Community and family services

There are many ways that organisations can help practitioners to work proactively and in culturally sensitive ways with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander parents. These include (but are not limited to) providing supervision and training on child-focused ways to identify and respond to presentations of family violence; providing cultural supervision and mentoring from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander staff to support meaningful and confident engagement; and working collaboratively with local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities to co-design appropriate and effective responses to families who are affected by violence.

This guide explores the barriers and modes of access to mental health support for children (aged 0–12 years) from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds and provides a first step in understanding and applying culturally responsive practice.