Social and emotional wellbeing regional centres

• Reach:

  National

• Focus area:

  Indigenous

• Status:

  Current

• Evaluated:

  Yes

Overview

The Australian-wide network of Social and Emotional Wellbeing Regional Centres (SEWB RC's) is an important component of the Australian Government program addressing issues related to the social and emotional wellbeing of Indigenous peoples . 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 SEWB RC program was included in an independent evaluation undertaken by Urbis Keys Young for the Office for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health (OATSIH). The Evaluation of the Bringing Them Home and Indigenous Mental Health Programs report was released in 2007.

Evaluated publications

Wilczynski A, Reed-Gilbert K, Milward K, Tayler B, Fear J, Schwartzkoff J (2007)

Evaluation of the Bringing Them Home and Indigenous Mental Health Programs, final report.

Canberra: Office for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health

In 2006, the Office for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health commissioned Urbis Keys Young to evaluate the Bringing Them Home and Indigenous Mental Health Programs. Four programs were covered in the evaluation: the Link-Up Program; the Binging Them Home Program; the Social and Emotional Wellbeing Regional Centre Program; and the Mental Health Program.
The evaluation consisted of a consultation with service providers, associated organisations and clients of the services. The evaluation was advised by a Reference Group with membership from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander organisations.

Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet abstract

• Links
• View report: Evaluation of the Bringing Them Home and Indigenous Mental Health Programs, final report
• View report: Evaluation of the Bringing Them Home and Indigenous Mental Health Programs, final report (PDF - 606.0 KB)
• View website: Office for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health

Links

• View information: Bringing them home
• View website: Office for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health (OATSIH)