Community advocates speak out about concerns over mental health support in Dubbo

Community advocates have expressed their anger about the lack of mental health support and high suicide rates in the bush. Here’s the latest.

Aboriginal people are battling mental health issues while government agencies and organisations are not acknowledging the multifaceted struggles, according to a Dubbo community advocate.

Community advocate Mahalia Doolan told The Dubbo News she does “not understand why there are not enough services” available for young people in Dubbo following the recent death of a young woman.

“I want something to be done now – I want organisations to be held accountable – I want government services to be held accountable,” Ms Doolan said. “It hits home.”

Ms Doolan said more and more young people were experiencing mental health issues because of technology, peer pressure, cultural identity and the justice and health systems.

Community advocate Mahalia Doolan.

“There is so much funding in mental health, so many organisations and many workers so why the suicide rates are still up?” she asked.

“We’ve got all these organisations that go in and tick the boxes for government funding but where does someone really go when they’re suicidal?

“There are barriers people are facing where they don’t want to address their mental health, they’re too scared to say what’s going on or think there might be repercussions – it shouldn’t be like that.

“I want a voice out there for everyone, the Aboriginal community. We can’t keep going on and saying ‘yep, that’s another death’, we need to acknowledge the grief and loss.”

According to the Mental Health Commission of NSW, fewer than one in four regional NSW residents reported having access to mental health services, with suicide rates (deaths per 100,000 people) increasing from 15.2 per cent in 2019-20 to 16.4 per cent in 2020-21.

“Suicide rates tend to increase with increasing remoteness,” the report stated.

Riverbank Frank. Photo: Tijana Birdjan

Police Minister Yasmin Catley recently hosted a roundtable in Dubbo with local police, youth organisations and community advocates to address youth crime and organisational services.

Aboriginal Elder Frank Doolan, known as Riverbank Frank, attended the roundtable and said it was good for Ms Catley to come to Dubbo to understand what happens in bush communities.

“What’s regrettable in relation to mental health and our young people are the lack of services on the ground,” Mr Riverbank said.

“We’ve got Headspace but that’s about the extent of what the government is doing in this area and it’s a little too late in the case of our young sister.

“We need those issues to be addressed with some degree of urgency.”

Minister for Mental Health Rose Jackson acknowledged the need to “dismantle the barriers” for regional communities to access healthcare and said it was “heartbreaking” to learn of the recent death.

Minister for Mental Health Rose Jackson. Picture: Newswire / Gaye Gerard

“One life lost to suicide is one too many,” Ms Jackson said.

“We must not accept a reality where people feel unsafe or unable to seek support due to cultural barriers.

“We know that culturally safe and appropriate mental health care models are essential to achieving the best possible outcomes for the mental health and wellbeing of Aboriginal people.”

The NSW Government has committed $40 million in a four year investment through 2025-26 to closing the gap programs and Aboriginal mental health workforce development to support the delivery of culturally appropriate and respectful mental health services in partnership with indigenous communities and services.

There has also been further investments into building on Aboriginal communities’ resilience, Aboriginal mental health and suicide prevention workforce expansion, Central West NSW Aboriginal mental health and wellbeing programs, after-care service expansion, suicide prevention outreach teams, safe havens and safeguard teams.

“We will continue to work towards reducing suicides in regional and rural locations and a vital part of that work is improving the health and wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in NSW,” Ms Jackson said.

Dubbo residents currently have access to community mental health services, Dubbo Safe Haven, the Dubbo Suicide Prevention Outreach team, short-term counselling through Short Minds Western, mental health units like Gundaymarra and Barraminya, Dubbo Base Hospital and Headspace.

Lifeline on 13 11 14 or www.lifeline.org.au

13YARN First Nations crisis support 24/7 on 13 92 76

Beyond Blue 1300 224 636 or at www.beyondblue.org.au

Kids Helpline on 1800 551 800 or at kidshelpline.com.au

Suicide Callback Service on 1300 659 467

Headspace on 1800 650 890