Indigenous Wellbeing Conference
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6 - 7 December 2021

#IWC21

Update: In the interest of public safety and the developing situation regarding COVID-19, we have made the difficult decision to postpone the Indigenous Wellbeing Conference.

The conference has now been rescheduled to 6-7 December 2021.

Connecting Communities and Services to Close the Gap in Social & Emotional Wellbeing

Pullman Cairns International, Cairns, QLD

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Hearing the Hard Truths.

It is devastating that in Australia, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have significantly higher mental health needs than other Australians and experience psychological distress at around THREE times the rate of the non-Indigenous population.

We see similar statistics across the seas, with Māori and Pacifika populations carrying the highest burden of suicide with higher incidences.

In order to change, we must first shine a light on the key challenges in Indigenous communities, and address the past and present issues contributing to inequities in mental health treatment and care. We must work towards empowering Indigenous communities to develop their own solutions to live long healthy lives; strengthen culture; and reconnect with their spirit.

Share, listen & learn.

At the 2021 Indigenous Wellbeing Conference, you will discover the latest Indigenous-led, grassroot programs and projects taking place around the nation and across the seas. You will learn how to implement practical evidence-based research into your service, and gain a greater understanding of Indigenous protocols, practices, and considerations.

Discover ways to connect with services, communities and clients when distance is a challenge, and hear about the existing health care gaps and strategies. With a program full of practical solutions, you will leave better equipped to effectively acknowledge and encompass physical, spiritual, and cultural needs of Indigenous populations.

Our Commitment to You.

We understand that to close the gap in social and emotional wellbeing for the Indigenous population, a national platform is needed to connect, collaborate, and unify the voice for change.

That’s why we promise to:

  • Provide a balanced program that gives voice to lived experience journeys, Indigenous communities, natural healers, services, and practitioners
  • Offer a holistic approach which covers all demographics and stages of mental health including prevention, treatment, and recovery
  • Give you various opportunities to create meaningful networks
  • Design a keynote line-up highlighting examples of best practice, identifying improvements & providing practical solutions to key challenges
  • Be accessible to even the most remote locations through online access
  • Offer development opportunities to challenge you both personally and professionally through a range of pre-conference activities
  • Provide you with a culturally diverse and safe space for growth, learning and healing

Keynote Speakers

Dr Faye McMillan AM

Deputy National Rural Health Commissioner, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health

Dr Faye McMillan AM

Deputy National Rural Health Commissioner, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health

Associate Professor Dr Faye McMillan is a Wiradjuri
yinaa (woman) originally from Trangie, NSW. Faye
has received numerous accolades for her leadership
and contribution to population health, education,
equity and the community. In 2019 she was named
as the NSW Aboriginal Woman of the year; in 2017
she was recognised in the Who's Who of Australian
Women; and in 2014 she was included in the
Australian Financial Review and Westpac 100 women
of influence.

Faye holds a Doctor of Health Science, Master of Indigenous Health Bachelor of Pharmacy,
Graduate Certificate Wiradjuri Language, Culture and Heritage, Graduate Certificate
Indigenous Governance, and Graduate Certificate in Education. She is a Senior Atlantic Fellow
for Social Equity and founding member of Indigenous Allied Health Australia (IAHA) and was
a board member of IAHA from 2009-2017. Faye is the first registered Aboriginal Pharmacist.

