Developing an Indigenous workforcethat has the capacity to grow andinfluence mainstream mental healthservices
Fred Yasso
Indigenous Representations Increasing
Mental Health Workforce has Increased
Historically Governments have been concerned withpercentages i.e Workforce mirrors community profile
Indigenous Representation
Improving employment outcomes for IndigenousAustralians is now a responsibility for all agenciesacross the Commonwealth public sector.
The national agenda is clear:
• Halve the gap in employment outcomes betweenIndigenous and non-Indigenous Australians by 2018.
• Increase the representation of Indigenous Australiansacross the Commonwealth public sector to 2.7% by 2015.
National Agenda
Occupational Streams majority workforce in HealthWorker/Welfare Worker/Community Worker/Liaison
Formal Qualifications
Identified (Good and Bad)
Traditionally Secondary Roles
Mental Health Perspective
No career paths
No career progression
No recognition
No sustainability
Occupational Isolation
Consequences of this
In regard to career advancement, 46% felt that therewere factors that hindered or prevented them fromapplying for higher positions. The top three reasonscited were:
• limited number of opportunities at higher level(49%) • lack of self confidence (38%)
• not yet having the necessary qualifications and/orexperience (29%).
2009 Census Report: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander APS Employees, p. 67
2009 Census Report: Aboriginal andTorres Strait Islander APS Employees
SAMHS Workforce
Mental health and social and emotional well-being workforce
Aboriginal mental health workers
Improving the cultural security and integrity ofservices by upskilling non-aboriginal staff in themental health and social and emotional well-being sectors
Community members
Aboriginal mental health literacy education tothe wider community (both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal).
Staff training
Internal SAMHS team training
Needs identified through performancedevelopment with line manager and individualisedlearning plans developed with training coordinator
Training & clinical supervision to meet mandatorytraining and credentialing requirements
In-service training & cultural supervision toenhance cultural security and competence
Aboriginal workforce development
Special dispensation to provide extended studyleave to undertake the CSU Bachelor of HealthScience (Mental Health)
Workforce development and communityeducation
Delivered by all SAMHS staff.
Standardisation of Cultural Consultants roles asProfession
Choice of Pathways
Supported Professional Development
Scholarships
Traineeships
Cadetships
Study Leave
Back Filling Positions
Reformation of Mental HealthWorkforce
Workforce with a diversity of occupations
Increased levels of Retention
Increased numbers of Indigenous people in HealthWorkforce
Increased ability of Health Care Services to provideCulturally Capable Services
Outcomes
What will happen to Indigenous positions when wehave Closed the Gap?
If we do not develop successions plans and sustainablecareer pathways for our Indigenous Workforce we willset up our people to fail.
Summary
The prevalence of MH Issues in Aboriginal and Torres StraitIslander community;
In 2008, nearly one-third (32%) of Aboriginal and Torres StraitIslander people aged 18 years and over had experiencedhigh/very high levels of psychological distress, which was morethan twice the rate for non-Indigenous people.
The most common types of stressors experienced by those with highdistress were bad illness/accident (52%), death of a family member orclose friend (51%) and alcohol and drug related problems (39%).People with high/very high levels of distress were twice as likely asthose with low/moderate levels of distress to report abuse andviolent crime, witness to violence and severe disability as stressors
Indigenous Mental Health