Sure, everyone explains how they are going to assist Aboriginal people and communities to provide better health and wellbeing outcomes. Don’t get me wrong it’s something I definitely aim to achieve however; one important thing I think we need to work on first is how we interact and engage with Aboriginal people and communities.

How are we as an organisation or a health service or a community going to ensure that we are culturally appropriate and accepting? Well this is something I really hope to achieve, I hope to reduce the stigma that my people and my communities have with accessing healthcare services, with accessing mental health support in particular.

Once we ensure that people feel safe and welcome when accessing our programs, services or organisations don’t you think that will then help Close the Gap and reduce health and wellbeing impacts to our local Aboriginal communities?

By supporting Aboriginal people in the right way, the first time they access a service or program is only going to ensure that the word that is being spread about our services to their family members or members of the community are positive.

The strongest recommendation to Aboriginal people is through yarning, it is through listening to other Aboriginal people about their experiences and their stories.

So therefore, we need to speak up when you hear or see something that culturally offends you, we need to speak out and ensure people know when they are being inappropriate or behaving/speaking in a way that isn’t kind and considerate of culture.

We need to ensure people have a better understanding of culture, ensure they have the knowledge of why Aboriginal people have trouble trusting government organisation, healthcare systems and the police. We need to ensure people know about the horrific things that happened to Aboriginal people during colonisation.

Most of all we need to build back trust and show more empathy towards Aboriginal people and communities.

My time working as a qualified mental health clinician over the past nine months has been very rewarding. I have chosen to continue to study and complete an Honours year in the Bachelor of Science degree at Charles Sturt University. My research topic is assessing the effectiveness of psychological therapies for First Nations peoples. I hope to be able to identify the most effective psychological therapies and highlight the positive outcomes of these interventions. My passion area of research and clinical work is in Aboriginal wellbeing and healing and I will always strive to improve the health and wellbeing outcomes of my people. As we know the body and brain are linked so closely, and research demonstrates that trauma and mental ill health impact a person’s physical wellbeing, causing increased risks of chronic illness.

Research is very different from general study, and it has been challenging. As usual, my professional and personal workload is at capacity and studying as a mature aged adult is complex. Raising a family and studying is not ideal, but being the high achiever and perfectionist that I am; I make it work. I hope that my kids will look at my achievements and realise that they can do anything they wish in life and that the sky is the limit. Additionally, I have a strong passion for the local community in which I live, Wauchope NSW 2446. For the past 2 years I have been the lead organiser for the NAIDOC knockout which is a mixed sports competition for both adults and youth to come together during NAIDOC week. I enjoy planning things for my local community and love seeing everyone together laughing and joking around. It warms my soul to know that all my hard work and efforts with planning have paid off with such a beautiful reward.