MakingtheLink: Promoting help-seeking for drug use and mental health issues among Aboriginal and...

MakingtheLink: Promoting help-seeking for drug use and mental health issues among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander high school students

Karina HickeyNational Cannabis Prevention and Information Centre (NCPIC)

What is MakingtheLink?

A program for young people to promote help-seeking for cannabis use and mental health problems, which:

teaches young people to help each other and to seek professional help

promotes the idea that Mates Help Mates reduces the barriers to seeking help from professionals educates teachers/adults about students’ help-seeking

behaviour and how to assist them to seek professional help for cannabis use and mental health problems


Facilitators of Help-seeking

Self Peers,Friends

Parents,Family

Teachers SchoolCommunity

LocalCommunity


z2230405

This example has a dash. Choose one way of writing helpseeking and keep it consistent all the way through. I think in the original version it is one word:helpseeking

Why an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander package?Original program by Orygen Youth Health and NCPIC

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians seek help differently differ in understanding of mental health issues

Drug use problematic and increasing in some communities


How is this resource different?

New package developed new and amended activities literacy levels focus on movement and interaction focus on Gunja, Grog, Smokes and Sniffing more relevant examples- ‘Aunty’, solvents, sport Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander look and feel guided by a Reference Group


Developing the program

some activities adapted from original package new activities researched and created keeping

specific cultural needs in mind consultation with a reference group tested with primary and high school Aboriginal

and Torres Strait Islander students in WA and NT


Where was the package tested?


So what is in it?


10 activities 15 -40 minutes per activity 3-4 activities plus, ideally culminating in a class-

developed song using their gained knowledge

Activity 1


Activity 1 - Answers


Activity 2


Activity 3


Activity 4


Activity 5


Activity 6


Activity 7


Activity 8


Supplementary Activities


Other elements in package background information for

teachers/adults links and referrals list of ‘potential helpers’ alternatives and extensions for

each of the activities (time, resources, literacy, etc.)

available at no charge via HYPERLINK (to be added when live)


AcknowledgementsThank you to the following people:

Dr Julia Butt, National Drug Research Institute, Curtin University Bruno Faletti, School Drug Education and Road Aware, Western Australia Jonathan Hermawan Tjapaltjarri, Northern Territory Department of

Education and Training Bonnie Berridge, Turning Point Alcohol and Drug Centre, Eastern Health the staff and students of the schools in Western Australia and the

Northern Territory where this program was piloted

Graphic Designer: John Fear of Fear Design


For more information Clare Chenoweth [email protected] and

(02) 9385 0218 [email protected] and (02) 9385 0208


MakingtheLink: Promoting help-seeking for drug use and mental health issues among Aboriginal and...

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