1. Forum Overview/Summary NSW Aboriginal Mental Health and Wellbeing Workers Forum, 2014 Ann Baker – AH&MRC Tom Brideson – MoH

2. Hon Minister Kevin Humphries Opportunities Education as a vehicle The important work we do Paying credit to the broad Aboriginal workforce across the many services

3. Auntie Lorraine Going backwards before going forward (experiments and policies like child removal) Stolen Generation healing We need to “Feel to Heal” Trauma informed care (culturally informed context) BTH Report 16 years and still waiting for full implementation Knowledge and skills of all professions about Stolen Generation issues Challenged us to revisit the BTH Report and ask ourselves what are we doing? Sharing stories when safe to do so

4. Dr Robyn Shields NSW Government Commitment to improve Aboriginal Health Many Journeys of career and life Falling into Mental Health Models of service delivery – multiple Very early days of Aboriginal Mental Health training The road to nursing/medicine/psychiatry Highlights/challenges – isolation and rewards Our workforce is our biggest asset and we need to value and invest Many Firsts – cracking the artificial barriers NAHS, RCIADIC, Aboriginal MH Policies, etc etc etc

5. Overall Program Capacity of our workforce (demands etc) Support for our workforce (Supervision, Mentoring, Leadership) Education for our workforce (dominos, natural flow on value Responsibilities of Services to our Workforce (Services, Professions) skills based approaches instead of race based approaches We (our workforce) valuing (we are individuals families communities) Workforce relationships, supportive relationships, Genuine, honest partnerships

6. Overall Program Planning for growth of the workforce Valuing the old and the new equally Supporting effective approaches to supervision, mentoring for early career people and continuing careers

7. Game changer approaches Aboriginal Workforce Support Unit Aboriginal Mental Health Workforce Program versus time limited approaches Capacity building for Aboriginal people embed with any other service approach Specific initiatives and aligned initiatives with program roll outs (ie what components of mainstream initiatives relate to Aboriginal people) should be a standard approach Grief and Loss training for the workforce IT value may be worth exploring

8. Issues Aeroplanes not just pilots Building our evidence (practice vs best) Why are we losing Trainees, how to keep them, what supports, career pathways etc Award issues relevant to the role and function of Graduates Life span approaches Connecting young and old Consumer journeys and stories where safe to do so

9. Key messages SEWB includes MH and D&A We have survived - resilience Aboriginal lead responses Build on successes and learn from difficulties Healing needs to occur for all Be what we want to be We have said it before, time to step it up and take it to a new level Everyone is responsible, not just us

10. Appreciation Barry, Rebekah and the local Committee What a great Forum What a great audience What a great Workforce