Interim Recommendation 04

What the Royal Commission said

The Royal Commission identified the urgent need to address mental illness in Aboriginal communities. It also recognised the central role of self-determined Aboriginal social and emotional wellbeing services in promoting Aboriginal social and emotional wellbeing.

This recommendation is about putting Aboriginal ways of knowing, being and doing at the centre of care. The recommendation calls for more multi-disciplinary social and emotional wellbeing teams in Aboriginal community-controlled health organisations across Victoria.

It supports new scholarships to help grow the Aboriginal mental health and social and emotional wellbeing workforce. It also calls for the development of an Aboriginal Social and Emotional Wellbeing Centre. The centre will provide both clinical support and research capacity.

The Royal Commission gave Aboriginal leaders, organisations, people, families, carers and communities the first ever opportunity to have their voices and experiences included in a redesign of Victoria’s mental health system. They reported that:

• social and emotional wellbeing services need to be Aboriginal-led and self-determined by Aboriginal communities and Aboriginal community-controlled organisations
• mental health services for Aboriginal people need to be culturally safe
• the mental health system needs to reflect Aboriginal knowledge, expertise and experience
• Aboriginal people need control over health services they access
• the workforce needs to reflect the community it serves
• staff need to be trained in culturally safe practice
• Aboriginal people should be able to choose to receive care within Aboriginal community-controlled organisations, within mainstream services, or a mix of both

No matter where treatment, care and support are delivered for Aboriginal people, communities and families, it is fundamental that it is safe, inclusive, respectful and responsive.

This recommendation is supported by Recommendation 33.

What are we doing?

The Victorian Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (VACCHO) and the Department of Health are proudly working in partnership to ensure that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples living in Victoria can access safe, inclusive and respectful social and emotional wellbeing care and mental health services for themselves, their families, and their communities.

Our shared vision is for a mental health and wellbeing system where Aboriginal self-determination is respected and upheld, and where the physical, emotional, social and spiritual aspects of health and wellbeing are seen and understood to be interconnected. This shared vision is one where Aboriginal ways of knowing, being and doing are practiced and valued, and where Aboriginal people have genuine choice in how and where they receive care.

Guided by our shared vision, we have delivered three key initiatives:

Balit Durn Durn Centre for Excellence in Aboriginal Social and Emotional Wellbeing

In May 2022, VACCHO launched the Balit Durn Durn Centre – Centre for Excellence in Aboriginal Social and Emotional Wellbeing (Balit Durn Durn Centre). The Balit Durn Durn Centre provides sector leadership and excellence in Aboriginal social and emotional wellbeing practice.

The Balit Durn Durn Centre draws on clinical, research and community expertise to coordinate best practice across services. It does this through:

• clinical, organisational, and cultural governance planning and development
• workforce development – training, professional development activities and supporting the Aboriginal Social and Emotional Wellbeing Scholarship program
• guidance and practical supports to build clinical effectiveness in assessment, diagnosis and treatment
• developing and circulating research and evidence for social and emotional wellbeing models and for convening associated regional and local communities of practice.

The establishment of the Balit Durn Durn Centre is a key outcome of the Royal Commission’s interim report. The Balit Durn Durn Centre has played a critical role in progressing the delivery of the Royal Commission recommendations to improve Aboriginal social and emotional wellbeing.

Multi-disciplinary Aboriginal social and emotional wellbeing teams

Together with the Balit Durn Durn Centre, we have established and expanded multi-disciplinary Aboriginal Social and Emotional Wellbeing teams across 25 Aboriginal community-controlled health organisations and in 2 Aboriginal community controlled organisations (ACCOs).

These multi-disciplinary teams provide culturally safe social and emotional wellbeing services and supports to local communities. The teams include social and emotional wellbeing workers, mental health clinicians, lived experience workers and cultural support workers. Teams may include other specialists depending on local community needs.

Multi-disciplinary teams are reporting positive outcomes for individuals and families accessing local social and emotional wellbeing services. Positive outcomes include:

• individuals and families having stronger social and community networks
• stronger connections and pride in culture
• greater ability to self-regulate negative emotions
• sustained engagement in treatment resulting in improved management of symptoms
• increased willingness to seek help when needed
• feelings of greater sense of control of own life and greater resilience.

New training scholarships to build a skilled and qualified Aboriginal mental health and social and emotional wellbeing workforce

In 2022, the department together with the Balit Durn Durn Centre established the Aboriginal Social and Emotional Wellbeing Scholarship program (scholarship program) to support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students to undertake undergraduate or post-graduate study in a mental health related field. We have partnered with La Trobe, Deakin and RMIT universities to deliver the scholarship program.

The scholarship provides funding to the university to cover the full cost of the course, associated student fees and financial supports to help scholarship recipients successfully complete their course.

The scholarship program has surpassed its target of 30 scholarships by 2025 - with 46 scholarships awarded since 2022. This program is helping build a skilled and qualified Aboriginal Torres Strait Islander mental health and social and emotional wellbeing workforce.