1 How is Suicide affecting your mob Group 1 Any suicide impacts on the whole community and sends shock waves vertically and horizontally. Barriers to service providers school counselling, distance/access in remote communities. Lack of services- blame where is support- home/other Recognise that male bloodline is broken. (important for Elders/grandparentmale line bond) e.g. a missing son from suicide means bloodline stories/culture are lost. Feelings of helplessness Vicarious trauma multiple deaths impact on us. Group 2 Group 3 Group 4 Group 5 Group 6 Group 7 Group 8 Group 9 Group 10 Group 11 Group 13 Taking away our future leaders Loss of mentors, fathers, brothers, uncles, etc Ripple effect- Normalizing suicide in community Loss of Cultural connections and identity Anger Confusion Guilt Trauma Conflict Mental Health Issues Community Unrest AOD Copy Cat Self Harm Destroys families and children s wellbeing Domino effect one death can trigger others mass grief and loss Anniversary of deaths The government has been trying to eradicate our mob for generations, if suicide rates keep growing they win. If the suicides are older people we will lose culture and stories that nobody else can tell so once again we lose our identity If its young we lose a big part of our next generation Grief and loss Hopelessness and Despair Self-Harm as a coping mechanism sorry business - Alcohol and Drugs Sad, feeling down, confused, not understanding, hopelessness, blame, seeking disclosure Trauma Grief and Loss Depression Blame- Guilt - Shame Drugs and Alcohol use leads to DV and suicide Affects family and Community Long term support to combat cyclical violence Trauma, grief, loss intergeneralisation normalise suicide as escape
2 What are you doing that works Group 1 Education by Aboriginal males for males Leading the way for communication. Leading the way for system.eg in communicating with traditional owners making sure that communication is understood. Not only leading, but taking our youth with us- we are taking the next generation of men with us. Country Healing camps with adolescent youth support network back to country, hunting. Group 2 Group 3 Group 4 Group 5 Group 6 Group 7 Education Deadly Choices, Healthy Minds SEWB supports- counselling etc Community awareness via health promotion Cultural awareness connection to land and strengthen identity Physical wellbeing nutrition, exercise, spiritual healers Network orgs community approach Education Counselling Workshops Networking Men s Sheds Safe place Camps (men s + woman) Leadership Groups Hunting Sports Carnivals Cultural Carnivals Lobbying Govt. for funding to implement prevention program Men s groups Referral to GPs for mental health care plan programs sessions for healing, education starting to talk a lot more about it Starting at grassroots that means early intervention, transition to school and playgroups Self-Governance Language and cultural On Country Programs Land based care Cultural Safe Community Knowledge Grass Roots Cultural Strengths Program Men s Groups/Sheds Sitting down with family s together as a group Suicide response team (Kimberly Proactive) Suicide prevention summit No feedback e.g Black Summit Kimberly suicide prevention trial govt. funded Derby suicide prevention local group Talk to community members provide proactive, reactive response
Group 8 Group 9 Group 10 Group 11 Group 13 Alive and Kicking work with youth Clontarf Academy Men s Outreach Counselling family support Men s Groups create the opportunity for men to come together GP Mental Health Support Plans - ATAPS Men s groups men put in head space everyone is equal Healing place Community Programs Tribal Warrior Men s Strategic Plan (Newcastle Coffs Harbour blue print/template) Connect with the Elders Other mediums of Communication art, music Safe place for men to go whilst experiencing stress (short and long term stay facilities) Regular consistent men s groups session/meetings Counselling referrals Cultural healing / back to country Camps and day trips and cultural activities Leadership training and suicide prevention training to build capacity of men to help self & others Men s outreach support and interventions and enabling of other support and referral 3 What needs to change Group 1 Group 2 Group 3 Group 4 Barriers to access families Police Dept. must be invited First Responders Invite Clontarf to local Ochre Day Delegate them a table Next generation of leaders Invite ACCHS and Medical Services to Ochre Day specifically services for males. Invite CEOs of services for top down change Karaoke group community planning and meetings Education system methods of support De stigmatisation Real history education Ground up approach All Level s component United front from politicians not box ticking Social determinates i.e. health access and information on what s available Cultural approach Connections to land and identity Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander driven Education Perception More Awareness Funding to appropriate services Ownership (mind set everyone s problem) Perceptions of Mental Health RU OK- Its OK Resources early intervention Ownership
