SEWB Regional Centres

Information about the Social and Emotional Wellbeing (SEWB) Regional Centre program is provided here, together with contact details of SEWB Regional Centres across Australia.

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About the Social and Emotional Wellbeing Regional Centres

The Australia-wide network of Social and Emotional Wellbeing Regional Centres (SEWB RCs) is an important component of the Australian Government program addressing issues related to the social and emotional wellbeing of Indigenous peoples [1] . The 12 centres provide professional support to staff of the Link-Up and Bringing Them Home (BTH) programs as well as other workers (especially mental health workers). They do this by:

•  developing and/or adapting curricula, delivering and/or purchasing training, and supporting, influencing or advocating for other agencies to meet training needs;

•  developing appropriate cross-sector linkages and interagency cooperation; and

•  maintaining information systems to clarify the level of need in the region and to inform the operations of the regional centre.

The SEWB RC Program was established in 1997 as a part of the Australian Government's response to the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission's publication Bringing Them Home that reported on the findings of an inquiry into the separation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children from their families.

The Australian Government's allocation of $63 million over the four year period 1998-2001, provided:

•  $16m for the BTH Program

•  $17m for education and training, including the SEWB RCs

•  $11.25m for the establishment of a national network of Link-Up services

•  $5.9m for parenting support programs

•  $9m to support Indigenous languages and culture

•  with the remainder to support smaller projects relating to archiving, preservation of records and oral history recordings.

Funding for the BTH Program, the Link-up Program and the SEWB RCs has now been rolled into the base funding of the Department of Health and Ageing (DoHA), and is allocated on an annual basis.

For 2006-2007, $24 million was allocated for the four programs: BTH Program, Link-Up Program, the SEWB RCs, and the Mental Health Program. Of this, $5.68 million is allocated to the SEWB RC Program.

The SEWB RC Program was included in an independent evaluation undertaken by Urbis Keys Young for OATSIH. The report ‘Evaluation of the Bringing Them Home and Indigenous Mental Health Programs’ was publicly released on 9 May 2007. The evaluation found that:

• the Link Up and Bringing Them Home Counselling (BTHC) programs provided services to a large number of Indigenous clients, generally in culturally appropriate ways, who in most instances would not have received services otherwise;
• there is a generally high level of client satisfaction and positive outcomes for clients of the Link Up and BTHC Programs, and Mental Health Service Delivery Projects and a lower level of satisfaction with the Regional Centres;
• there is a significant level of unmet demand for the services, and services are under-resourced for the high workloads currently experienced;
• given the trans-generational impact of forced separation, the demand for services is likely to continue to be at least the same level for the foreseeable future;
• Mental Health Service Delivery Projects have long waiting lists and have limited capacity to respond to clients’ full range of needs; and
• there is a need for greater national consistency in service delivery in each of the programs.

Details of the 12 SEWB RCs are provided below.

Reference

1 Wilczynski A, Reed-Gilbert K, Milward K, Tayler B, Fear J, et al. (2007) Evaluation of the Bringing Them Home and Indigenous Mental Health Programs, final report. Canberra: Office for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health

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Publications

Wilczynski A, Reed-Gilbert K, Milward K, Tayler B, Fear J, et al. (2007)
Evaluation of the Bringing Them Home and Indigenous Mental Health Programs, final report.
Canberra: Office for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health
View report (PDF - 605KB)
View website: Office for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health

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Contacts: Social and Emotional Wellbeing Regional Centres

Below a list of contact details of SEWB Regional Centres is provided. An Australia-wide map of various Indigenous social and emotional wellbeing services is also provided. » View map of services: Social and Emotional Wellbeing Regional Centres

ACT

Canberra Regional Centre - Muuji Regional Centre for Social and
Emotional Well Being
63 Boolimba Crescent
Narrabundah ACT 2604
Ph: (02) 6284 6222 or (02) 6284 6231
Fax: (02) 6262 7550
Email: winrego@winunga.org.au

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Northern Territory

Alice Springs Regional Centre
Branch Manager
Central Australian Aboriginal Congress
19 Gap Road
PO Box 1604
Alice Springs NT 0871
Ph: (08) 8953 8988
Fax: (08) 8953 8399
Mob: 0439 845 471
Email: sewb.manager@caacongress.com.au

Darwin Regional Centre - Danila Dilba Health Service
PO Box 2125
Darwin NT 0801
Ph: (08) 8941 9177
Fax: (08) 8941 8402
Email: Eswb.director@daniladilba.org.au
Website: http://www.daniladilba.org.au/

NPY Regional Centre - NPY Women’s Council
Project Worker
Dale Wakefield
3 Wilkinson Street
PO Box 2189
Alice Springs NT 0871
Ph: (08) 8958 2377
Fax: (08) 8958 2378
Mob: 0414 405 661
Email: eswb@npywc.org

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Queensland

Brisbane Regional Centre - ATSICHET
252 Annerley Road
Dutton Park
PO Box 8335
Woolloongabba QLD 4102
Ph: (07) 3255 2255
Fax: (07) 3255 2524
Email: admin@atsichet.org
Website: http://www.atsichet.org/

Cairns Regional Centre - Far North Queensland Indigenous Consortium
117 Anderson Street
PO Box 905M
Manunda QLD 4870
Ph: (07) 4032 5555
Fax: (07) 4053 6994

Central Queensland Regional Centre - Bidgerdii Aboriginal and Torres
Strait Islander Corporation Community Health Service
PO Box 106
ROCKHAMPTON QLD 4700
Ph: (07) 4923 7661
Fax: (07) 4923 7665
Email: Coord@cqrtc-sewb.org

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South Australia

Adelaide Regional Centre - Nunkuwarrin Yunti Inc.
182/190 Wakefield Street
Adelaide SA 5000
Ph: (08) 8223 5217
Fax: (08) 8227 0239
Website: http://www.nunku.org.au

Tasmania

Tasmanian Regional Centre
Program Coordinator: Raylene Foster
198 Elizabeth Street
GPO Box 569F
Hobart TAS 7001
Ph: (03) 6234 8311
Fax: (03) 6234 7138

Victoria

Melbourne Regional Centre - VACCHO
5-7 Smith Street
Fitzroy VIC 3065
Ph: (03) 9419 3350
Fax: (03) 9417 3871
Website: http://www.vaccho.org.au/

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Western Australia

Broome Regional Centre- Kimberley Aboriginal Medical Services Inc.
Coordinator
9 Bardwell Street
PO Box 1377
Broome WA 6725
Ph: (08) 9192 6435
Fax: (08) 9192 6127
Mob: 0422 459 779/0427 936 043
Email: kamsc@kamsc.org.au
Website: http://www.kamsc.org.au/

Nguleegoo Regional Centre
Bega Garnbirringu Health Service
PO Box 1655
KALGOORLIE WA 6433
Ph: (08) 9091 3199
Fax: (08) 9091 1039
Mob. 0408 914 617

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Last updated: 19 February 2008