Breaking down the barriers
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MH-SKY Koorie Mental Health Project Steering Committee members (from left, front) Brooke Nam (RCH), Carol Potter (VAHS), Shawana Andrews (MH-SKY); (centre) Pam Marland (MH-SKY), Harry Gelber (MH-SKY), Jane Miller (RCH), Angela Clarke (University of Melbourne VicHealth Koorie Health Research and Community Development Unit); (back) Associate Professor Campbell Paul (MH-SKY), Wendy Bunston (MH-SKY), Nereida Wyatt (VAHS) and Pat O’Leary (Department of Human Services’ Mental Health Branch). |
A Royal Children’s Hospital Mental Health Service for Kids and Youth (MH-SKY) project focuses on improving access to mental health care for Aboriginal kids and adolescents.
The Koorie Mental Health Project—developed over the past 12 months—is a collaboration with the Koorie Kids Mental Health Network at the Victorian Aboriginal Health Service.
It responds to the barriers the Aboriginal community faces in accessing the hospital’s mental health services.
In the Western Metropolitan region of Melbourne there are no specific mental health services for Aboriginal children and adolescents.
While there is a significant Aboriginal population in this area, access to mainstream services remains limited for Aboriginal families.
Cultural isolation, fear of child removal and discrimination continues to contribute to the barriers facing Aboriginal families when accessing mainstream mental health services.
The Koorie Mental Health Project encourages working partnerships between Aboriginal organisations and MH-SKY to develop mental health promotion and prevention strategies and culturally-appropriate service delivery.
Its steering committee represents a model of partnership and collaboration between MH-SKY and the Victorian Aboriginal Health Service (VAHS).
It also includes representatives of the Victorian Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (VACCHO), the Victorian Aboriginal Education Association (VAEA) and the VicHealth Koorie Health Research and Community Development Unit at the University of Melbourne.
The project has a particular focus on cross-cultural training and consultation for MH-SKY staff to promote cultural awareness and sensitivity.
This training aims to dispel negative stereotypes of Aboriginal people while enabling staff to develop a broad understanding of the mental health and cultural needs of the Aboriginal community.
The training also facilitates informal working relationships between MH-SKY staff and Aboriginal workers while teaching culturally sensitive and appropriate ways to work with and engage Aboriginal families.
The identification of Aboriginal kids and adolescents using the service has directed the project toward outreach service delivery through a partnership with the local Koorie Open Door Education (KODE) School.
MH-SKY has instigated a support group program for the students and mental health professional development seminars for the teachers.