Ms Steph Tisdell

Comedian

Ms Steph Tisdell

Comedian

Steph Tisdell is one of the brightest stars to explode on the Australian comedy scene in recent years. A luminescent presence on stage, her warmth and wit has been a hit with audiences ever since she won the Deadly Funny National Grand Final in 2014. Her award-winning shows sell out wherever she performs and she is fast becoming a ubiquitous presence on mainstream television, having appeared on Ten’s Stand Up for Christchurch Benefit, Just for Laughs Australia on the Comedy Channel, Hughesy We Have A Problem, and on multiple occasions as both an interviewee and presenter on The Project.
Her famous 2019 spot on ABC TV’s Oxfam Melbourne International Comedy Festival Gala went viral and as a result, the following year she was invited to host the Gala, one of the festival’s highest status gigs. Steph has also performed barefoot stand-up on ABC TV’s Tonightly With Tom Ballard; went on a platonic blind-date with Faustina ‘Fuzzy’ Agolley on ABC Life’s Hey Stranger, where the pair bonded over being mixed race, and performed stand-up to a live audience of a couple of thousand for radio station Triple J. She’s also done stand-up on ABC Comedy Up Late and was a presenter on Australia Talks, an ABC special broadcast in 2019 and co-hosted Triple J Breakfast during NAIDOC week with David Woodhead. Steph also recently wrapped her first supporting role in a feature film “Love You Like That” which is due for release in 2020.
On stage, critics have showered her with a galaxy-worth of four and five star reviews and hail her as being “warmly funny, immediately relatable, fast on her feet” (Time Out) and “riotous, audacious and incredibly smart” (Arts Hub). “Like Hannah Gadsby, she clearly recognises that true vulnerability is a powerful place to excavate comedy material and her authenticity on stage is remarkable,” said The Adelaide Review of her 2020 show Baby Beryl.
Her debut solo show, Identity Steft, won the weekly award for best emerging talent at the 2018 Adelaide Fringe and was nominated for the illustrious Best Newcomer Award at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival. Her second show, The Pyramid, took out the 2019 Melbourne International Comedy Festival John Pinder Award.
As a proud Indigenous woman, Steph was also a part of the Aboriginal Comedy All Stars line-up, who sold out most nights during their festival run at the notoriously competitive Edinburgh Fringe, before heading to London’s Soho Theatre. It’s not just Australian critics impressed that she “never fails to keep the audience laughing” (The Wee Review). Major daily newspaper The Scotsman described her set as being “a phenomenal twenty minutes” and said “Steph Tisdell is a glorious powerhouse of First Nation funny”. Broadway World’s enamoured reviewer admitted “it was a bit of a fangirl moment seeing Tisdell gig live”.
Steph has also traversed Australia with the Comedy Festival’s Roadshow and when she was honing her craft at the beginning of her career in the UK, was a semi-finalist in comedy competition So You Think You're Funny and a finalist in Scotland’s Yes Bar New Comedian contest.
Before discovering her gift for comedy, Steph’s interest in politics and advocacy saw her enrolling in law and this formidable intelligence and sense of social justice now permeates her material. As a Ydinji woman she loves to share her experiences and what her culture means to her, and she hopes that her visibility will empower other Aboriginal artists to come forward and showcase why they’re the funniest race in the world. “Aware of her platform, she uses it in a way that both educates and entertains her audience on the nuances of Aboriginal life – something that many Australians would benefit from” (Arts Hub)
Steph’s material covers plenty of other ground, as well. She talks with endearing candour about her issues with mental health and body image, revels in oddball observations (have you ever considered what animals would look like with eyebrows?) and peppers her sets with some ribald remarks. Whatever the topic, with a wit as sparkly as the mischievous glint in her eyes, Steph Tisdell is indeed “a joy to watch” (Glam Adelaide).

Mr William Tilmouth

Chair, Children’s Ground

Mr William Tilmouth

Chair, Children’s Ground

William Tilmouth was born in Alice Springs and is an Arrernte man. A member of the stolen generations, William was taken to Croker Island where he lived and attended school with many other children sent there as a result of Government policy of that era.

In 1967 he was moved off the mission to Darwin, and in 1969, he returned to Alice Springs. He attended the Aboriginal Community College in Adelaide in 1974 and worked in many jobs in South Australia. He returned to Alice Springs in 1980.

William has worked in various Government and Aboriginal organisations and was elected the Central Australian ATSIC Regional Chair in the 1980s. From 1988 to 2010 he was the Executive Director of Tangentyere Council.

William believes that Aboriginal children, families and communities should have every opportunity to be empowered, and to own and control the decisions that affect them.

Professor Cheryl Kickett-Tucker (with Youth Panel)

Fellow/Founding Director, Curtin University and Pindi Pindi Ltd, Centre for Research Excellence in Aboriginal Wellbeing

Professor Cheryl Kickett-Tucker (with Youth Panel)

Fellow/Founding Director, Curtin University and Pindi Pindi Ltd, Centre for Research Excellence in Aboriginal Wellbeing

Professor Cheryl Kickett-Tucker is an Aboriginal Western Australian who is a Wadjuk traditional owner. She has traditional ties to her grandparents’ Balladong and Yued country. Cheryl was born in Subiaco, Western Australia and has lived most of her life in Perth.  She is a dedicated wife (23 years) and mother of three children.  Cheryl was educated in both Australia and the United States of America.

