The Implementation Plan Advisory Group (IPAG) My Life My Lead consultations 2017 provided an opportunity for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities and leaders, government and the non-government and private sector to help shape the next Implementation Plan for the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Plan 2013-2023. The learnings from the consultations are summarised in My Life My Lead - Opportunities for strengthening approaches to the social determinants and cultural determinants of Indigenous...read more
This paper aimed to highlight the systemic and theoretical barriers for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who have been bereaved by suicide. Incorporating the lived experiences of two advocates, Leilani Darwin and Julie Turner, and professional experiences of Matthew Trindall and Laura Ross, the paper explores the importance of including Aboriginal lived experiences in programs for Indigenous suicide prevention. Informed equally by an analysis of the lived experience and suicide prevention literature and the...read more
The gap between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and non-Indigenous health, education, mental health, and social and emotional wellbeing remains a major concern. Bridging these gaps and working in culturally safe and responsive ways with people of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander descent presents considerable challenges, including for the discipline and profession of psychology. At the Australian Psychological Society's (APS) inaugural congress in September 2016, the APS issued an Apology to Aboriginal and Torres Strait...read more
Background In the context of the Australian Psychological Society's formal apology and the increasing awareness of the need to develop interventions that improve the social and emotional wellbeing of clients who identify from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultural backgrounds, this article considers the clinical psychology case conceptualisation. The primary aim of any case conceptualisation is to inform intervention and, in the initial stages of treatment, is considered important in helping the psychologists to develop...read more
An array of cumulative risk and stress factors, and social inequities, have contributed to high suicides and family and community dysfunction, in two communities in Queensland. An independent, post-program evaluation of the National Empowerment Project (NEP) Cultural, Social and Emotional Wellbeing (CSEWB) Program specifically developed to address these issues was conducted in Kuranda and Cherbourg communities, Queensland in early 2017. Summaries of 153 stories of most significant change (SMSC) and 30 interviews undertaken with participants...read more
This paper summarises key findings from the six community regional Roundtables that were undertaken as part of the Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Suicide Prevention Evaluation Project. The six community regional Roundtables were held in different locations across the country. Common themes emerging included the need for self-determination and local leadership, the need to consider the social determinants of health, the need to address trauma, the role and impact of incarceration and justice issues...read more
Our submission draws greatly on the work of AIPEP and in particular the AIPEP Curriculum Framework and AIPEP Workforce Capabilities Framework (to be published at www.IndigenousPsychEd.org.au in September 2016). APAC was represented on the AIPEP National Reference Committee and at a meeting on Leadership in Indigenous Mental Health held in February 2016. As a result APAC have been involved in the development of the AIPEP Frameworks and has become signatory to the AIPEP Statement of...read more
This community profile report provides information about the Aboriginal population of the Illawarra Region. It is intended to begin a discussion about how research can contribute to the social health and wellbeing of Aboriginal people. The report highlights disparities between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians that are apparent not only in the health statistics but also in almost every key socioeconomic indicator. However the report is not just about ill-health and disadvantage. The Illawarra region has...read more
The full potential for research to improve Aboriginal health has not yet been realised. This paper describes an established long-term action partnership between Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services (ACCHSs), the Aboriginal Health and Medical Research Council of New South Wales (AH&MRC), researchers and the Sax Institute, which is committed to using high-quality data to bring about health improvements through better services, policies and programs. The ACCHSs, in particular, have ensured that the driving purpose of...read more
Background: Effectively addressing health disparities between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal Australians is long overdue. Health services engaging Aboriginal communities in designing and delivering healthcare is one way to tackle the issue. This paper presents findings from evaluating a unique strategy of community engagement between local Aboriginal people and health providers across five districts in Perth, Western Australia. Local Aboriginal community members formed District Aboriginal Health Action Groups (DAHAGs) to collaborate with health providers in designing culturally-responsive...read more
