    23 min
  2. NDIS Changes Part 1 with National Disability Services CEO Michael Perusco

    5 DAYS AGO

    NDIS Changes Part 1 with National Disability Services CEO Michael Perusco

    Send us Fan Mail The NDIS will be undergoing signifcant reform. The Disability Trust Group CEO Karenza Louis-Smith speaks with National Disability Services CEO Michael Perusco to unpack the newly announced NDIS reforms -  what is clear right now, what is still unknown, and how these changes could reshape eligibility, plans, and supports outside the scheme. More info: Information on the proposed reforms to the NDIS (Australian Government) National Disability Services (NDS)  How will the changes to the NDIS affect me? Five key takeaways from the government's planned overhaul (ABC News, 22 April 2026) ermha365 provides mental health and disability support for people in Victoria and the Northern Territory. Find out more about our services at our website. Helplines (Australia): Lifeline  13 11 14 QLIFE 1800 184 527 13 YARN 13 92 76 Suicide Callback Service 1300 659 467 ermha365 acknowledges that our work in the community takes place on the Traditional Lands of many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples and therefore respectfully recognise their Elders, past and present, and the ongoing Custodianship of the Land and Water by all Members of these Communities. We recognise people with lived experience who contribute to GET REAL podcast, and those who love, support and care for them. We recognise their strength, courage and unique perspective as a vital contribution so that we can learn, grow and achieve better outcomes together.

    42 min
  3. Elevating complex needs lived experience with Maggie Toko AM

    2 APR

    Elevating complex needs lived experience with Maggie Toko AM

    Send us Fan Mail Maggie Toko has spent decades raising the voice of those who live with mental heath issues and emotional distress, using her own living experience of mental illness and professional work in homelessness, sexual assault, and youth services. At the time of recording this chat with Maggie at the Complex Needs Conference in 2025, she was the consumer commissioner for the Victorian Government's Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission. Now, she is the Chair Commissioner.   The Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission is an independent statutory authority that holds government to account for the performance, quality and safety of Victoria’s mental health and wellbeing system. The Commission operates under the Mental Health and Wellbeing Act 2022. New Zealand-born Maggie, who is of Ngāpuhi – Ngāti Whātua descent, was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) earlier this year for her significant service to mental health governance and awareness. We mention Voices Vic in this episode. Hear our conversation with Voices Vic here. ermha365 provides mental health and disability support for people in Victoria and the Northern Territory. Find out more about our services at our website. Helplines (Australia): Lifeline  13 11 14 QLIFE 1800 184 527 13 YARN 13 92 76 Suicide Callback Service 1300 659 467 ermha365 acknowledges that our work in the community takes place on the Traditional Lands of many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples and therefore respectfully recognise their Elders, past and present, and the ongoing Custodianship of the Land and Water by all Members of these Communities. We recognise people with lived experience who contribute to GET REAL podcast, and those who love, support and care for them. We recognise their strength, courage and unique perspective as a vital contribution so that we can learn, grow and achieve better outcomes together.

    21 min
  4. Promoting enabling environments in custodial settings

    5 MAR

    Promoting enabling environments in custodial settings

    Send us Fan Mail Chelsea Troutman is a Board-Certified Behaviour Analyst and Clinical Supervisor, and Director of a Behaviour Support Practice Elements ABC. Chelsea has extensive experience working within Government and Community Service Sectors with expertise in disability services, children and family services, out of home care, and forensic disability.  She presented at the Complex Needs Conference last year on the topic Promoting 'enabling environments' in restrictive settings to progress treatment and meaningful outcomes for all.   Enabling environments are defined as "places where good relationships are upheld and facilitate well-being for all participants, staff and service users alike, and where new ways of relating can be learned through mutual respect and recognition, nurturing a sense of belonging".  Karenza Louis-Smith spoke with Chelsea after the presentation and the pair spoke more about this, particularly in the context of custodial settings, like prisons and youth justice centres - and why it is so important. More info: Hear from Chelsea about Elements ABC's approachenabling environments (ee) resources Royal College of Psychiatrists (UK) Architectures of Harm or Architectures of Hope? - The effects of carceral space on the wellbeing of prisoners  ermha365 provides mental health and disability support for people in Victoria and the Northern Territory. Find out more about our services at our website. Helplines (Australia): Lifeline  13 11 14 QLIFE 1800 184 527 13 YARN 13 92 76 Suicide Callback Service 1300 659 467 ermha365 acknowledges that our work in the community takes place on the Traditional Lands of many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples and therefore respectfully recognise their Elders, past and present, and the ongoing Custodianship of the Land and Water by all Members of these Communities. We recognise people with lived experience who contribute to GET REAL podcast, and those who love, support and care for them. We recognise their strength, courage and unique perspective as a vital contribution so that we can learn, grow and achieve better outcomes together.

    26 min
  5. Safety for Support Workers: Part 1

    12 FEB

    Safety for Support Workers: Part 1

    Send us Fan Mail OVA is a matter for everyone to understand and report but in particular for frontline support workers who work with NDIS participants and provide mental health support in community programs. Awareness of, education about and the importance of reporting Occupational Violence and Aggression (OVA) has been a concerted focus for ermha365. Our work on OVA reduction was recognised in a big way in October 2025 at the Australian Workplace Health and Safety Awards with our OVA taskforce named Team of the Year. Our guest for this episode is Clare Hutton, ermha365's Manager Work, Health and safety and Emergency response to explain more about what we've been doing about OVA and why.  More info: Incident-reporting education critical to WHS outcomes (OHS Alert, 2 December, 2025 and republished by ermha365 with permission.) Workplace violence and aggression - why training is crucial (Podcast episode) Australian Work Health and Safety Award Winners 2025  ermha365 provides mental health and disability support for people in Victoria and the Northern Territory. Find out more about our services at our website. Helplines (Australia): Lifeline  13 11 14 QLIFE 1800 184 527 13 YARN 13 92 76 Suicide Callback Service 1300 659 467 ermha365 acknowledges that our work in the community takes place on the Traditional Lands of many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples and therefore respectfully recognise their Elders, past and present, and the ongoing Custodianship of the Land and Water by all Members of these Communities. We recognise people with lived experience who contribute to GET REAL podcast, and those who love, support and care for them. We recognise their strength, courage and unique perspective as a vital contribution so that we can learn, grow and achieve better outcomes together.

