Aboriginal Mental Health and the
Path to Wellbeing
Paul Callaghan, CEO
Aboriginal Housing office
1
The Importance of Story
2
Traditional Life Cycle
3
Spirit
Birth
Childhood
Young Adult
Parenthood
Grandparent
Elder
Old Age Elder
Death
Traditional Life Cycle / Learning Model
4
Spirit
Birth
Childhood
Young Adult
Parenthood
Grandparent
Elder
Old Age Elder
Death
5
Traditional System ------------------------ Mind – Technical - Life Body Spirit
Cultural Identity Connection Country Connection Mob
Sense of: • Self • Place • Purpose
Wellbeing
Country Rite of Passage
Lore
Traditional Education System
Traditional Story Contemporary Story
Health 9 3
Housing 9 4
Employment 10 4
Education 10 3
6
58.5 years v 79.1 male
66.2 years v 84.7 female
X2 cardiovascular death – 70% modifiable risk factors
7
X2.2 high psychological distress
X2.9 self harm
X3 severe disability 35-54 years
8
What is success?
Living your story
9
My Story
10
Community Story
11
Traditional Life Cycle / Learning Model
12
Spirit
Birth
Childhood
Young Adult
Parenthood
Grandparent
Elder
Old Age Elder
Death
13
Traditional System ------------------------ Mind – Technical - Life Body Spirit
Cultural Identity Connection Country Connection Mob
Sense of: • Self • Place • Purpose
Wellbeing
Country Rite of Passage
Lore
Traditional Education System
Learning Systems
Support Systems
Transgenerational Pain and Trauma
14
Government Policies
Lateral Violence
15
4+2 Model of Wellbeing
A House
16
Wall One - Education
17
Wall Two – Employment
18
Wall Three – A House
19
20 20 20
Wall Four – Sense of Self
Floor – Hope
21 21 21 21
Roof - Opportunity
22 22 22 22 22
NDIS
• The NDIS will be responsible for non-clinical supports that focus on a person’s functional ability including those that enable people with mental illness to undertake activities of daily living and participate in the community and in social and economic life
23
NDIS
• Functional capacity including psychosocial
– Communication
– Social interaction
– Learning
– Mobility
– Self-care
– Self-management
• Persist over a lifetime
• Participation in community and employment
24
2011 208,000 population
2016 235,000
2026 303,000
2031 345,000
25
Story
26
27
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