Cheryl is a Research Fellow at Curtin University and the Project Director/coach Kaat Koort n Hoops (after hours) at Koya Aboriginal Corporation. She is also the Founding Director of Pindi Ltd, Centre for Research Excellence in Aboriginal Wellbeing. She is a Wadjuk Noongar Traditional Owner, social psychological research scientist, children’s fiction writer and community development practitioner.

Mrs Sharon Shea

Chair, Expert Advisory Group, Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission in Aotearoa & Board Chair, Bay Of Plenty District Health Board

Mrs Sharon Shea

Chair, Expert Advisory Group, Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission in Aotearoa & Board Chair, Bay Of Plenty District Health Board

Sharon is a recognised leader in the field of health sector strategy, outcomes framework development, quality assurance, results based accountability and systems design, particularly in respect to issues affecting Māori equity and wellbeing.

Her role in the development of the Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission has been as Chair of the in Expert Advisory Group charged with providing specialist advice and recommendations in the conceptual framework phase of the Commission’s development.

In 2018, Sharon was awarded an MNZM for services to Māori health and development. She was also part of the recent Māori Expert Advisory Group for the Health and Disability Systems Review charged with ensuring Māori perspectives on key aspects of the review were well considered and understood, purposefully focusing the Review on addressing inequity in health outcomes for Māori.

Sharon’s contribution has resulted in the establishment of an Māori Health Authority in New Zealand, which will hold a substantive budget in the new health system to commission and co-commission services for Māori (and others) to achieve equity and wellbeing.

This is the first time in the history of Aotearoa that a national Māori organisation will hold a budget appropriation directly from the government in the health system.

Sharon holds several degrees including Law, Arts and a MSC Comparative Social Policy (Distinction) from Oxford University. She is a Board member and Chair of several government and non-government organisations, which are both Ministerial and peer appointments.

Dr Mark Wenitong

Aboriginal Public Health Medical Officer, Apunipima Cape York Health Council

Dr Mark Wenitong

Aboriginal Public Health Medical Officer, Apunipima Cape York Health Council

Dr Wenitong (Adjunct Prof QUT) is about the 6th Aboriginal Doctor (Kabi Kabi of South East Qld) to graduate in Australia and is currently the Director of Research Knowledge Translation for the Lowitja Institute and the inaugural Chair of the Queensland Health State-wide Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander clinical network (2021).

For the last 12 years prior to this, Mark was the Senior Public Health Medical Advisor, Senior Medical Officer, clinician, and health service policy and strategic planning advisor for Apunipima Cape York Health Council including the remote social and emotional wellbeing programs as well as the prison wellbeing program. He has been involved in the SEWB responses to major trauma and multiple fatality events in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities in FNQ.

In 2013 Mark was the Aboriginal Public Health Medical Officer for the National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation. (NACCHO) and acting CEO for NACCHO, Canberra.

Prior to this he was the Senior Medical Officer at Wuchopperen Health Service in Cairns.

He is also involved in national policy, as well as a number of research programs.

Mark sits on the board of GDPS (National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Mental Health Leadership Group) and was previously a member of the Queensland Mental Health Commission Advisory Board, CEQ (Remote Stores), and others.

He co-chairs the national co-design group for the national evaluation of the IAHP, and sits on the IPAG (national implementation group of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health plan) as well as the national Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Genomics group.

He was a founding member and past president of the Australian Indigenous Doctors Association and previously the medical advisor to the Australian Dept of Health (OATSIHS).

His awards include:

  • National Public Health Award – Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health 2020
  • Newcastle University Alumni Award 2019
  • Wuchopperen Health Service Lifetime Award
  • Queensland Aboriginal and Islander Health Council – Hall of Fame 2010
  • AMA Federal Award – Excellence in primary health care 2011
  • Best research publication MJA 2014

Mark's current work entails high level policy, health service planning, organisational collaboration, research, as well as translating evidence to practice in primary health care including the effects of colonialism with respect to allostatic load and chronic diseases in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities and cultural determinants of health.

As part of this, Mark has been instrumental in developing an evidence-based Family Centered Primary Health Care model for Cape York. He also has worked in international aid and community development as well as work in east Timor during the war. He has studied internationally at the Johns Hopkins Summer School for Indigenous Health, the Harvard Leadership in Medical education, and previously at the CDC in Atlanta during his 11 years as a pathology technician.

