• Youth must be central to service design and delivery
• National Suicide and Self-harm Monitoring System website launch
• Diabetes and hypertension webinar
• Young Stroke Project
• New app to help curb ice use
• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander youth face unique issues

Youth must be central to service design and delivery

Mission Australia CEO James Toomey says that “Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people must be central to the co-design and co-implementation of the services that they need and it is vital and logical that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have greater influence over the policies, programs and services that affect them.”

This call has been backed by Professor Tom Calma AO, who said the policy and service response for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people was more critical now than ever, “Policy leaders must be serious about reconciliation and enhancing the social and emotional wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people and come together with them and prioritise tackling these issues with practical solutions. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people should be actively involved in services design and delivery. After all, they hold the knowledge and wisdom about what it means to be an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander young person today.” Calma believes a co-design approach has been gaining momentum recently.

To view the full article click here.

Guthoo Youth Summit, Kalgoorlie-Boulder. Image source; National Indigenous Australian Agency.

National Suicide and Self-harm Monitoring System website launch

Lifeline Australia Chief Executive Officer, Colin Seery, welcomed the launch of a National Suicide and Self-harm Monitoring System website by the Australian Mental Health Commission and Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIWH) as a significant step toward. The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) has released the public website which is funded by the Department of Health. Mr Seery said: “This suicide and self-harm monitoring system will greatly improve the way suicide prevention services can respond to suicide risk. It will provide us with greater insight into where both the immediate and heightened risk is occurring, enabling us to put in place preventative measures that will mitigate the risk of harm as soon as it is identified.”

To view the Lifeline Australia media statement click here.

Image source: The Wire website.

Diabetes and hypertension webinar

Kidney Health Education is hosting a health professional webinar called Diabetes and Hypertension – Case Study Discussions presented by Dr Angus Ritchie, Nephrologist at 7.00 pm AEST on Wednesday 14 October 2020.

To register for the webinar click here.

Image source: The Medical Journal of Australia.

Young Stroke Project

The Stroke Foundation has been funded by the National Disability Insurance Agency to deliver information for younger stroke survivors aged 18 to 65 years old, their partners, families, friends and employers. The project has a focus on diverse communities, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders and the LGBTQI+ community. We have a proud Wiradjuri woman Charlotte on our lived experience working group and have commenced engagement with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders who have registered interest in our project.

You can read more about the Young Stroke Project here.

Stroke Foundation’s Lived Experience Working Group member and stroke survivor Charlotte Porter. Image source: The Condobolin Argus.

New app to help curb ice use

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who use the drug “ice” are being urged to trial a new web-app as part of a public health project designed to stop methamphetamine consumption. The We Can Do This app was developed by the University of Queensland (UQ) and SA medical researchers, with input from Aboriginal people who have previously used ice. UQ School of Public Health project leader Professor Jame Ward said the app included interactive modules on social, health and psychological elements linked to drug addiction.

For more information on the We Can Do This app click here and read the full article about the development of the new app click here.

Image source: UQ News website.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander youth face unique issues

Mission Australia’s Youth Survey in 2019 has found that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander teenagers are three times as likely to have experienced homelessness and are more concerned about domestic violence and suicide than non-Indigenous youth. Indigenous teens were also twice as likely to be concerned about drugs, alcohol and discrimination. Professor Tom Calma, University of Canberra chancellor and co-chair of the Voice to Government Senior Advisory Group, said the report showed more needed to be done to properly support young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in need and a target policy and service response is overdue.

To view the 7 News article click here.

Image source: BBC website.