“Walk, Talk And Gawk”

Go back to Resource Library
By May 21, 2015 No Comments

Authors: Robert Peckham and Colin Locke, NSW

Year: 2005

Event: 2005 TheMHS Conference

Subject: Men's and Women's Mental Health, indigenous culture, aboriginal mental health programs, cultural identity, bushwalking

Type of resource: Conference Presentations and Papers

ISBN: 0975765310

Abstract: Loss of cultural identity is considered an underlying cause of, or at least a significant factor contributing to, the high rates of mental illness of Aboriginal men. The Aboriginal Mental Health Program focuses on creating opportunities for men's cultural identity development through an annual camp and ongoing bushwalking model of service. It is fundamentally a suicide prevention program, providing a culturally appropriate model for Aboriginal men with mental health problems. It involves bushwalking, learning about indigenous culture and working with artists and mental health workers to develop creative "tools" eg artwork, stories, videos etc. The men are then supported to use these "tools" in a range of community education settings such as schools, prisons etc, providing a pathway for the men's skill development and re-inclusion into community networks.

This resource is only available for subscribers. If you have a subscription, please log in. Otherwise, click here to purchase a subscription.