 

Ms Jane Vadiveloo

CEO, Children’s Ground

Ms Jane Vadiveloo

CEO, Children’s Ground

Jane Vadiveloo is the founding CEO of Children’s Ground. She has a Masters in Forensic Psychology and has worked with complex trauma and social and cultural justice throughout her career.

Jane has worked with First Nations communities for 25 years, establishing strength and justice-based approaches to achieve systemic and long term change. In 2000, Jane co-founded Akeyulerre with the Arrernte people in Central Australia, one of the first organisations based on First Nations knowledge systems in traditional healing and wellbeing in Australia.

Through work and direction of Elders and community leaders, Children’s Ground was founded – a systems change organisation that privileges First Nations systems of knowledge and practice. It is a 25-year approach led by communities who experience the greatest disadvantage as a result of social, cultural and economic injustice. This organisation is designed for future generations of children to have the right to determine their future and enjoy economic, political, social and cultural wellbeing.

Jane was one of the Westpac Australian Financial Review’s 100 Women of Influence.

Jean Te Huia

CEO, Choices

Jean Te Huia

CEO, Choices

Professor Chelsea Watego

Queensland University of Technology

Professor Chelsea Watego

Queensland University of Technology

Chelsea Watego (formerly Bond) is a Munanjahli and South Sea Islander woman with over 20 years of experience working within Indigenous health as a health worker and researcher.
Chelsea’s work has drawn attention to the role of race in the production of health inequalities. Her current ARC Discovery Grant seeks to build Indigenist Health Humanities as a new field of research; one that is committed to the survival of Indigenous peoples locally and globally, foregrounding Indigenous intellectual sovereignty.
She is a prolific writer and public intellectual, having written for IndigenousX, NITV, The Guardian, and The Conversation. She is a founding board member of Inala Wangarra, an Indigenous community organisation within her own community, and a Director of the Institute for Collaborative Race Research. She is also a proud mum to five beautiful children.
Her forthcoming book Another Day in the Colony, published by UQ Press, is to be released in November 2021.

Sponsors

Present.

Your voice deserves to be heard.

Have your say by applying to become a presenter and feature in the 2021 conference program.

Let us know how you are helping to close the gap in Indigenous mental health care.

Honouring Indigenous Voices & Wisdom: Balancing the System to Close the Gap

Promoting Wellbeing
  • Exploring the role of Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations
  • Suicide prevention and community impacts
  • Exploring the seven inter-related domains of social and emotional wellbeing
  • Early childhood preventive action and interventions
  • End-to-end school based SEWB programs – check points, who and what?
  • Indigenous governance, data sovereignty and self-determination/Tino Rangatiratanga
  • Funding challenges to incorporate Aboriginal Wellbeing from Aboriginal Worldview
  • Alcohol and drug reduction strategies
  • Research and its role in delivery, evaluation, costs and impact
Social, Political & Cultural Determinants
  • Substance abuse and comorbidity
  • Family and domestic violence
  • Economically and socially disadvantaged
  • Poor physical health
  • Homelessness and inequality
  • Chronic diseases
  • Developmental/cognitive impairments and disability
  • Absence of family members
  • Causal pathways and collaborative approaches in housing, education, employment, recreation, family services, crime prevention and justice
Community Care, Culture Revitalisation & Healing
  • Strength in cultural identity and security
  • Traditional healing methods/Rongoā Māori
  • Mobilising community natural helpers
  • Healing from trauma, discrimination, racism and stigma, grief, loss and stolen children
  • Power of Indigenous ways of respect, relationships, caring, view of life, living and passing
  • Recovery under the SEWB framework
  • Meaningful consumer & carer participation
  • Integration of clinical and non-clinical services
  • Building resilience & empowering communities
Culturally Responsive Care & Community Control
  • Government funding responses to service gaps and uncertainties
  • Shaping assessment, diagnosis, care and management under culturally valid understandings
  • Creating a culturally and clinically competent workforce and skill set
  • Partnering with relevant providers to plan and commission culturally and clinically appropriate services
  • Opportunities and developments in digital mental health
  • Family and Kin-centred and trauma-informed care
  • Clinical quality indicators to measure SEWB including accessibility, appropriateness, capability, continuity of care, effectiveness and efficiency
  • Improving service equity for rural and remote communities and under serviced populations
  • Facilitating continuity of care and information sharing between services
  • Literacy and trauma sensitivity

Presentation Styles

7-Minute Brief Presentation

Each presenter has  7 minutes to deliver a presentation with accompanying slideshow.

