NSW Health WSLHD Safety & Quality Account 2020-21

Improving health outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islands Peoples in our community

WSLHD Allied Health director Jacqueline Dominish welcomes local Aboriginal high school students to the start of their traineeship.

Aboriginal Mental Health Aboriginal Mental Health Services

In addition to a local implementation plan, the goals and guiding principles inform other quality improvement initiatives underway in mental health services, including: Suicide prevention: WSLHD Aboriginal Mental Health services have been meeting with consumers, carers, local Aboriginal community members and service providers to understand the needs of the local Aboriginal Community in preventing suicide. A series of five focus groups form the foundation for research project that will inform service development of Aboriginal Mental Health Services in WSLHD, to provide culturally safe care that meets the needs of the community. Aboriginal Mental Health Service: in striving to develop a connected Aboriginal workforce, alignment of current Aboriginal mental health roles to develop an Aboriginal Mental Health Service to deliver on the NSW Aboriginal Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy. The service model of care is being developed with local community members and services providers.

The delivery of respectful, culturally safe, and culturally appropriate mental health services for the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander is a priority in WSLHD. WSLHD mental health services are implementing the NSW Aboriginal Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy 2020-2025 to ensure mental health services are a culturally responsive, competent and safe service for Aboriginal people in Western Sydney.

Three goals have been identified in the strategy: • Holistic, person and family- centred care and healing • Culturally safe, trauma- informed quality care • Connected care

NSW Aboriginal Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy 2020-2025

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