Group 5 Group 6 Our way of thinking Thinking black not white, too long we have been thinking in the white way Need to get stronger people - lead to stronger children which will turn to stronger communities More education culturally appropriate empower communities to design policies and programs differently Community driven/led Group 7 Group 8 Group 9 Group 10 Group 11 Group 13 Local community people need to be engage (employed) Use the service Communication between organisations Local Aboriginal people need to be involved, community leaders family needs training in men s health Be proactive Partnerships with Government Men taking ownership Attitudes - Masculinity Educate and show the younger kids that it is important to get early or regular health checks - Professionals Upskilling health workforce Mental Health First Aid ATSI Mental Health First Aid Add on from Primary Health Care Certificate mental health Use of westernised psychological assessment tools to gauge risks Groups of men approach vs men s groups targeted Government needs to invest more into men s programmes needs to strengthen groups and networks & support each together to achieve goals and actions Local support suicide prevention and men s networks 4 What can we do differently Group 1 Create a network of services that specifically deal with male suicide. Eg four meetings (quarterly per year) Psychologists often funded for reactive programs not preventative Lot of funds for after suicide, not prevention Offer scholarships to Youth e.g. into Aboriginal Medical School Look at primary school contacts. Group 2 Own it Educate Empower Sustain Consistency of funding Resources Group 3 More education around suicide prevention Counselling (outreach) where they feel comfortable Services to provide support to men (culturally) More community forums Speaking up Shame admitting that you have an issue
Group 4 Group 5 Can t change an individual s perception of their Community until we change the Community s perception of the Individual. Community Education Safe Environment RU OK It s OK Educate and empower community to tackle AOD/MH etc issues until qualified help arrives Network with ALC, Police etc Don t blame others Listen to elders and stories from people first hand Be proud and stronger than our counterparts Group 6 See above Group 6 response to question 3 Improving access to country/programs Rebuilding cultural strength More funding Group 7 Group 8 Group 9 Group 10 Group 11 Needs to be proactive not reactive Need to ask the question (are you ok) Networking, more funding for family s Providing employment, training, education, better housing facilities Involve all the family Be proactive Partnerships with Government Men taking ownership More resources/funding for men groups to have an out hours location/place for men under the influence of drugs/alcohol to cool off with the right support safe place Direct Helpline (contact numbers) for each community Community based help line services Community Controlled Tie in with existing services Mitigates issues of stigma and access Questions 2,3,4 answered below Education/Training Cultural training for service providers More meaningful local employment ATSI people in all positions Principals, doctors, police officers Alternative Justice Mt Theo Murri Court/Koori Court Sharing our Stories Role models/mentors Safe House Resources Questions 2,3,4 answered below There needs to be support for boys through the journey to manhood that uses cultural foundation as its basis but uses modern knowledge to strengthen it. Two way path culture also need to change and adapt to modern ways as well. (not losing culture but sharing through new ideas i.e. technology Mental health services need to link up and collaborate better o Scrap everything and start from within communities
Group 13 o Need to consult with each other (community and service deliverers)- I5-30 risk group - Peers-parents both the people affected and those it affects Working in the gap between experiencing a problem and their conclusion that suicide is their answer Issue Solution perceived Relations) suicide Substance) etc Tools to cope with mental health and suicide from younger ages i.e school curriculum similar to how they teach sex education or more normalised and remove stigma from mental health Address the issues in govt. processes that cause grief to Aboriginal people - - - Correction Education Health Service Delivery by self-government and determination. Police (nationally)need cultural understanding Education to make them; Change their paradigm of what is functional i.e. is an arrest necessary, is telling them off needed move along Learn how the history of colonisation has put many in the place they are in i.e. intergenerational trauma An additional diagram supplied below Develop local and cultural base tools or men s healing tools that resonant with everyone Services must talk to each other and asses with referrals Support developments of local men s outreach services or outreach clinical support Bottom line must support local and safe men s places for men to access holistic support, strengthen, increase education/knowledge More focus on addressing social & cultural determine of poor health and wellbeing Support cultural based healing programmes and combine with western therapeutic work Build capacity of local men to support others as well as themselves to seek future help Partner and collaborate with other non & indigenous services to address and deliver support
Diagram EDUCATION Systems (1) Our People Police and Justice Health Schools and University Note (2) Correct Standard of Service Equity Care Responsiveness ATSI Self Determination Governance & Collaboration Our Culture Identity Connection Family Physical Health & Mental Health Health Literacy Recognising problems Addressing health problems Note (2) Techniques for managing MH Notes (1) Systems Teach them about history of colonisation and culture. (Importance of Aboriginal systems and benefits they bring.) i.e. family and support structures, identity and responsibility for the land. Note (2) Workers in Police, Justice Systems, Health, Schools and University systems need to be accessible on the level of cultural understanding of ATSI community. This will give a measurement of performance for system capacity towards provision of service towards ATSI peoples.