Talk along to the images as your slideshow progresses.

30-Minute Presentation

A 30 minute oral presentation consists of 20 minutes presentation time and 10 minutes discussion time at the end of your presentation.

Your application should outline the important points of your presentation and highlight the content you want to communicate. It should outline the aims, methods, relevance, results and conclusions of the work, research, project or case study.

Papers not selected for oral presentation may be given the option of a poster presentation.

90-Minute Workshop

Workshops will require an interactive format to facilitate active learning, such as discussions, small group role plays, or hands-on activities.

Your workshop format should focus on offering participants an interactive and informative session.

90-Minute Panel Discussion

Panel presentations bring together the views from a group of presenters into a discussion of innovative ideas, current topics, and relevant issues. The panel presentation is comprised of two components:

Presentations from the members of the panel (total of 60-minute duration)

Question and answers between the delegates and panel members. (total of 30-minute duration)

One combined application with a minimum of three and maximum of six individual presenters must be submitted by one author on behalf of the group.

Each panel will consist of a chair and panellists. The chair is to be the main organiser of the session and main contact for the session. The chair will coordinate the preparation, theme of presentations, be the timekeeper, and facilitate the Q&A session.

Panellists will each provide a brief presentation on the theme of the panel.

Poster Presentation

Poster presentations are visual displays combining text and graphic information, and will be displayed in the exhibition area and for the duration of the conference.

Posters may be on any topic relevant to the conference topics.

It is expected that presenters should be available during meal breaks to discuss their poster with conference attendees.

Important Dates

Super Early Emu Registrations Ending: Friday 9 April 2021

Presentation Submissions Close: Friday 18 June 2021

Program Available: Tuesday 13 July 2021

Early Emu Registrations Ending: Friday 20 August 2021

Conference Dates: 6-7 December 2021

Applications to present are now closed.

Committee.

Mr Rob McPhee

Chief Operating Officer, Kimberley Aboriginal Medical Services Council

Mr Rob McPhee

Chief Operating Officer, Kimberley Aboriginal Medical Services Council

Rob is the Deputy Chief Executive Officer of the Kimberly Aboriginal Medical Services (KAMS) based in Broome WA.

His people hail from Derby in the West Kimberley and the Pilbara region of WA. He has held several roles including Lecturer at both Curtin and the University of Western Australia and has worked as a senior adviser in community relations and Indigenous affairs to the oil and gas industry.

Rob is passionate about social justice for Indigenous people and currently co-chairs the Commonwealth funded Kimberley Aboriginal Suicide Prevention Trial Working Group.

Ms Fiona Cornforth

Chief Executive Officer, The Healing Foundation

Ms Fiona Cornforth

Chief Executive Officer, The Healing Foundation

Fiona Cornforth is a Wuthathi (Shelburne Bay) descendant with family roots in the Torres Straits. She has an extensive background working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and communities.

Fiona is a Masters Graduate of ANU’s College of Business and Economics, and an Associate Fellow of the Higher Education Academy of the UK. Holding past senior roles in community and government organisations, she utilised her global experience in education, leadership and business development to raise awareness around the impacts of intergenerational trauma.

Mr Nat Heath

Manager, Aboriginal Engagement & Policy Team, NSW Department of Education

Mr Nat Heath

Manager, Aboriginal Engagement & Policy Team, NSW Department of Education

Nat Heath is a proud Aboriginal man from the Martujarra and Noongar peoples. He completed a Bachelor of Social Science with a focus on Aboriginal Studies, Social Policy and Sociology in 2006 at the University of Newcastle.

Nat has over 15 years experience working in Aboriginal education working in the early childhood education sector, primary and secondary education spaces and also in tertiary education in Aboriginal and non-for-profit organisations as well as government agencies. This experience has led Nat to understanding and seeing the impact trauma caused by colonisation and both past/current government policies has detrimentally impacted on First Nations mental, emotional and spiritual well-being.

Nat currently is the Manager of the Aboriginal Engagement and Policy Team within the NSW Department of Education (Early Childhood and Education Directorate) and is a Board Director of The Indigenous Marathon Foundation (founded by Robert De Castella).

Henrietta Marrie

Local Elder

Henrietta Marrie

Local Elder

After completing a Masters in Environmental and Local Government Law at Macquarie University, Henriette was appointed as a senior professional officer with the United Nations and was the first Aboriginal Australian to be appointed to a full-time professional role.

