Clinicians & Front-line Workers
Resources for Clinicians & Front-line Workforces
Clinicians, including psychologists, psychiatrists, emergency medicine specialists, GPs and nurses, have important roles to play in supporting the mental health and social and emotional wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, and in preventing suicide.
Other front-line workers who provide services to Indigenous people can also make essential contributions. Social workers, youth workers, and any staff who support community programs and services, need to understand how Indigenous people may exhibit distress and how to respond to individuals, families and whole communities.
For some professionals, supporting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people’s mental health and social and emotional wellbeing will be part of their education, training and supervision. For many others, their development in these domains will occur in the workplace, with limited formal oversight.
All workforces need to understand how to work with Indigenous people in a culturally responsive and safe way that supports positive and trusting relationships.
This section of the Manual includes resources that apply in all these situations.
Resources
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This toolkit, designed to support the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander alcohol and other drugs workforce, may also be valuable for mainstream workers supporting Indigenous clients with AOD and social and emotional wellbeing issues. It addresses issues including: Heavy work demands Defining roles and boundaries Role stigmatisation Translating mainstream work practices to ensure they are culturally sensitive A lack of cultural understanding and support Geographical isolation. The toolkit comprises workbooks, case studies and a discussion guide as well a collection of fact sheets for supervisors to support their teams: The complex personal lives of Indigenous AOD workers Indigenous ways of working Rewarding workers Mentoring Recruiting and retaining workers Clinical supervision Developing teams. And fact sheets for workers to prevent stress and burnout: Worker wellbeing – A Guide For Workers Mentoring – A Guide For Workers Clinical Supervision – A Guide For Workers Goal setting – A Guide For Workers. Source: NCETA
This resources describes how past traumas can have a lasting effect on the lives of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, including new generations. Source: Trauma & Grief Network
This fact sheet aims to provide a basic understanding of psychotic illnesses, recognising what it looks and feels like, and offering coping strategies within our different cultural contexts. Source: 13YARN
A series of resources that adapt the Mental Health First Aid guidelines for Aboriginal and Torres Strait islander people, including guidelines on: Depression Psychosis suicidal thoughts, behaviour and self-harm trauma and loss alcohol and drug use culturally appropriate communication Source: Mental Health First Aid
The toolkit was intended for use to support suicide prevention and postvention responses in schools. It includes fact sheets to help teachers respond to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students, that may also be valuable to other service providers: Grief: how Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people might respond to suicide Remembering a young person: memorials and important events in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities Suicide in schools: information for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families Self-care for school staff working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people in remote areas Suicide contagion for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people Source: beyondblue
This short resource can help people think through their alcohol and drug use and find help if they need it. Source: Menzies School of Health Research Aboriginal and Islander Mental Health Initiative (AimHi)
Short video describing the concept of social and emotional wellbeing. Source: KidsMatter
This clinical protocol aims to reduce deliberate self-harm and suicidal behaviour by ensuring that people at risk are able to access consistent levels of support across the Kimberley, including: Appropriate screening and assessment Effective follow-up and safety planning. The protocol recognises the role in suicide and self-harm of historical and current trauma, grief and loss, racism, child abuse and neglect, cultural breakdown, family and domestic violence, homelessness, poverty and sexual assault. It provides additional guidance on drug or alcohol dependence, acknowledging the complexities of supporting Indigenous people who experience these issues after an episode of self-harm. Source: Kimberley Aboriginal Health Planning Forum
Policies & Position Statements
From Clinical and Peak Groups
This section of the Manual outlines the policies and positions of key groups in relation to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people’s mental health and social and emotional wellbeing, highlights the commitments of these groups to improving outcomes for Indigenous people, and describes the expectations on their members.
Professional bodies and sector peak organisations have a strong influence on how their members practise. This is true at an individual level, in terms of professional standards and continuing professional development. It also applies at an organisational level, as service providers influence and are influenced by the collective decisions of peak groups.
Australia has multiple Indigenous organisations which focus holistically on the health, mental health and social and emotional wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, and/or on the education and employment of Indigenous people in health professions.
Mainstream clinical professional representative organisations may be less focused on and/or less capable in supporting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. The intersection between clinical and cultural support may sometimes be a particular challenge for mainstream clinicians.
Published policies and positions with regard to the mental health and social and emotional wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people from both groups are summarised here.
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Implementing Integrated Suicide Prevention in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Communities
Human Services Standards Evidence Guide
CATSINaM is the peak advocacy body for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander nurses and midwives in Australia.
NACCHO represents the Aboriginal community-controlled health organisation (ACCHO) sector, which offers primary health-care to Indigenous communities across Australia
AIDA is the national body representing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander doctors and medical students. It promotes population parity of Indigenous medical students and doctors, as a means of achieving a culturally safe healthcare system and equitable health and life outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
AIPA provides leadership on issues related to the social and emotional wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
The LIME Network advocates for improved teaching and learning about Indigenous health in medical schools, as well as for best practice in the recruitment and retention of Indigenous medical students and trainees.
IAHA is a national, member-based organisation that leads sector workforce development and support, to improve the health and wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
Coroner's Court Resources
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