VANNA ENGTHONGKHAM (WELLBEING WORKER) AND SHAN UNDUGODAGE (MENTAL HEALTH AND WELLBEING MANAGER

Primary Mental Health Indigenous Funding and Drug and Alcohol Treatment Activities Funding delivered through a Social and Emotional Wellbeing Model Program (SEWB Activities)

Our funders the Northern Territory Primary Health Network (NT PHN) provides support for our Social Emotional Wellbeing program to the people of the Urapuntja Homeland Communities.

The funding is to improve access to joined up, integrated, culturally appropriate and safe (mental health and drug and alcohol services) that holistically meet the mental health and healing needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people

We work to contribute to the delivery of culturally appropriate SEWB activities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples that incorporates community development, engagement and clinical components.

Our goal is to achieve better outcomes in early intervention, treatment and management of mental health and; alcohol and drug issues for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, through strengthening an integrated approach within primary health care settings.

We plan and deliver effective, evidence based and culturally appropriate social emotional wellbeing activities and interventions that are reflective of the SEWB Model, specifically using approaches that value and build upon local knowledge, community and cultural strengths.

The social emotional wellbeing model that was developed in australia for first nations people

Urapuntja Health Service has a Wellbeing for our Mob project, as part of our social, emotional and mental wellbeing program. We have facilities and activities based in the following areas:

  1. Women’s Shed - art, painting, bush medicine, education workshops

  2. Men’s Shed and Mechanical / Tyre Workshop - support for men to repair their vehicles / tyres, education and skills development

  3. Music Studio - utilising music as a pathway to healing and the transmission of cultural knowledge and mental wellbeing for individuals and for families

  4. Health Promotion and Health Literacy programs - chronic conditions workshops (run in association with Clinical staff) and healthy ageing workshops for our Elders (every week)

These wellbeing programs are held in the former Clinic building, and the Women’s and Men’s Sheds are located nearby.

Ruby Morton (pictured below) is with our Aboriginal Health Worker trainees overseeing the bush medicine activity with local women.