She went on to become the North Australian Program Manager overseeing nearly $30 million in grants to promote and encourage Indigenous biological and cultural diversity across the northern regions of Australia.

In 2012, Henrietta started with the United Nations University Institute of Advanced Studies Traditional Knowledge Initiative.

Henrietta wants to encourage all Aboriginal people and Torres Strait Islander people to aim high. It's important to have a voice and be passionate about what you believe in.

Mr Daryl Hobbs

Senior Psychologist, Winda-Mara Aboriginal Corporation & Dhauwurd-Wurrung Elderly & Community Health Service, Gunditjmara Nation, SW Victoria

Mr Daryl Hobbs

Senior Psychologist, Winda-Mara Aboriginal Corporation & Dhauwurd-Wurrung Elderly & Community Health Service, Gunditjmara Nation, SW Victoria

Professor Cheryl Kickett-Tucker

Fellow/Founding Director, Curtin University and Pindi Pindi Ltd, Centre for Research Excellence in Aboriginal Wellbeing

Professor Cheryl Kickett-Tucker

Fellow/Founding Director, Curtin University and Pindi Pindi Ltd, Centre for Research Excellence in Aboriginal Wellbeing

Professor Cheryl Kickett-Tucker is an Aboriginal Western Australian who is a Wadjuk traditional owner. She has traditional ties to her grandparents’ Balladong and Yued country. Cheryl was born in Subiaco, Western Australia and has lived most of her life in Perth.  She is a dedicated wife (23 years) and mother of three children.  Cheryl was educated in both Australia and the United States of America.

Cheryl is a Research Fellow at Curtin University and the Project Director/coach Kaat Koort n Hoops (after hours) at Koya Aboriginal Corporation. She is also the Founding Director of Pindi Ltd, Centre for Research Excellence in Aboriginal Wellbeing. She is a Wadjuk Noongar Traditional Owner, social psychological research scientist, children’s fiction writer and community development practitioner.

Dr Lynne Russell

Senior Research Fellow, Māori Health, Victoria University of Wellington

Dr Lynne Russell

Senior Research Fellow, Māori Health, Victoria University of Wellington

Dr Lynne Russell works as a Senior Research Fellow - Maori Health with the Health Services Research Centre (HSRC) at Victoria University of Wellington.

Much of Lynne's professional and academic work has centred around the Indigenous knowledge and healing practices used in recovery from trauma associated with mental distress, suicide loss and self-harm. She describes herself as an writer, activist and public speaker stirred by cultural resilience, social justice, Indigenous and LGBTI rights, and the amplification of voices more readily silenced in society.

Ms Donna Stanley

District Coordinator Aboriginal Mental Health Drug & Alcohol, Western NSW Local Health District

Ms Donna Stanley

District Coordinator Aboriginal Mental Health Drug & Alcohol, Western NSW Local Health District

Donna Stanley is a Gunggari Umby from Mitchell in South Western QLD, Donna has been working in Aboriginal Health and predominately Aboriginal Mental Health for the past 28 years.

Donna is the vastly experienced District Coordinator for Aboriginal Mental Health Drug & Alcohol based at Bloomfield Hospital Orange NSW. Her role is district wide and covers a large area of Western NSW. Roles Donna has worked in have been across the clinical mental health services, community development and partnering with Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services, strategic development of mental health services and policy development.

In 2019 Donna was contracted by the NSW Auditor General’s Office to assist in being a cultural and knowledge expert on a performance audit of NSW Health and the way services are planned and delivered to Aboriginal people with mental health and drug and alcohol problems. The Audit produced a report with a series of recommendations including the review and launch of the NSW Aboriginal Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy 2020 -2025.

Donna was one of seven finalists for the Australian Mental Health Prize in 2019.

Ms Rosemary Wanganeen

Griefologist, Australian Institute for Loss & Grief

Ms Rosemary Wanganeen

Griefologist, Australian Institute for Loss & Grief

Rosemary is a proud South Australian Aboriginal woman! She founded the Sacred Site Within Healing Centre in 1993 preceded by Australian Institute for Loss and Grief in 2005.  She applied her personal ‘lived experiences’ to research and develop her now published Seven Phases to Integrating Loss and Grief model.

As a Griefologist and her industry experience, Rosemary been accepted into the Master in Philosophy at the University of Adelaide with a view to being accepted into a PHD to further research her Seven Phases model.

