Governor attends launch of The Westerman Jilya Institute for Indigenous Mental Health

The Governor attended the launch of the new Westerman Jilya Institute for Indigenous Mental Health in the Ballroom.

Held on World Suicide Prevention Day, the launch celebrated the new group of recipients selected for the Dr Tracy Westerman Indigenous Psychology Scholarship Program under the new Institute.

Previously, the scholarship program ran under a Curtin University partnership. Due to the swell of interest, the program will now be managed to meet a national expansion under the stewardship of the Jilya Institute.

The Governor launched the Dr Tracy Westerman Indigenous Psychology Scholarship Program in May 2019 at Government House, with five recipients selected for the scholarship. This year, 13 recipients were announced, reflecting the growth of the program.

In the spirit of giving back to their own communities, students receiving scholarships are those who have connections to and a desire to continue their work in rural and remote communities on completion of their studies. In turn, these students are passionate about closing the gap and improving the lives of all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians, particularly in the sphere of mental health.

In his speech, the Governor remarked on the success of the program so far and the importance of culturally sensitive psychologists in high risk communities,

“The Westerman Jilya Institute’s model is one of the best opportunities we have of ensuring that those in our high risk communities have access to the specialist services which they need. Ensuring that there are a number of effective, culturally sensitive trained psychologists is absolutely critical.”