The CBPATSISP Resource Directory contains a broad range of resources developed and/or adapted by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. All the resources have been assessed and deemed as culturally appropriate by our researchers. Click on each heading to find appropriate resources for your organisation or community.
- Alive and Kicking Goals!
- This project is a suicide prevention peer education project which takes an innovative approach to tackle the inadequate provision of mental health services to youth at risk in the Kimberley. It is a positively-framed project which aims to prevent self-harm and suicidal behaviours by enhancing protective factors.
- Be Deadly Online
- Is a series of resources including animation, poster and video campaigns for communities and schools created with input from Aboriginal communities across Australia. (Qld, Vic & WA)
- Beyond Blue – Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people
- A range of research, information, education and support strategies developed in consultation with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities and organisations.
- #Chatsafe – A Young Person’s Guide for Communicating Safely Online About Suicide
- The #chatsafe guidelines have been developed in partnership with young people to provide support to those who might be responding to suicide-related content posted by others or for those who might want to share their own feelings and experiences with suicidal thoughts, feelings or behaviours.
- Headspace: Yarn Safe
- A website with information that may help you or somebody else, if you are going through a hard time. There’s no shame in talking it out.
- Headspace: Diversity in the work place is a beautiful thing – Nathan Bramston
- Nathan shares his story and video of working at Headspace helping to build cultural capacity.
- Head to Health –
- A website with resources for supporting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
- ibobbly-app
- iBobbly is the world’s first suicide prevention app designed for young Indigenous Australians that delivers therapy in a culturally relevant way.
- Keeping Strong
- A flyer about the ways to keep strong and find help and healing.
- Lifeline Toolkit
- A self-help resource to help people living with mental illness.
- Lighting the Dark – Preventing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Suicide video
- A video produced by the Queensland and Aboriginal and Islander Health Council featuring NRL players.
- RUOK?
- The RUOK? ‘Stronger Together’ kit is a free resource containing videos, posters and a conversation guide.
- #YouCanTalk
- #YouCanTalk is a national suicide prevention campaign, led by some of Australia’s mental health and suicide prevention organisations, which aims to empower and increase confidence when it comes to talking about suicide.
- Beyond Blue – Finding Our Way Back – Information for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples after a suicide attempt
- This resource provides practical information for you, your family and friends about what to do and what to expect if someone has attempted suicide.
- Healing Our Way After a Suicide Brochure
- This brochure was developed as a joint initiative of health organisations in Yarrabah, Qld.
- Mindframe – for Suicide Prevention and Mental Health sector
- The suicide prevention and mental health sector play an important role in safely communicating about suicide and mental ill-health to the Australian public.
- Postvention Australia is a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to supporting and helping people bereaved by suicide – those who are left behind after a suicide takes place. They provide information & support packs for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who are bereaved by suicide or other sudden death. These packs have been produced by Urbis Keys Young in consultation with community and government stakeholders in each State and Territory, containing information on the process of loss and grief, how to talk to young people about suicide or sudden death, and services and resources available to people grieving. The information booklets have a section on Grieving the Aboriginal Way adapted from Westerman, Tracy & Feehann, Ashley, Grieving Aboriginal Way, Indigenous Psychological Services, 2001. Illustrated by Kye McGuire.
- YouMe – WhichWay Factsheet
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Mental Health First Aid
- Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST)
- Guidelines for Aboriginal Mental Health First Aids Training
- lifelinewa.org.au/Education/Living-Works-safe-Talk
- safeTALK: Suicide Alertness for Everyone
- Mental Health Association of Central Australia -Aboriginal Suicide Prevention -Suicide Story
- waltja.org.au-suicide story
- Wesley LifeForce Suicide Prevention Training for Indigenous community
The Suicide Prevention and Response resources produced by BE YOU provide clear, practical and reliable guidance and support to assist schools in suicide prevention and response. It provides strategies for supporting students, staff, families and the broader community. The information can be used to:
- prepare your school community to be ready should a death by suicide occur
- guide your school on how to support a young person at risk of suicide
- guide your response to a death by suicide and the subsequent recovery for the school community.
