Developing an Indigenous workforce that has the capacity

to grow and influence mainstream mental health

servicesFred Yasso

Indigenous Representations Increasing Mental Health Workforce has Increased Historically Governments have been

concerned with percentages i.e Workforce mirrors community profile

Indigenous Representation

Improving employment outcomes for Indigenous Australians is now a responsibility for all agencies across the Commonwealth public sector.

The national agenda is clear:• Halve the gap in employment outcomes between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians by 2018.• Increase the representation of Indigenous Australians across the Commonwealth public sector to 2.7% by 2015.

National Agenda

Occupational Streams majority workforce in Health Worker/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 there were factors that hindered or prevented them from applying for higher positions. The top three reasons cited were: • limited number of opportunities at higher level (49%) • lack of self confidence (38%) • not yet having the necessary qualifications and/or experience (29%).

2009 Census Report: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander APS Employees, p. 67

2009 Census Report: Aboriginal and Torres 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 of

services by upskilling non-aboriginal staff in the mental health and social and emotional well-being sectors

Community members

Aboriginal mental health literacy education to the wider community (both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal).

Staff training Internal SAMHS team training

Needs identified through performance development with line manager and individualised learning plans developed with training coordinator

Training & clinical supervision to meet mandatory training and credentialing requirements

In-service training & cultural supervision to enhance cultural security and competence

Aboriginal workforce development Special dispensation to provide extended study

leave to undertake the CSU Bachelor of Health Science (Mental Health)

Workforce development and community education Delivered by all SAMHS staff.

Standardisation of Cultural Consultants roles as Profession

Choice of Pathways Supported Professional Development

Scholarships Traineeships Cadetships Study Leave Back Filling Positions

Reformation of Mental Health Workforce

Workforce with a diversity of occupations Increased levels of Retention Increased numbers of Indigenous people in

Health Workforce Increased ability of Health Care Services to

provide Culturally Capable Services

Outcomes

What will happen to Indigenous positions when we have Closed the Gap?If we do not develop successions plans and sustainable career pathways for our Indigenous Workforce we will set up our people to fail.

Summary

The prevalence of MH Issues in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community; In 2008, nearly one-third (32%) of Aboriginal and Torres Strait

Islander people aged 18 years and over had experienced high/very high levels of psychological distress, which was more than twice the rate for non-Indigenous people.

The most common types of stressors experienced by those with high distress were bad illness/accident (52%), death of a family member or close friend (51%) and alcohol and drug related problems (39%). People with high/very high levels of distress were twice as likely as those with low/moderate levels of distress to report abuse and violent crime, witness to violence and severe disability as stressors

Indigenous Mental Health