Pledge support for the Gayaa Dhuwi (Proud Spirit) Declaration

Pledge support for the Gayaa Dhuwi (Proud Spirit) Declaration

Help close the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander mental health gap by pledging support for the Gayaa Dhuwi (Proud Spirit) Declaration.

The mental health of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples is significantly worse than that of other Australians across many indicators. In particular, the suicide rates are twice as high. The reasons for the gap are many but include the lack of culturally competent and safe services within the mental health system, that balance clinical responses with culturally-informed responses including access to cultural healing. To rectify this, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander leadership is needed in those parts of the mental health system that work with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander populations.

Pledging your organisation's or personal support for the Gayaa Dhuwi (Proud Spirit) Declaration is a first step in supporting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander leadership in appropriate parts of the mental health system to improve our mental health and reduce suicide.

NATSILMH would also like to hear from you!

Please let us know in 250 words or less what you or your organisation is doing to support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander leadership in mental health and suicide prevention and to implement the Gayaa Dhuwi (Proud Spirit) Declaration. In this way, we hope to be able to share success stories and ways of turning the words of the declaration into action and better mental health and lower rates of suicide for our peoples.

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