Schools may have a Be You Consultant who can assist teachers and families to work through the required actions to prepare for, respond to or recover from issues related to youth suicide.
Suicide Prevention resources can be used to assist in planning and what teachers and families can do if they are worried about someone at risk of suicide.
- headspace.org.au – Headspace in Schools
- headspace.org.au – School Support – Responding to Suicide Attempts in Secondary Schools
- headspace.org.au – Suicide Prevention Toolkit – A Guide for Secondary Schools
-
The Suicide Response Toolkit will assist teachers in a school that has been impacted by a recent suicide. Check if there is a Be You team that can be contacted directly to access support. While the Suicide Response Toolkit is written for the whole school community there are a series of BE YOU Fact Sheets that are specifically for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and young people.
-
- Suicide contagion for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people
- Suicide postvention guidelines for schools
Headspace links which you might find useful
https://headspace.org.au/assets/School-Support/Suicide-contagion-web.pdf?
BE You has produced a series of Fact Sheets to support staff working with Aboriginal and Islander children young people a children and young people and their families after a suicide. These include
- Self-care for school staff working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people in remote areas
- Remembering a young person: memorials and important events in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities
- Grief: how Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people might respond to suicide
- Suicide in schools: information for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families
- Reducing the risk of suicide contagion
- beyou.edu.au/resources
- beyou.edu.au/resources/always-be-you
- beyou.edu.au-Be You
- Communicating effectively with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People
- Headspace-What Works – Youth Mental Health Resources
- KidsMatter Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander resources
- Learning from Each Other: Working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Young People
- ABC Education – Educational Resources about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Histories and Culture
- AIMhi Stay Strong app
- The AIMhi Stay Strong App is an innovative tool that addresses the mental health and wellbeing concerns of First Nations Australians using a cross-cultural approach. It is designed to promote wellbeing by reviewing strengths, worries and the goals or changes people would like to make in their lives.
- The eMHPrac Resource Guide for Practitioners provides a useful overview of various Australian online and teleweb programs. All listed programs have been developed by credible sources, such as the Australian Government, universities, and national non-government organisations. This includes apps, online programs, online forums, and phone services, as well as a range of digital information resources. It includes A Brief Guide: Digital Mental Health Resources for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders
- HeadtoHealth
- If you’re trying to improve your own mental health, or support somebody else with mental health issues, Head to Health provides links to trusted Australian online and phone supports, resources and treatment options. It also features Samthebot who is an online robot designed to answer relevant queries.
- headspace.org.au – Got a lot going on?
- HITnet Community Hubs
- Hitnet brings information and services to the hardest to reach people in the world.
- ictv.com.au – Working for Spirit, Mind and Soul – DVD
- Kids Helpline
- ‘Life Giving Music and Dance’ DVD
- PSY [Preventing Suicide in Youth] Facebook Group
- Proppa Deadly
Proppa Deadly is an initiative by Beyond Blue on which includes a number Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people sharing their stories and encouraging others to take action to address depression and anxiety. This is achieved via the First Nations community radio at sixteen radio stations in metropolitan, regional and remote areas of Australia. - SANE Online Forums
- Yarn Safe Website
- Aboriginal Youth Suicide in Central Australia: Developing a consistent data system and referral pathway
- AIMhi Stay Strong IPad app
- AIMhi Yarning resources
- Australian Indigenous Psychologists Association – Cultural Competency Training
- National guide to a preventive health assessment for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people – Second edition
- One21seventy mental health clinical audit and protocol
- SNAICC
- Youth Health Clinical Audit Tool
- Suicide Prevention Australia
- National Mental Health Commission
- Western Australian Mental Health Commission
- National Aboriginal Torres Strait Islander Leadership Mental Health (NATSILMH)
- Lifeline
- Beyond Blue
- Parliament of New South Wales – Report into Prevention of Youth Suicide in NSW
Related Research
There are many sources of information and statistics about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people’s health and social issues.
