Thomas Betts is a semi-finalist in the National Indigenous Times Indigenous Community Leadership Award.
Embrace-funded Aboriginal Project Officer Thomas Betts has been shortlisted for the National Indigenous Times Indigenous Community Leadership Award for his work on the cultural safety project.
The Community Leadership Award is part of the 7News Young Achiever Awards WA, which will be announced on Friday 27 June. It celebrates Indigenous Western Australians under 30 who have demonstrated outstanding community leadership within their family, business, profession or through advocacy or cultural practice.
Thomas, a Minang wer Wudjari Noongar man, leads community engagement alongside Lisa Kickett on the research project, Building a Culturally Safe Mental Health System for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Young People.
“I was very surprised to be nominated,” he said.
I really didn’t expect to be a finalist. It’s all off the back of our team’s work on this project, so it feels good to see the impact this work is having in the community.
While Thomas’ work at The Kids formed a key part of his nomination, he was also praised for his contributions as a foster carer, as a coach at Gosnells Football Club, and as the artist-owner of Kaarli and Kongal Bilya Collective.
Senior Research Officer Dr Hayley Jackson, one of the lead researchers on the project, said Thomas was passionate about ensuring the community was well represented in research.
"Thomas has shown outstanding leadership in this project, driving community engagement that is essential to improving the cultural safety of mental health services for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people," Hayley said.
Findings from the cultural safety research project will be released later this year.
Embrace is supported by principal partner Rio Tinto.