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headspace “Yarn Safe” results and launch
by Natalie Filmer 22 October 2015
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eadspace has seen a dramatic 32 per cent increase in the number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people accessing its centres since the Australia wide Yarn Safe initiative was launched a little over a year ago. Yarn Safe, which will move into a second phase, aims to raise awareness of mental health issues and encourages young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders to seek help at headspace, or other appropriate mental health services. It is the first youth-led national Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander youth mental health campaign of its kind and was developed with a group of 12
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people from across Australia. Phase two of the campaign will delve deeper into the issues commonly faced by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people such as stress and pressure; family and relationships; racism and drugs and alcohol. There will be new health promotion resources for young people and, importantly, cultural training is being provided to select headspace staff nationally to ensure that young people receive a culturally appropriate service. In the 12 months since the campaign launch, the proportion of young people receiving services at headspace centres who identify as Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander increased from 7.7 per cent to 8 per cent. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged 12-25 represent 4 per cent of the Australian population. headspace CEO Chris Tanti said the unprecedented response to Yarn Safe was great, but more work needed to be done to address the disproportionate burden of mental health disorders among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people. “We are thrilled by the success of the Yarn Safe campaign so far, driven by the outreach work of headspace centres and important partnerships across Australia,” Mr Tanti said. “Overwhelmingly, these Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people feel that headspace is a culturally safe place.
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“However, addressing the needs of our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people is an organisational-wide ongoing commitment to partnership with communities and culturally sensitive practice, including evaluation to ensure that many more young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people feel comfortable to talk with us. “We’ve created a targeted and culturally appropriate initiative that will, I believe, continue to encourage Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people to access the help available for all young Australians.”
An Australian Institute of Health and Welfare report 2011 showed in 2008 almost one-third of young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people (aged 16-24 years) had high or very high level of psychological stress – more than twice the rate of young nonIndigenous Australians. Increasingly, research findings suggest that early intervention can prevent the worsening of mental health problems. Yarn Safe youth advisor and newly appointed member of the headspace Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander sub-committee, Mark Munnich, said shame, judgement
and feeling isolated for not being ‘normal’ was stopping many young people from getting the help they need. “We have been able to explore these issues as a group to come up with imagery and language that is familiar to all of our cultures,” Mr Munnich said. “Hopefully, we can encourage more young people to access the confidential help available at headspace and break the cycle of young people not speaking up when they’ve got a lot going on.” “There’s no shame in talking about problems affecting mental health and wellbeing.”
NOTICE OF IMAN PEOPLE NATIVE TITLE AUTHORISATION MEETING The Applicants of the Iman #2 Native Title Claim have called an authorisation meeting for the following purposes: 1. 2. 3. 4.
Approve a draft S87 or a S87A order for a Determination of Native Title over the Iman #2 native title claim. Authorise the Wardingarri Aboriginal Corporation to hold Native Title in Trust for the Iman #2 and be the Registered Prescribed Body Corporate. Authorise an ILUA with Ergon Energy over the Iman #2 claim area. Authorise the following ILUA’s with pastoralists (maps of the ILUA area will be available at the meeting): Name of ILUA Iman People/Comely and Mapala ILUA
5. 6.
Pastoralist Party Consolidated Pastoral Company Pty Limited ACN 010 080 654 Iman People/Coorada ILUA Brian John Atkins Eion Evan Atkins Iman People/Glenhaughton ILUA Avon Ross Hamilton Carol Hamilton Nathan Jay Hamilton Iman People/Glenleigh ILUA Patrick Robert Scott Joan Marjorie Cogill William Robert Cogill Kathleen Ann Harrison Iman People/Korcha ILUA Owen Arthur William Price Brigid Ann Price Arthur William Price Gail Lorraine Price Iman People/Woodine ILUA Andrew Douglas Simmons Tracey Robin Simmons Narelle Effie Simmons Authorise a further Native Title Claim over the shaded area of the Map contained in this notice and authorise Applicants to prosecute the new claim. Authorise compensation claims for native title that has been extinguished over the Iman #2 claim area and the area of the new claim.
The arrangements for the meeting are as follows: Date
31 October 2015
Time
8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Venue: Department of Agriculture and Fisheries Conference Centre, cnr Yeppoon Road & Bruce Highway North Rockhampton Only the descendants of the following Iman ancestors will be entitled to participate in the meeting: Mary Arwa, Jim Waterton, Ada Robinson, Maggie Palmtree, Lizzie Palmtree, Eliza Shields, Mary Ann (mother of Maggie Dunn), Fanny Waddy/Sandy, Dick Bundi/Bundai and Alice Dutton and the mother of John Serico (known as Aggie). Travel Assistance Assistance with travel will be provided only to those who register by 4.00pm on Monday 19 October 2015. Persons who registered but did not attend the previous authorization meeting of 14 September 2013 will not be eligible for assistance on this occasion. Please Contact Kylie on 0458 781 504 or 0481 151 750 to register for the meeting. Registration is from 8:00 am.
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