Key points:
- New research reveals an urgent need for improved cultural safety in mental health services
- Infant, child and adolescent mental health partnership between Embrace at The Kids Research Institute Australia, Rio Tinto and Channel 7 Telethon Trust extended to 2029
- Additional funding will enable cultural safety workshops to be delivered in community
There is an urgent need for improved cultural safety for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people in mental healthcare, new research has revealed.
The project found that mental health services must provide trauma-informed and culturally grounded care to improve health outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people.
Undertaken by Embrace, at The Kids Research Institute Australia, preliminary recommendations from the Medical Research Future Fund-supported research include that cultural safety must have Indigenous governance and be systematically embedded into services through regular training, recruitment of Indigenous staff and visual indicators like Aboriginal artwork.
The findings come as Embrace announces a renewed partnership with Rio Tinto and Channel 7 Telethon Trust, extending through to 2029.
The expanded partnership will enable researchers at The Kids to deliver cultural safety workshops to clinicians, service providers and within the community.
Embrace Co-Director Professor Helen Milroy AM said the research findings highlighted a lack of culturally safe care in mainstream mental health services.
The social and emotional wellbeing of our young people is paramount, and the findings of this research represent an important milestone in addressing the mental health challenges of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander youth. This will help address many of the Closing the Gap targets which are currently not progressing well.
“This continued partnership with Rio Tinto and Channel 7 Telethon Trust will help us to expand upon this project’s findings and improve cultural safety in mainstream mental healthcare settings.”
Rio Tinto Iron Ore Health, Safety, Environment and Communities Vice President Caitlin Westgarth said: “Rio Tinto has been operating in Western Australia for 60 years and is committed to building healthy communities where young people can thrive.
“Embrace at The Kids Research Institute Australia puts young people, families and communities at the centre of mental health research. This approach is helping us better understand and support youth mental health.
"These new research findings highlight just how critical it is for children to access trauma-informed and culturally safe healthcare. We’re proud to support this new partnership that will continue to improve health outcomes for all WA children."
You can read the full report here.