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headspace National Youth Mental Health Foundation have launched their Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP).
hY NRG member, Teasha, mc-ed the event and shared her own personal story of reconciliation, while Boon Warrung Elders Aunty Janet, welcomed us to Country and David, performed a smoking ceremony.
The launch of the headspace National RAP is an incredibly powerful part of the organisation's proud 13 year history. This year, headspace centres and online services will engage with up to 10,000 young Indigenous people, who may be experiencing a tough time. We will be there for them. We are committed to working with community elders, children, young people and all First Nations people, to be led by them and to play our important role in closing the health gap for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
The effects of colonisation, dispossession and intergenerational trauma have resulted in poor health outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people compared to non-Indigenous young people.
headspace, National Youth Mental Health Foundation, are well placed to learn from First Nations and stimulate change to produce better health and wellbeing outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people.
Our vision for reconciliation is an equitable Australia where the 60,000 year old cultures and continuing connection to Country of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are respected and celebrated.
This future Australia is united by the understanding of our shared past, upholds the rights of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, and embraces self-determination and diversity.
Our Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) has now been developed and endorsed which will assist our organisation to work towards achieving our unique vision for reconciliation.
We will strengthen relationships with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and engage with staff and stakeholders in reconciliation.
headspace, over the years, has continued to acknowledge and pay respects to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Initiatives by headspace include:
- Yarn Safe, the first youth led national Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander mental health campaign of its kind that brought together 12 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people from all over Australia to co-create a campaign targeted at reducing stigma
- Established the headspace National Cultural Practice and Diversity team to provide essential cultural input, advice and recommendations
- The identification of four positions for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander young people within the headspace Youth National Reference Group
- An identified position within headspace Work and Study to focus on helping young Aboriginal and Torres Islander people engage with work and study
- Ensuring all new staff at headspace National are required to undertake in-house cross-cultural competency training
- The identification of two positions for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander young people in the National Youth Mental Health Engagement Initiative
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander inclusive language protocols
- Welcome to Country and Acknowledgement of Country Protocols
- A formal commitment through our Strategic Plan which highlights our intention to actively seek to embed the perspectives and practices of Australia’s First Peoples in all it does
Our RAP will deepen our understanding of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and cultures; our shared history; and the policies that have significantly shaped the health and wellbeing inequalities of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people and their families today, empowering our staff to make an active contribution to reconciliation
We will ensure that the relationships we build with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people and communities are proactive, collaborative and meaningful and honour the resilience and self-determination of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
As part of our strategy, we actively seek to embed the perspectives and practices of Australia’s First Peoples in all we do. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people are one of the headspace priority groups and we are committed to continually supporting their culture as a part of the headspace culture.