Australasian psychiatry : bulletin of Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists
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Australas Psychiatry · Aug 2009
The development of an 'Indigenous team' in a mainstream mental health service in South Australia.
The Social Justice Report 2005 recommended that the governments of Australia commit to achieving equal health status for all Australians "within a generation". Improving the accessibility of mainstream health services for Aboriginal people is highlighted as a central requirement. This paper describes the establishment, roles and functions of the 'Indigenous team' embedded within the South Australian Rural and Remote Mental Health Service (RRMHS) as one strategy to improve access and responsiveness of mental health services to Aboriginal patients in South Australia. We report on our progress to date and possible future directions for the team.
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Australas Psychiatry · Aug 2009
Historical ArticleWidening the circle: making Mental Health Review Tribunal hearings accessible in Indigenous, rural and remote settings.
The aim of this paper is to overview the history, structure and activities of the Queensland Mental Health Review Tribunal in relation to Indigenous patients. ⋯ The future direction for the Tribunal in this strategy will be influenced by more formal evaluation of the outcomes and by further development of a model for the provision of cultural advice.
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The aim of this paper is to illustrate through poetry that self-directed recovery from mental illness is possible, and that through vigilance and a supportive network of family and mental health workers, life beyond recovery can be full and rewarding for any consumer. ⋯ Through positive choice, a consumer can break the cycle of admission and realize self-empowerment, which can lead to a full and complete life.
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This paper describes the background to, implementation of and evaluation challenges associated with an innovative, arts-based, wellbeing and mental health recovery project in a remote Indigenous setting. ⋯ Creative Recovery is a community-based arts initiative for Indigenous people with mental health problems. It has been rolled out as a pilot project in a remote Cape York community and is aimed at promoting wellbeing and recovery. The theoretical basis for the initiative is modelled on ideas of the role that social capital plays in improving mental health. This involves both the beneficial impact community participation and the social cohesion it creates can have, not only on an individual's mental health, but also on the social and emotional wellbeing of the communities they are part of. Such initiatives have already been adopted as an integral part of mental health promotion in countries such as the UK, and in other Australian states such as Victoria and Western Australia. The following paper will locate Creative Recovery in the current field of mental health promotion theory and Indigenous social and emotional wellbeing, and will discuss some of the evidence for and challenges inherent in adopting such initiatives.
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Australas Psychiatry · Aug 2009
Using policy and workforce development to address Aboriginal mental health and wellbeing.
The aim of this paper is to discuss the New South Wales (NSW) Aboriginal Mental Health and Well Being Policy and its key workforce initiative, the NSW Aboriginal Mental Health Workforce Training Program. ⋯ The Policy provides a strong framework guiding the development of Aboriginal mental health and wellbeing programs throughout NSW Mental Health Services. However, the effectiveness of the Policy will be determined by the success of its implementation. The NSW Aboriginal Mental Health Workforce Training Program will support implementation of the Policy by growing an Aboriginal mental health workforce in NSW.