Aboriginal Interpreting Western Australia – the only Indigenous language interpreting service in Western Australia.
Australian Institute of Health and Welfare – An overview of the Health & Welfare of Australia’s Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander people.
Australian Institute of Family Studies – Reports prepared for the Closing the Gap Clearinghouse 2009 -2014.
Black Dog Institute – Clinical Resources – Facts about Suicide in Australia 2018
CRESP: Centre of Research Excellence in Suicide Prevention – aims to generate new research to increase the knowledge of effective prevention and treatment in suicide prevention. The Centre has four research streams focusing on improving delivery of interventions, better knowledge of causes and risks, increasing help-seeking, and better prioritising of funds.
Early,Trauma, Grief at Australian National University – Fact Sheet No. 16 – Suicide Prevention in Indigenous Communities 2007
Justice Health Unit, School of Population and Global Health, University of Melbourne – The Justice Health Unit seeks to generate world-class evidence regarding the health and health service experiences of justice-involved populations, and to advocate for evidence-informed policy to improve their health outcomes.
Life In Mind Australia – is a resource for suicide prevention in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities and people looking for information about suicide.
Menzies School of Health Research – Menzies School of Health Research is Australia’s only medical research institute whose major focus is improving Indigenous health and wellbeing.
Productivity Commission – Overcoming Indigenous Disadvantage, Key Indicators 2016
Social and Emotional Wellbeing and Mental Health Services in Aboriginal Australia – This website is designed for those seeking to learn about ways of meeting the social and emotional wellbeing and mental health needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and communities.
Suicide Prevention Australia – National peak body for the suicide prevention sector. This organisation supports, collaborates and advocates for the meaningful reduction of suicide in Australia.
Yorgum – Aboriginal Corporation offering services to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Plan 2013 – 2023
- Balit Murrup: Aboriginal Social Emotional Wellbeing Framework 2017-2027 – Victorian State Government
- Charter 2020: Principles for Mental Health Reform
- Implementation Plan for the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Plan 2013 – 2023
- Indigenous Advancement Strategy
- Indigenous Suicide Prevention Strategy
- National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples Drug Strategy 2014-2019
- National Integration Strategy for Closing the Gap in Indigenous Disadvantage
- Queensland Suicide Prevention Plan Every life 2019–2029
Nagel T. (2006) Motivational Care Planning – Self management in Indigenous mental health
Headspace – Clinical Tool Kit
The headspace Clinical Toolkit provides you with the information needed to recognise and treat common mental health issues in young people. It is organised into different Tools, each one containing information around one main topic.
Language and Culture – Working Together Session
In May 2019 Empowered Communities brought together Aboriginal organisations and leaders from across the East Kimberley to talk about Language and
Culture. Together we;
• Shared stories and experiences to build a shared understanding of what Language and Culture means.
• Explored our hopes and aspirations for Language and Culture.
• Named what success would look like when Language and Culture are strong.
• Began to plan how we can track and measure progress.
Click here for the Powerpoint presentation or visit the Binarri-binyja yarrawoo website. The backbone organisation for the Empowered Communities reform agenda in the East Kimberley.
- SEWB Explainer Vimeo
- An educational resource develop by Yamatji-Nyoongar man Kevin Taylor to explain what is Social and Emotional Wellbeing (SEWB) for Aboriginal peoples and what can impact a person’s SEWB.
Yarn Safe – No shame in talking it out
Got a lot going on? When we’ve got a lot going on we can feel sad, tired, stressed and angry. Everybody has these feelings when life is tough, but when these feelings go on for a long time it can weaken our body, mind and spirit. If you feel like there is too much happening, clearing your head can help. Below is some information that may help you or somebody else, when going through a hard time. There’s no shame in talking it out. headspace is your space to yarn safe.
Click here for a fact sheet about mental health.