Professor Neil Drew

Director, Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet

Professor Neil Drew

Director, Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet

Neil who has more than 30 years’ experience working with a diverse range of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities and groups, commenced as Director of Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet in February 2014.

Neil’s involvement in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health extends from his work as a volunteer in 1980 at the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Service in Townsville, north Queensland to his role as co-founder and ongoing head of the Aboriginal Youth and Community Wellbeing Program in the Kimberley region of WA. His doctoral studies in community psychology have been of enormous value to the latter program, which promotes wellness and suicide prevention with young Aboriginal people.

Professor Drew also has substantial experience in the tertiary education sector, most recently with the University of Notre Dame Australia (UNDA) as Foundation Head of Behavioural Science, Dean of Arts and Sciences, and Deputy Head of UNDA’s Broome Campus.

Ms Tammie Wilkinson

Psychologist and Senior Clinician, Institute of Urban Indigenous Health (IUIH)

Ms Tammie Wilkinson

Psychologist and Senior Clinician, Institute of Urban Indigenous Health (IUIH)

Tammie Wilkinson is a descendant of the Kalkadoon people (Mt Isa region), born and bred on Yugambeh speaking people’s country. A mother of two and Registered Psychologist, she spent the first 10 years of her career working for the Gold Coast Mental Health’s Yan-Coorara Service as an Aboriginal Mental Health Worker.

For the last 5 years, Tammie has been employed by the Institute of Urban Indigenous Health (IUIH) providing psychological services to the local community as well as being involved in staff training and supervision activities. Tammie also enjoys facilitating the 2-day Aboriginal Mental Health First Aid workshops to staff and community and is passionate about building and nurturing connections to help improve access to culturally and clinically competent social and emotional wellbeing services for all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

Mrs Asha Bhat

Chief Executive Officer, Southern Aboriginal Corporation

Mrs Asha Bhat

Chief Executive Officer, Southern Aboriginal Corporation

Like the organisation she leads, Asha’s personal commitment to constantly develop better outcomes towards ‘Closing the Gap’ between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians in the areas of Economic Prosperity, Individual Prosperity, Community Prosperity and Environmental Prosperity, is second to none.

Asha spends every day ensuring that critical services are provided seamlessly to some of Australia’s most vulnerable communities.

Asha is now an Australian citizen; however, she was born in India. English is her third language.  She has risen to the top of the organisation because she tirelessly invests her time and energy into helping to improve the culture and environment for everyone.

Asha advocates for change every day. She goes above and beyond to make her community - and, by extension, the world – a better place. She confronts unfairness. She constantly rolls up her sleeves and she uses her skills, wisdom and knowledge to help change the status quo and create a more equitable society.

Mr Tom Brideson

Chief Executive Officer, Gayaa Dhuwi (Proud Spirit) Australia

Mr Tom Brideson

Chief Executive Officer, Gayaa Dhuwi (Proud Spirit) Australia

Tom is a Kamilaroi/Gomeroi man born in Gunnedah north-west NSW and a member of the Red Chief Local Aboriginal Land Council.

In April 2020, Tom was appointed Chief Executive Officer of Gayaa Dhuwi (Proud Spirit) Australia – the culmination of more than 25-years’ work in Indigenous mental health and health policy; social and emotional wellbeing; clinical mental health care; suicide prevention; education and mental health leadership.

Between 2007 and 2020, Tom was the State-wide Coordinator for the NSW Aboriginal Mental Health Workforce Program, a ground-breaking program that has embedded a new discipline into the mental health space in NSW.

Tom sits on multiple committees under the Fifth National Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Plan to improve the health and mental health of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

Miss Isabel Venables

Program & Event Manager, Indigenous Wellbeing Conference

Miss Isabel Venables

Program & Event Manager, Indigenous Wellbeing Conference

Mr Sam Stewart

CEO, Australian & New Zealand Mental Health Association

Mr Sam Stewart

CEO, Australian & New Zealand Mental Health Association

Partner With Us

Align your organisation with a community passionate about closing the gap in mental health equality.

Choose from our range of pre-prepared packages, or chat with us to tailor make your own.​

Exhibitor Stands & Display Opportunities

Showcase your product or service via a display booth, pull-up banners, app or range of other branded conference signage.

Platinum, Gold & Silver Sponsorship Packages

Choose from one of our pre-prepared sponsorship package deals, or speak with us to create your own.

Lived Experience Sponsors

Choose to sponsor a lived-experience speaker who may otherwise be unable to attend due to cost or location.

