Gayaa Dhuwi (Proud Spirit) Australia (GDPSA) is developing a national system-wide implementation plan (the Plan) for the Gayaa Dhuwi (Proud Spirit) Declaration (the Declaration). While the Declaration is a fixed point in time document the Implementation Plan reflects the important steps required to implement it over the next 10 years.

Implementation of the Declaration was agreed to by all Australian Governments in the Fifth National Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Plan (2017) which was the first time the unique needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people had been prioritised within the national mental health plan.

The Declaration is a companion declaration to the International Wharerātā Declaration, for use by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Member’s countries of the International Initiative for Mental Health Leadership (IIMHL) endorsed the Wharerātā Declaration in 2010 and now promote it as a key part of their work. In March 2013 the Wharerātā Declaration was endorsed in Australia by key government mental health agencies including the National Mental Health Commission, and Mental Health Commissions of NSW, WA and Queensland.

Australia is the first country from IIMHL to take the important next step of supporting and developing a plan for the implementation of this Declaration domestically.

The Plan will provide strategic direction for the Commonwealth, States and Territories on the implementation of the Declaration’s five themes over the next 10 years. The five Themes within the declaration include:

1. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander concepts of social and emotional wellbeing, mental health and healing should be recognised across all parts of the Australian mental health system, and in some circumstances support specialised areas of practice.
2. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander concepts of social and emotional wellbeing, mental health and healing combined with clinical perspectives will make the greatest contribution to the achievement of the highest attainable standard of mental health and suicide prevention outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
3. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander values-based social and emotional wellbeing and mental health outcome measures in combination with clinical outcome measures should guide the assessment of mental health and suicide prevention services and programs for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
4. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander presence and leadership is required across all parts of the Australian mental health system for it to adapt to, and be accountable to, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples for the achievement of the highest attainable standard of mental health and suicide prevention outcomes.
5. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander leaders should be supported and valued to be visible and influential across all parts of the Australian mental health system.

Central to the ethos of the work ahead is to appreciate the wisdom and systems of knowledge that exists within the oldest continuing culture in the world, across thousands of generations of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, combined with the modern science of care.

GDPSA CEO Mr Tom Brideson said, “The Plan to implement the Declaration requires us to move beyond imagining improvements and realise that we must forge a pathway to combine these knowledge systems in ways that respect and contribute significantly to the improvements of the mental health and wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

“These improvements to mental health and wellbeing are central to the identity of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, and critical to the identity of all Australians.”

You can read The Gayaa Dhuwi (Proud Spirit) Declaration document in full on HERE.

For up-to-date information on the Gayaa Dhuwi (Proud Spirit) Declaration Implementation Plan, please contact declaration@gayaadhuwi.org.au