    45 min
  6. The Aussie Psychologist who ended up running a New Orleans Prison

    03/11/2025

    The Aussie Psychologist who ended up running a New Orleans Prison

    Send us Fan Mail Dr Astrid Birgden is a consultant Forensic/Clinical Psychologist and NDIS Behaviour Support Specialist who has years of experience working in corrections and disability settings.  Astrid's career is quite extraordinary. She is a trailblazer in behaviour intervention support in Australia and worked overseas on international projects. She has even been an assistant sheriff/warden of a remand centre in New Orleans. We caught up with Astrid at the Complex Needs Conference in March 2025 where she was part of a panel discussion on Integrating mental health, disability, and human rights for comprehensive support. ermha365 provides mental health and disability support for people in Victoria and the Northern Territory. Find out more about our services at our website. Helplines (Australia): Lifeline  13 11 14 QLIFE 1800 184 527 13 YARN 13 92 76 Suicide Callback Service 1300 659 467 ermha365 acknowledges that our work in the community takes place on the Traditional Lands of many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples and therefore respectfully recognise their Elders, past and present, and the ongoing Custodianship of the Land and Water by all Members of these Communities. We recognise people with lived experience who contribute to GET REAL podcast, and those who love, support and care for them. We recognise their strength, courage and unique perspective as a vital contribution so that we can learn, grow and achieve better outcomes together.

    29 min
  7. Hearing Voices: support for voice hearers

    18/09/2025

    Hearing Voices: support for voice hearers

    Send us Fan Mail Hearing voices is often assumed to be a symptom of a mental health condition. However this is not always the case and up to 1 in 10 people hear voices, making it not an uncommon human experience.  The Voices Vic program is led by peers with lived and living experience in hearing voices, seeing visions or having other sensory experiences. This program offers recovery groups, mentoring and support across Victoria. Our guests for this episode are Janet Karagounis, Senior Peer Mentor and Tali Brash, AOD & Mental Health, Lived & Living Experience for Uniting Vic Tas. We spoke at the Complex needs conference in March 2025 after they gave a presentation "Overcoming barriers and simplifying support for people who hear voices and experience unusual sensory events". More info (not an exhaustive list): Voices Vic support for hearing voices  The Voices Clinic (Swinburne University) Hearing Voices (QLD) Hearing Voices Network (WA) Hearing Voices Community Group (Darwin, NT) Voices and Visions peer support group (Sunshine Coast, Qld) Hearing Voices Network (UK)  ermha365 provides mental health and disability support for people in Victoria and the Northern Territory. Find out more about our services at our website. Helplines (Australia): Lifeline  13 11 14 QLIFE 1800 184 527 13 YARN 13 92 76 Suicide Callback Service 1300 659 467 ermha365 acknowledges that our work in the community takes place on the Traditional Lands of many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples and therefore respectfully recognise their Elders, past and present, and the ongoing Custodianship of the Land and Water by all Members of these Communities. We recognise people with lived experience who contribute to GET REAL podcast, and those who love, support and care for them. We recognise their strength, courage and unique perspective as a vital contribution so that we can learn, grow and achieve better outcomes together.

    27 min
  8. Forensic Disability Services with Dr Matt Frize

    27/08/2025

    Forensic Disability Services with Dr Matt Frize

    Send us Fan Mail Our guest for this episode is Dr Matt Frize, Director of Forensic Disability Services, which sits within The Victorian State Government's Department of Families, Fairness and Housing (DFFH). Co-host Karenza Louis-Smith and I were lucky to catch some time with Matt at the Complex Needs Conference earlier this year. The sold out conference was co-hosted by ermha365 and ACSO Australia and funded by the Department of Families, Fairness and Housing. We talk to Matt, a senior specialist psychologist, about how Forensic Disability Services addresses the needs of people with a cognitive impairment who come into contact with the criminal justice system in Victoria. In this episode Matt mentions the ARMIDILO-S Assessment - the Assessment of Risk and manageability of Individuals with Developmental and Intellectual Limitations who Offend. More info at armidilo.net ermha365 provides mental health and disability support for people in Victoria and the Northern Territory. Find out more about our services at our website. Helplines (Australia): Lifeline  13 11 14 QLIFE 1800 184 527 13 YARN 13 92 76 Suicide Callback Service 1300 659 467 ermha365 acknowledges that our work in the community takes place on the Traditional Lands of many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples and therefore respectfully recognise their Elders, past and present, and the ongoing Custodianship of the Land and Water by all Members of these Communities. We recognise people with lived experience who contribute to GET REAL podcast, and those who love, support and care for them. We recognise their strength, courage and unique perspective as a vital contribution so that we can learn, grow and achieve better outcomes together.

    24 min
See All (123)

4.9
out of 5
13 Ratings

About

Get Real presents frank and fearless conversations about mental health and disability, including people with lived experience, frontline workers in the sector, as well as policymakers and advocates. Get Real is produced and hosted by Emily Webb and co-hosted by Karenza Louis-Smith on behalf of ermha365 Complex Mental Health and Disability Services provider (https://www.ermha.org/). 

Information