Branded Conference Material

Get your organization’s branding on conference material, including handbook, lanyards or other merchandise.

Sponsored Scholarships & Study Grants

Help out those who actively want to make a difference in Indigenous mental health by sponsoring a scholarship or study grant. 

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Venue & Accommodation

Pullman Cairns International
17 Abbott St
Cairns City QLD 4870

About The Pullman Cairns International

The Pullman Cairns International offers you a perfect combination of comfort and convenience located in the heart of the city. Pullman Cairns International is just 8 kilometers from the domestic and international airports. This unique 5-star hotel in Cairns city reflects the ambience and spirit of Far North Queensland and exudes the architectural style and grandeur of the city centre’s rich colonial past. Enjoy a relaxing treatment and harmonize your soul at Vie Spa and dine on the best local seafood in Coco’s Kitchen + Bar.

Welcoming, safeguarding, and taking care of others is at the very heart of Pullman Cairns International. The health, safety and well-being of staff, guests and community remains top priority. To welcome you, Pullman have elevated health and safety norms even further, with the newly launched unique cleanliness prevention label: ALLSAFE by Accor Live Limitless. The #ALLSAFE cleanliness & prevention standards has been developed with and vetted by Bureau Veritas, a world leader in testing, inspections and certification, and these standards have been launched within the hotel.

Accommodation Pricing

Standard booking (after Friday 9 April 2021)
$201 per night, including breakfast

Accommodation can be booked during the registration process.

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Registration Options

VIRTUAL
 

2 DAY PROGRAM

$439

Late Lizard

  • All sessions in the main conference room  throughout conference period, live streamed via On Air platform
  • Live Q&A opportunities for all keynote sessions
  • Access to all concurrent presentation recordings via digital library (provided 5 business days post-event)
  • Access to exhibitors via digital platform
  • Hours towards CPD points
  • Certificate of attendance
  • Options to extend access to digital library will also be made available after 30 days.
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IN-PERSON
 

2 DAY PROGRAM

$1,044

Late Lizard

  • All keynote presentations
  • All concurrent presentations
  • Discounted accommodation rates
  • Access to conference app
  • 5 star conference catering package
  • Access to exclusive networking functions
  • Complete online access to audio and visual presentations for 30 days post-event
  • Printed conference materials
  • Over 10 hours towards CPD points
  • Your personalised certificate of attendance
  • Exposure for your organisation
  • Your choice of workshops
  • Plus, chances to win great prizes!
Register Now

GROUP OF THREE

 

2 DAY PROGRAM

$2,967

Late Lizard

  • All keynote presentations
  • All concurrent presentations
  • Discounted accommodation rates
  • Access to conference app
  • 5 star conference catering package
  • Access to exclusive networking functions
  • Complete online access to audio and visual presentations for 30 days post-event
  • Printed conference materials
  • Over 10 hours towards CPD points
  • Your personalised certificate of attendance
  • Exposure for your organisation
  • Your choice of workshops
  • Plus, chances to win great prizes!
Register Now

Conference Scholarships

The Indigenous Wellbeing Conference is proud to announce that Registration Scholarships are available to attend this year’s event.

For more information on eligibility and inclusions, please click on the apply now button.

Apply Now

Download Information Pack

Find out more about the conference and how to get involved, as well as sponsorship & exhibition opportunities.

Please fill in the form below to download the information pack.

Contact Us

Please fill in the form below to get in touch.

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The 2021 Indigenous Wellbeing Conference will operate on Yirrganydji country. We acknowledge the Yirrganydji people as the Traditional Owners of the Cairns region and pay our respects to Yirrganydji elders past and present. We are committed to a positive future for the Aboriginal community. We hold ourselves to the highest standard in acknowledging and respecting Indigenous cultural protocols and practices. Indigenous visitors are advised that content throughout our website may contain images and voices of people who have passed.

 

© 2021, The Australian & New Zealand Mental Health Association. All rights reserved.

Acknowledgement

The 2021 Indigenous Wellbeing Conference will operate on Yirrganydji country. We acknowledge the Yirrganydji people as the Traditional Owners of the Cairns region and pay our respects to Yirrganydji elders past and present. We are committed to a positive future for the Aboriginal community.

We hold ourselves to the highest standard in acknowledging and respecting Indigenous cultural protocols and practices. Indigenous visitors are advised that content throughout our website may contain images and voices of people who have passed.

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