National Indigenous Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Conference
Program

Agenda

Submissions for abstracts for the 2027 conference are now open. The full 2027 agenda will be announced later this year — below is the 2026 program.

  • Vanessa Edwidge, Chair, AIPA

Change from the Top Down

  • Join Professor Pat Dudgeon as she unpacks community-led solutions to preventing Indigenous suicide and explores elements of the 2025 AIHW report 'Preventing Suicides of First Nations People'.
  • Pat Dudgeon, Professor of Indigenous Studies, University of Western Australia; Project Director, CBPATSISP
  • Looking to the wisdom of Elders is an important aspect of Social and Emotional Wellbeing and Suicide Prevention initiatives. Join this panel of local Elders as they impart their cultural knowledge and lived experience to continue guiding this important work.
  • Moderator: Yvonne Clark, Principal Research Fellow, Aboriginal Communities and Families Health Research Alliance, SAHMRI Women and Kids theme; Director, AIPA
  • Lachlan Madden, Senior Project Officer – Suicide Prevention, Aboriginal Health & Medical Research Council of NSW

10.50 Concurrent streams

Attendees can move between the sessions listed under the three streams.

Stream A — Social and Emotional Wellbeing

  • Bianca Hunt, TV presenter, media personality, interviewer and author
  • Transforming suicide-prevention education for future Indigenous mental health professionals
  • Rhys Callaghan (Worimi), Lecturer, First Nations Health, Charles Sturt University
  • Aunty Mary Atkinson, Cultural Knowledge Holder
  • Exploring our model of care and program components towards suicide prevention
  • Vickie Louise Simpson, Program Manager, Griffith Aboriginal Medical Service
  • Jacinta Oakley, Youth Project Officer, Griffith Aboriginal Medical Service
  • Insights from Waminda's Model of Care and Balaang Healing Framework
  • Debra Bowman, Manager Social and Emotional Wellbeing Services, Waminda
  • Katie Fox, Program Team Leader, Waminda
  • Hayley Marshall, Aboriginal CSA Healing Counsellor, Waminda
  • Jesse Regan, Social and Emotional Wellbeing Coordinator, Waminda

Stream B — Colley Room

  • Thara Brown, Founder and Creative Director, Wala Connections
  • Exploring how italk Studios, in partnership with Central Australian Indigenous organisations and individuals, produced a series of animations covering mental health
  • Christopher Brocklebank, Director, italk Studios
  • Beatrice Jeavons, italk Studios
  • How the Aboriginal Voices Project will develop the Northern Adelaide Suicide Prevention Action Plan
  • Tamara Noel, Senior Project Officer, KWY Aboriginal Corporation
  • Reflections on suicide prevention training in the APY Lands
  • Keith Brandy, First Nations Trainer, Wesley Mission
  • Shaun Hart, Strategic Relationship Manager, Wesley Mission
  • Bethany Farley, National Training Manager, Wesley Mission

Stream C — Ballroom 4-5: Strengthening Connections

  • Joe Sproats, Senior Psychologist, Wakai Waian Healing; Director, AIPA
  • Selwyn Button, Commissioner, Productivity Commission
  • Gavin Matthews, First Assistant Secretary, Mental Health and Suicide Prevention, Department of Health and Aged Care
  • Deep Yarning is a practice-based evidence approach of psychological therapy based on Indigenous standpoints and relational processes
  • Mary Goslett, Psychotherapist, Clinical Psychologist; Professional Practice Fellow, University of Western Australia; Director, AIPA
  • Belle Selkirk, Research Fellow, Clinical Psychologist, School of Indigenous Studies, University of Western Australia

1.10 Concurrent streams

Attendees can move between the sessions listed under the three streams.

Stream A — Ballroom 1-3: Spotlight on Youth

  • Embedding social and emotional wellbeing in work and study support
  • Hannah Halliburton, First Nations Advisor Work and Study Online, Headspace National
  • Anita Jackman-Davey, First Nations Work & Study Specialist, Headspace
  • Exploring the research to practice continuum
  • Julianne Kealey, PhD Student and Psychology Researcher/Academic, University of Southern Queensland
  • Life story interviewing of plurisexual non-binary Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people
  • Amber Johnson, PhD Candidate, University of Southern Queensland; Senior Social Worker, Queensland Health

Stream B — Advocacy and Justice

  • Thara Brown, Founder and Creative Director, Wala Connections
  • Addressing systemic racism and intergenerational trauma
  • Jenny Holmes, Program Manager, Women and Girls Emergency Centre
  • Shannay Holmes, Senior Projects Manager, Women and Girls Emergency Centre
  • Insights from the Victorian Aboriginal Legal Service
  • Tanya Wells (Palawa), Social and Emotional Wellbeing Officer, Victorian Aboriginal Legal Service
  • Bonina Challenor, Senior Lawyer, Victorian Aboriginal Legal Service
  • Providing free, confidential, non-legal advocacy to people receiving compulsory mental health treatment
  • Belinda Foley, Manager, First Nations Team, Independent Mental Health Advocacy (IMHA)
  • A: Youth-led yarn — Manny Williams, Program Coordinator, Culture is Life; Yoora Maltha
  • B: Boorai Dreaming Project — Janey McNally-Mendoza (PhD), Annabelle Sharman (Elder) and Rochelle (Connie) Johnson (Elder)
  • C: Walking with Knowledge — Tammy Hatherill, Psychologist, Tribal Psychology; PhD Candidate
  • D: Engaging Young People (Tangka Marnirninthi Group) — Pam Ghebretensae and Vanessa Browne, Central Adelaide Local Health Network
  • E: 4-Directions, One Path to Healing — Nawiishtunmi Nightgun, Founder, Brown Bear Woman LLC; Veronica Owens, Operations Leader
  • F: '6 Ps x 8 domains' Indigenous Psychology Formulation model — Mary Goslett and Joe Sproats, Directors, AIPA

Pathways to Healing

  • The need for healing child sexual abuse as part of suicide prevention
  • Building alternative pathways to support healing child sexual abuse
  • Graham Gee, Associate Professor, Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, University of Melbourne
  • Join Professor Marcia Langton AO, Indigenous rights advocate, academic and anthropologist as she shares insights on paving the way forward for future generations through education, cultural preservation and resilience.
  • Professor Marcia Langton AO, Associate Provost and Foundation Chair of Australian Indigenous Studies, University of Melbourne
  • Join the inaugural National Commissioner for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children and Young People, Sue-Anne Hunter, as she unpacks the core pillars of her role to protect and promote the rights, interests and wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and young people.
  • Sue-Anne Hunter, Commissioner, National Commission for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children and Young People
  • Join us immediately following the event to unwind and connect with one another in a relaxed setting, with food, drinks and entertainment as we process the day's learnings.