Training

Information on relevant training activities and courses is collected here. You may find information about funding to support training activities on the Funding page. » Funding. For information relating to training and funding in other areas of Indigenous health view the following HealthInfoNet pages. »Funding »Courses in Indigenous health » Noticeboard

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Australian Institute for Loss and Grief

The Australian Institute for Healing Loss and Grief trading as The Sacred Site Within Healing Centre organises the following 5 day workshop for psychologists: How to Understand Mental Health using Loss and Grief as a Holistic System when working in the Aboriginal community.

The Institute has developed a model called the Seven Phases to Healing - using loss and grief as a holistic system to understand and respond to major social and health problems in the Aboriginal community. The workshop is based on this model.

  • Workshop dates:
    • 2008
      22 - 26 September - Melbourne
      27 - 31 October - Brisbane
      24 - 28 November - Darwin
    • 2009
      23 - 27 February - Adelaide
      23 - 27 March - Perth
      27 April - 1 May - Sydney
  • Further information:
  • Contact details:
    • Australian Institute for Healing Loss & Grief Pty Ltd Trading as The Sacred Site Within Healing Centre, U2B/171 Commercial Road , Port Adelaide SA 5015, ph: (08) 8240 4597, fax: (08) 8240 4537, mobile: 0438 203 032, email: sacredhc@bigpond.net.au

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Australian First Nations Academy for Cultural Family Therapy and Counselling

The aim of the Australian First Nations Academy (AFNA) is to promote the importance of culturally specific therapeutic models of training, throughout the delivery of culturally specific advocacy, referral and client support, family therapy and counselling training.

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Djirruwang Program

The Djirruwang Program is available at the Charles Sturt University in Wagga Wagga, New South Wales. The Program offers an undergraduate degree, the Bachelor of Health Science (Mental Health).
The course is targeted at Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

View course information: Charles Sturt University (HTML)

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Indigenous Psychological Services

Indigenous Psychological Services (IPS) offers the following two-day training workshops:

  • Mental health and psychological assessment of at-risk Aboriginal clients (training dates for 2008 now available » view info)
  • Understanding cultural learning styles of Aboriginal people and how this impacts on counselling, therapy and teaching strategies

IPS is currently developing an integrated web-based Aboriginal Mental Health Workforce Skills Development Package.

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Marr Mooditj Foundation Inc., Aboriginal Health College

Marr Mooditj Foundation offers the following mental health courses:

  • Diploma of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Primary Health (Community Care)
    (replaces Diploma of Aboriginal Mental Health Care)
  • Certificate IV in Aboriginal &/or Torres Strait Islander Primary Health (Community Care)
    (replaces Certificate IV in Mental Health Work (Non-Clinical))
  • Contact details:

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Marumali Program

The aim of the Marumali Program is to increase the quality of support available for survivors of removal policies to undertake their healing journey. Several workshops are offered through the Program:

  • Program for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Service Providers (5 days)
  • Program for Non-Indigenous Service Providers (2 days)
  • Risk Management Workshop for Workers (2 days)
  • Suicide Prevention Workshop: Managing Suicide Risk in Survivors of Removal Policies (2 days)
  • Healing Workshop (1 day)
  • Awareness Workshop (1 day)
  • Program for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Inmates within Correctional Centres (5 days)

View more information (HTML)

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Macquarie University - Social Health Program

The Social Health Program is offered by the Department of Psychology and Warawara (Department of Indigenous Studies), and aims to provide theoretical and skills training for front line workers in the area of social health. It is a multidisciplinary program that provides a socio-cultural analysis on physical and psychological health, including prevention, health promotion, identification/diagnosis, crisis intervention, counselling, community interventions and relapse prevention.

View web page: Social Health Program

Students can choose from four specialist approaches:

  • Alcohol and Other Drugs
  • Child and Family
  • Indigenous Health Work
  • Narrative approaches (only recommended for experienced counselors/workers)

The Centre for Drugs and Alcohol (NSW Department of Health) provides some financial support of the program. The Alcohol and Education Rehabilitation Foundation provides scholarships for Indigenous students.

Three qualifications are available: Postgraduate Certificate, Postgraduate Diploma and Master of Social Health. Each qualification provides the opportunity to specialise in any of the three specialist approaches.

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Mental Health First Aid Training

Mental Health First Aid is the help provided to a person developing a mental health problem or in a mental health crisis. The first aid is given until appropriate professional treatment is received or until the crisis resolves. In order to help people provide this initial support for someone with a mental health problem, a Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) training course has been developed.

Specifically for Indigenous people, the following course is on offer:

  • 5 Day Adult Mental Health First Aid (AMHFA) Instructor course for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people
    View brochure (PDF - 238KB)
    View application form (for Indigenous people only) (Word Doc - 166KB)

The Mental Health First Aid team has also developed some guidelines specifically for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. For more information about the guidelines, click here.

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Nunkuwarrin Yunti

The South Australia Centre for Indigenous Social and Emotional Well Being (SA Regional Centre) is located at Nunkuwarrin Yunti, and provides education, training and support to social and emotional wellbeing health workers across South Australia.

Among other activities, the SA Regional Centre offers workshops, and the Diploma of Narrative Approaches for Aboriginal People (DNAAP) Course.

  • Contact details:
    • South Australia Centre for Indigenous Social and Emotional Well Being, Virginia Slattery, Course Co-ordinator, 182-190 Wakefield Street, Adelaide SA 5000, ph: (08) 8223 5217, fax: (08) 8227 0239, website: http://www.nunku.org.au

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Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists

The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists (RANZCP) has developed a website about Australian Indigenous mental health. This website contains some learning modules to enable students to explore various aspects of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander social and emotional wellbeing across the life span and explore key areas of mental heath practice in a self-paced learning environment.

The seven modules consist of case studies with background information relevant to each case study.

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Last updated: 18 August 2008