The Aboriginal Mental Health Workforce Program, run by the Greater Western Area Health Service, received the gold achievement award for rural services at the Australia and New Zealand Mental Health Services conference last week.

The program, which is run by health services throughout NSW, allows Aboriginal students to obtain a degree in health science and mental health while completing clinical training to become mental health workers.

Area co-ordinator for Aboriginal mental health and drug and alcohol Len Kanowski developed the program, which was launched in Queanbeyan in 1993.

He said he hoped that by attracting more Aboriginal people in to the mental health workforce, there would also be an increase in the number of Aboriginal people who accessed mental health services.

“A lot of Aboriginal people weren’t accessing mental health services because of a lot of fear and mistrust of mental health services and a lot of people didn’t see the services as culturally appropriate,” he said.

“The idea was to have Aboriginal people working in the service ... so the service became more culturally adept.”

Since the program was launched in western NSW in 2002, the number of Aboriginal mental health workers in the region has increased from four to 26, with a number of graduates progressing to more senior roles in the health service.

Currently the program has 19 trainees, some of whom have moved from other states to participate.

Trainee John Maunder gave up work as a butcher and moved from Charleville in Queensland to begin the course this year.

When he graduates, Mr Maunder plans to do further study in psychology and work in western NSW before returning to work in Queensland.

“Back in Charleville, there were limited mental health services, which prompted me to come down here and get qualified,” he said.

“The work while studying aspect and the support networks are unparalleled.”

lisa.cox@ruralpress.com